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About Us

NewTerra Compost was founded on the idea that composting is a local solution to a global problem. We saw that food residuals were a significant portion of our personal waste at home and when we looked around we found that we were not unique. Wanting to be part of the solution, we started learning more about better ways to handle food residuals and how we could make a solution available to more people. Our mission is to keep organic material out of landfills by making it accessible and convenient for residential and commercial members to compost.  This not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, but also generates compost that builds healthier soil.

​Everything collected by NewTerra Compost is composted on site in Wildwood Georgia using an ASP (Aerated Static Pile) method. ASP eliminates the manual turning of compost, by pumping oxygen into the pile through pipes. After 30 days of active composting, while holding temps of 140+ degrees, the compost is moved to a curing phase where it will continue to compost and break down for another 60+ days. After curing, all finished compost is screened down to 1/4". Anything that is screened off will go back into the compost system as either a bulking agent or bio filter and will continue to break down until it is small enough to screen through. 

Finished compost is returned to residential members and/or donated to partnered non-profits, schools, or community gardens. When available it is also sold by the bag or truck load.

On occasion, clean produce is diverted to local farmers who are looking for animal feed.  This is considered by the EPA's Food Waste Hierarchy to be a beneficial and productive landfill diversion method.

The Team
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Normand Lavoie

Norm grew up with a passion for being outdoors. From an early age he enjoyed mountain biking, hiking, and skiing. He spent the first part of his adult life serving as an Engineer Officer in the United States Army, on both active duty and in the Tennessee National Guard. After leaving active duty, a manufacturing job brought him to Chattanooga where he fell in love with his wife and the area. He worked in multiple positions in operations and maintenance. He now shares his passion for the outdoors with his young son and can be found mountain biking in his free time. 

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Michael Ryan

Michael grew up on a farm in Dade County where he showed livestock in 4-H. He started his restaurant career in Chattanooga when he was 20 years old and worked in the industry as a manager for 11 years. Since 2013 he has been selling foodservice disposables and janitorial supplies for a local distributor called Jacobs Paper. Michael has always had a passion for small business and entrepreneurship. He is a husband and a father of two young boys. Michael loves to run and in his spare time you can find him running trails around the area. 

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In The News
Chattanooga Times Free Press
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WDEF News 12
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Nooga Today
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Dade County Sentinel
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UTC News
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Channel 9 ABC
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Wanderlinger Goes Compostable
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CHI Memorial Stadium
& NewTerra
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