Short course and optional hands-on training for farmers and farm teams
Join four of South Florida’s leading composting experts for an intensive look at on-farm compost production—from biology and recipes to facility design, odor management, and site safety.
May 22, 2026 — One-day short course at Lucy’s Farm, 15802 SW 200th St, Miami, FL 33187
May 23, 2026 — Optional half-day hands-on training. Meet at Fertile Earth Worm Farm, 15150 SW 264 Street, Homestead, FL 33032. Day ends at Lion Farms.
Tickets: $90–$300. Group discounts offered.
Who this is for
This workshop is for farmers looking to increase their self-sufficiency. With world events drastically affecting fertilizer (and fuel) costs, learning to compost locally is a winning proposition for everyone.
This workshop will cover both scientific and practical issues, as well as regulatory concerns.
What we’ll cover
Day 1
Process fundamentals: composting biology and core principles — Dr. Monica Ozores-Hampton
Oxygen, humidity, particle size, C:N ratio, and temperature
How to build a recipe with local feedstocks
Facility design and cost; types of available technologies; equipment choices
How odor is generated; odor measurement; odor and dust transport off-site; odor control
Public relations management
Avoiding fires on your site
Day 2
Join us for a hands-on workshop exploring the science behind vermicompost and its powerful effects on food and medicinal crops, from boosting aroma and flavor compounds to activating a plant’s natural defense systems. We’ll walk you through the full process of composting, feeding, sifting, finished product, and brewing vermicompost tea so you can see this living amendment in action from start to finish.
Introduction & pre-test — Dr. Monica Ozores-Hampton
9:00 a.m.
Miami-Dade compost agriculture regulations — Charles LaPradd, Miami-Dade County Agricultural Manager
9:15 a.m.
Process fundamentals: composting biology and core principles — Dr. Monica Ozores-Hampton
Oxygen, humidity, particle size, C:N ratio, and temperature.
10:45 a.m.
Feedstock types and recipes — Dr. Monica Ozores-Hampton
How to build a recipe with local feedstocks, including food scraps.
11:45 a.m.
Break
12:00 p.m.
Composting technologies — Dr. Monica Ozores-Hampton
Facility design and cost; types of available technologies; equipment choices.
1:00 p.m.
Composting safety: odor & fire — Dr. Monica Ozores-Hampton
What odor is and how it’s generated; odor measurement; off-site odor and dust transport; odor control; public-relations management; avoiding fires on your site.
1:45 p.m.
Lunch
2:45 p.m.
Process monitoring & control — Dr. Monica Ozores-Hampton
Measurement equipment; temperature, oxygen, and pH; sample collection; on-site laboratory requirements vs. off-site testing.
3:30 p.m.
Compost quality and testing — Dr. Monica Ozores-Hampton
Indicators of compost quality; how to measure stability and maturity; how to interpret laboratory analysis reports.
Coffee, water, and light snacks included (no lunch).
9:00 a.m.
Welcome to Fertile Earth Worm Farm — Dr. Lanette Sobel
15150 SW 264 St, Homestead, FL 33032.
9:05 a.m.
How to make a compost pile — Dr. Lanette Sobel
9:35 a.m.
How to take pile temperature & record-keeping — Dr. Monica Ozores-Hampton
9:55 a.m.
How to measure bulk density — Dr. Monica Ozores-Hampton
10:15 a.m.
How to measure compost pH — Dr. Monica Ozores-Hampton
10:30 a.m.
Travel to last location: Lion Farms14950 SW 212th St, Miami, FL 33187.
11:00 a.m.
Lecture: Uses and Effects of Vermicompost in Edible Crops and Medicinal Plants — Dr. Daphne K. Sugino Souffront
Location: the Lion Farms Dome.
In-depth discussion of the benefits of vermicompost on plant growth, essential oil / medicinal compound production, and fruit and vegetable yield.
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
How to Vermicompost: From Feedstocks to Final Product — Dr. Daphne K. Sugino Souffront
Tour Lion Farms vermicomposting facilities
Learn how to properly feed earthworms, harvest worm castings, and sift the final product.
Your instructors
Dr. Monica Ozores-Hampton
PhD — Co-instructor
Dr. Monica Ozores-Hampton is well-known in the field of agriculture through her research and workshops on compost utilization. She is a former professor at the University of Florida and current Board of Directors member at the Compost Research and Education Foundation (CREF).
She is the founder and CEO of TerraNutri, LLC, a consulting company specializing in research and development in organic and conventional agriculture.
Dr. Lanette Sobel
DPM — Co-instructor
Often called “Miami’s Compost Queen,” Dr. Sobel is a certified permaculturist and certified commercial composter. As founder and CEO of Fertile Earth Worm Farm, she has helped set the bar for compost operations across South Florida and has trailblazed private-sector food-waste composting with forward-thinking partners including the Miami Heat, Miami Marlins, Pura Vida, Baptist Health, Chipotle, and many others.
She is currently collaborating with the Miami-Dade Department of Solid Waste Management on research to support county composting guidelines and regulations, and she is involved in a year-long pilot program with Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
Dr. Daphne K. Sugino Souffront
PhD — Co-instructor
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Daphne K. Sugino Souffront holds a B.S. in Environmental Sciences with a focus in freshwater systems from Loyola University Chicago, a Master’s in Environmental Studies from Florida International University, and a Ph.D. in Earth System Sciences from FIU, where her dissertation examined vermicompost applications and secondary metabolite production in medicinal crops. She is the co-founder of Cultiva Miami, a research-driven tropical nursery, and serves as Compliance Officer for Lion Farms, a USDA Certified Organic and Global G.A.P. certified regenerative farm in Miami’s Redland Agricultural District.
On-farm windrows and scale operationsHands-on material handlingLocal feedstocks and recipes
