Clean inputs. Transparent process. Proven standards.
There’s a lot of misinformation about compost quality. Nantucket Gold™ Compost is designed to be safe, consistent, and appropriate for gardens, native plantings, and soil building.
OMRI & Compost Facts
Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) is an independent, nonprofit organization that reviews products used in organic growing systems.
Founded in 1997 and based in Eugene, Oregon, OMRI evaluates materials against the USDA National Organic Program and Canada Organic Regime standards. Its listings help farmers, certifiers, and growers quickly identify inputs that meet organic requirements.
What OMRI is — and why it matters
What “OMRI Listed®” means
Products that earn the OMRI Listed® designation have been reviewed for:
Ingredients and sourcing
Manufacturing methods
Compliance with organic standards
Only products that meet all criteria are approved. A meaningful portion of applications are rejected or withdrawn, reflecting the rigor of the process.
About Nantucket Gold™ Compost
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Made from 100% locally sourced yard waste
Leaves, brush, and clean vegetative material only
No food waste, biosolids, or chemical additives
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Our composting operation has invested significantly in modern screening equipment to produce a clean, consistent product. While no yard-waste compost can claim zero contaminants, Nantucket Gold™ Compost is actively screened, inspected, and continuously improved through equipment and process upgrades.
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A clean, consistent soil amendment for rebuilding sandy soil
Designed to build soil structure and water retention
Ideal for gardens, native plants, perennials, trees, and long-term soil health
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OMRI listing provides transparency and confidence that Nantucket Gold™ Compost meets organic standards and is appropriate for responsible, long-term soil building.
Nantucket Gold™ Compost is produced using a controlled, well-documented process* designed to ensure clean inputs, thorough decomposition, and consistent quality.
Safety & Standards
*OMRI listed for use in organic growing
*Made from 100% leaf and yard material
*Windrows are monitored for time and temperature to support proper decomposition, weed seed destruction, and pathogen reduction
*No food waste, biosolids, or additives
*Dedicated equipment is used throughout the process to prevent cross-contamination
Frequently Asked Questions
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Nantucket Gold Compost is made solely from 100% source segregated Nantucket leaf and yard waste. There is absolutely no household waste, biosolids, food waste or any other inputs mixed in and the the material is handled with dedicated machinery to keep it safe from contaminants on our site.
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Yes. Nantucket Gold™ Compost is OMRI listed and produced under controlled conditions that ensure proper decomposition and pathogen reduction. It’s safe for vegetable gardens, ornamental beds, and landscape use.
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Nantucket Gold™ Compost is produced using modern screening equipment designed to remove glass and other contaminants. While all incoming material is inspected, occasional non-yard items can enter the system due to improper disposal. Our screening process and dedicated handling greatly reduce this risk and produce a clean, high-quality finished compost.
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Leaf and yard material is composted and cured for 8-12 months or more before being screened and made available as finished compost.
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All incoming material is visually inspected, and leaf and yard waste is kept separate from other materials on site. Dedicated equipment is required per our OMRI certification and used throughout the process to protect compost from contaminants.
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Yes. Nantucket Gold™ Compost is regularly tested by an independent laboratory using EPA-approved methods. Testing includes metals, organic compounds, and other parameters commonly used to evaluate compost and soil amendments.
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Testing focuses on:
Metals (such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury)
Organic compounds (including PAHs and other semi-volatile compounds)
Overall indicators of product quality and safety
These are standard tests used for compost, soils, and environmental materials nationwide.
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Yes! We believe in transparency (because our compost has nothing to hide).
Summaries of testing are available at this link, and we’re always happy to explain results in plain language. -
Not by itself. Plant roots need both nutrients and oxygen to grow. On its own, compost is too dense to provide the air pockets roots need. Nantucket Gold is an essential building block of great soil, designed to be blended with soil or other materials to create the right balance of structure, drainage, and airflow.
👉 See our Compost Recipe Page for the right mix.
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Because producing a finished, tested, certified compost requires real infrastructure. Every batch is turned a minimum of six times using heavy machinery before it's ready to screen. It then runs through a Maclusky trommel screener to produce the consistent, fine-textured product you're getting. After that, it's analyzed by AgroLab using TMECC protocols — the industry standard for compost testing. Results confirm Very Stable maturity, passed pathogen and heavy metal screens, near-neutral pH (7.4), and exceptionally low soluble salts (EC 0.20 dS/m). It is OMRI Listed, independently reviewed and approved for certified organic use.
That level of process — six turns, mechanical screening, third-party lab verification — has real costs in equipment, fuel, labor, and time.
Unprocessed yard waste is not compost. It's feedstock. The difference between raw material and a finished, stable soil amendment is everything that happens in between.
