Who is Jeff Gage?

From CoPilot:

Jeff Gage is a towering figure in the composting world 🌱.

Who Is Jeff Gage?

Jeff Gage is a Certified Composting Professional and the Director of Consulting at Green Mountain Technologies. With over 40 years of experience, he’s helped design, upgrade, and operate more than 70 composting facilities worldwide. His work spans everything from facility design and permitting to operator training and environmental compliance.

Career Highlights

• 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award from the US Composting Council
• Developed much of the composting infrastructure in the Pacific Northwest
• Founded the Tilth Alliance Master Composter program
• Led the creation of land use codes for composting in King County
• Designed and operated the Pierce County Compost Facility, which won an Environmental Excellence Award

Innovation & Advocacy

• Holds multiple composting-related patents
• Conducted pathogen research on composted zoo manures
• Helped establish soil standards through the Soils for Salmon campaign
• Advocated against harmful lawn chemicals like Clopyralid
• Served on boards like the US Composting Council, Washington Organics Recycling Council, and Compost Manufacturer’s Alliance

Fun Fact

When he’s not composting, Jeff enjoys playing violin and exploring the world by bike. He even has a favorite compost recipe:

“2 parts Paunch Manure, 1 part chicken manure, and 4 parts shredded coconut husks”—his Pauna Chickalada.

He’s not just an expert—he’s a composting legend. Want to dive into any of his projects or philosophies?

From the Company Website: Jeff is the Director of Consulting at Green Mountain Technologies and a Certified Composting Professional. He was given the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award by the US Composting Council in recognition of his outstanding contributions to this industry over the past 40 years. 

He has designed, upgraded and/or operated over 70 composting facilities throughout the world. Jeff has a Bachelors in Advanced Environmental Studies / Energy Systems from The Evergreen State College. He has published composting research, filed multiple compost-related patents, and served on multiple composting/recycling boards and regulatory committees. He was President of the Washington Organics Recycling Council Board of Directors for six years, and served for seven years on the Board of Directors at the US Composting Council, as well as being a Board Member at the Compost Manufacturer’s Alliance. He has personally marketed over 1 million cubic yards of finished compost, and earned multiple awards throughout his 4 decades in the industry. 

For GMT, Jeff provides large scale facility designs, cost estimating, permit applications, construction management, system commissioning, operator training, environmental compliance, safety programs, process optimization, and on-site service and repair. He also holds several composting related patents. Outside the office you can find Jeff composting, playing violin, and exploring the world on his bike.

 “I have seen the mountain, and I have composted it. In 2023 I’m moving into my 38th year of composting adventures. I have seen and worked on a pile of facilities of all types, and I continue to enjoy every project.”

His favorite compost recipe is 2 parts Paunch Manure, 1 part chicken manure and 4 parts shredded coconut husks, which he calls “my Pauna Chickalada recipe.”

US Composting Council Membership Profile