<p>Today, I’m thrilled to share my conversation with Nathan. He’s the <strong>Director of Soil</strong> and a long-time force behind Rust Belt Riders, a cooperative composting operation that’s grown from <strong>bicycles and buckets</strong> to launching a <strong>mid-scale compost facility</strong>. Their story is truly inspiring—not just because of the growth, but because of how intentionally they’ve done it.</p><p>We talk about the early days, what it’s been like to scale, and the importance of their <strong>unique cooperative business structure</strong>—which sets them apart in the composting world. And toward the end of the conversation, Nathan shares his <strong>beautiful vision of a compost-centric utopian future</strong>. It’s heartfelt, imaginative, and honestly, something we could all use a bit more of.</p><p></p><p>Check out Rust Belt Riders (👊) at</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.rustbeltriders.com/">https://www.rustbeltriders.com/</a></p><p></p><p>Nathan mentioned Farmers of Forty Centuries; Or, Permanent Agriculture in China, Korea and Japan, a book by Franklin Hiram King that anyone interested in Compost should check out!</p><p></p><p><strong>Thank you to our Show sponsors:</strong></p><p>Green Mountain Technologies: visit<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://compostingtechnology.com/"> </a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://Compostingtechnology.com">Compostingtechnology.com</a> and mention The Composter podcast for a free consultation</p><p>Agrilab Technologies at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.agrilabtech.com/podcast">www.agrilabtech.com/podcast</a> </p><p>And Viably: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thinkviably.com/">https://thinkviably.com/</a></p><p><strong>Merch:</strong></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.earthcarefarm.com/store/c3/Clothing.html">https://www.earthcarefarm.com/store/c3/Clothing.html</a></p><p>Contact:</p><p>Composter Host, Jayne Merner can be reached at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a> or through <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/composterpodcast/">https://www.instagram.com/composterpodcast/</a></p>