On the Cover

For 12 years, communities and businesses in Maine and beyond have come to the University of Maine to learn how to turn organic waste - from food scraps and grass clippings to animal manure and carcasses - into a valuable commodity. The Maine Compost School teaches participants to mine the economic and environmental benefits of the soil-enriching 'black gold.' As a result, communities save money by reducing landfill waste, companies offer a marketable product and businesses incorporate green strategies into their production.