John Craig
Founder & Executive Director
At the tender age of two, John started eating dirt and soon developed a fondness for it. Being the last of 8 kids, with never enough food to go around and constantly being hungry, eating dirt became a necessary way of life. By the age of 10, he had developed the skills to discern the difference between simple dirt and truly living soils, preferring fungally-dominated over bacterial-dominated soil.
While pursuing his Bachelor of Science degree in Geology, he was pleasantly surprised to learn that he was not alone and was actively encouraged by his professors to taste the soil and rock samples, which he did with gusto, soon learning to identify over 2,000 minerals by taste alone.
Years later, John happened to stumble on a Master Composting class, promptly signed up and to no one’s surprise, graduated Magna Cum Laude.
With the assistance of a small group of highly qualified and world-renowned advisers, he founded the nonprofit weCompost2 to “Promote on-site composting and create living, vibrant communities in and above the soil” and started Hart’s Worm Farm, where an army of dedicated and passionate volunteers strive to produce nothing less than the world’s best compost and vermicompost.
Board of Directors
Featuring our fabulous, tireless, most wonderful leaders…
Dominique Woods
Secretary
As a graduate in Linguistics from CSUF, Dominique works with several private Orange County businesses to optimize company function where he develops new processes to improve inter-departmental organization, work-flow and overall communication — excelling particularly well in water-cooler conversation. With his experience as a national champion in college speech and debate, he is also coaches and organizes curricula for Orange County speech and debate organizations teaching students who range from Elementary to High School. In his free time, he enjoys dissociating with history books, engaging the occasional foreign tv-drama, and absinthe-tastings with friends.
Tami Halle
Treasurer
Tami grew up on her grandparents’ small farm in San Diego. As a child, she used to stuff her pockets with bugs, rocks, and sticks. At 10, she was given a microscope and her curiosity and love for nature and science grew.
After a small detour as a Supermodel, Tami used her passion for the environment and science working for the County of Orange in the Ocean Water Protection Program where she ensured that our coastal waters were safe for humans and wildlife.
Bored with the mundane tasks of responding to EPA emergency calls for assistance, monitoring harmful algal blooms, issuing water quality code violations and writing various bacteriological and chemical studies, Tami delved into the science of composting.
In less than two years, Tami went from newbie to Master Composter specializing in worm composting, hot composting and bokashi composting. Her interests are in sequestering carbon, regenerative farming practices, and soil science.
Advisors
Michael Scudder
Advisor
After working for several years at the frontier of climate research, Michael has dedicated his life to advancing sustainable practices from living in a tiny home and driving an electric car to composting.
After attaining an Earth & Planetary science degree from UC Santa Cruz, Michael returned to his hometown in Southern California.
Through a friend he encountered John and fell in love with his mission to build sustainable communities in and above the soil.
Volunteering with weCompost2 / Hart’s Worm Farm, Michael is best at helping John turn compost piles, take awesome photos & video of events and providing unparalleled technical assistance. .
Jon "Pups" Batten
Genius/Instigator
The late Jon “Pups” Batten is the best friend anyone could ever wish for. His spirit and philosophy of helping anyone that needs help lives on at Hart’s Worm Farm,
Ivy Makelin
Website Designer
After graduating from U.C. Santa Cruz with a B.S. Degree in Community Studies, Ivy moved to an undisclosed foreign country and was confined in a high-rise apartment.
She was able to escape in 2020 and moved back to beautiful So Cal to a home with a yard and took up gardening.
Realizing that she had to transform her dirt to soil, she went in search of a place to buy worms to add to her garden.
What she found completely transformed her life. John would not sell her worms till she had a worm bin and read 2 books on worm care. She started volunteering for weCompost2 @ Hart’s Worm Farm, became an integral part of the nonprofit and now has a garden that is the envy of all her neighbors.
Bennett Hawkins
Communications Advisor
As a lover of nature and the beauty it brings to life, Bennett is dedicated to ensuring a more sustainable and equitable future for all beings on this planet.
After graduating from California State University of Fullerton with a B.A. in Communications, he moved across the country to New York City to start planting his roots.
Following moving, Bennett started getting involved with the NYC Parks Organization and the steward groups that help maintain a healthy, accessible environment for all to enjoy.
Visiting the LA Fair introduced him to John and the necessary work of weCompost2. Now inspired, Bennett works as an advisor and word spreader to the vital practices of composting and worm farming.