Alumni Entrepreneurs
Tom Gilbert, BA, 2001
Business/Organization/Inventions
Highfields Center for Composting
Type of Business
Non-profit; social enterprise
Date of Operation
1999-Present
Contact Information
PO Box 503 21 Mill Street; Suite 1
Hardwick, Vermont 05843
Phone: 802-472-5138
Description of Business
Highfields closes the loop on food and agricultural systems through technical and educational services, research and community programming in on-farm and municipal composting systems, as well as operates a composting facility in Hardwick, Vermont. We provide services primarily in the Northeast US, but work with programs and clients nationally and internationally. Highfields works to equip individual farms and whole communities with the infrastructure, systems and capacity to leverage the capture and recycling of organic materials for food production and environmental conservation.
How did Evergreen prepared you for your prefessional life?
Evergreen provided me with the personal and academic latitude to capitalize on my excitement in agriculture, composting and community development and explore subjects that without practical application would have felt irrelevant. 30%, or more, of the credits I earned were through independent work focused on developing the Evergreen Composting Facility. Supporting me as a learner, rather than a repository for information within a narrow trajectory, taught me to be an inspired and strategic learner.
Patents Held
We have designed specialized, scale-appropriate aerating equipment for on-farm technology. These designs are intentionally not patented and are available with detailed CAD drawings and fabrication designs on our website for free.