When Ernie first stepped into Brisbane’s Master Composter course a few years ago, she turned heads - not just because of her infectious passion for composting but also thanks to her incredible t-shirts. On both days of the course, she turned up wearing t-shirts decorated with witty compost-themed phrases crafted from colourful scraps of fabric and buttons that were more than just clothing - they were works of art!
Ernie explained she made them using old materials like her kids' worn-out pyjamas and other items otherwise destined for landfill. Right away, it was clear: here was a woman who didn’t just talk about compost - she lived it! Ernie is a soil scientist with a PhD in biogeochemistry and a heart full of community spirit and has turned her love for compost into a mission of connection, sustainability and joy.
Ernie with friends and t-shirts. Left to right: "Vamos Compost", "I Live To Compost", "Too Cool for Compost", "Compost Mindscape", Be Like Compost".
Crafting Change with Compost Shirts
The idea for her first compost t-shirt came when Ernie wanted something unique to wear to the Master Composter course. Browsing online, she couldn’t find anything that said exactly what she wanted to say. Then inspiration struck: why not make her own? Her first creation read, "I Live to Compost." From there, she crafted shirts with sayings like "My Dirty Little Secret is Compost" and "Busy But Will Talk About Compost” and “Compost the System”. To do she has created about 50 unique shirts!
For Ernie, each shirt is deeply personal. She doesn’t sell them, insisting that every design should be tailored to the individual. She’s made shirts for friends, fellow composters, and even a few famous faces in the sustainability world. Costa proudly owns two: "Down and Dirty with Compost" (which he wears on ABC Gardening Australia Kids) and "Compost Ambassador". Nicole Masters wears one that says "Compost Your Fear", Ray Archuleta’s shirt reads “Compost is Alive”, and the one she made for Matthew Evans, “Grounded in Compost” refers to the Grounded Conference they attended.
Clockwise from top left: Matthew Evans & Ernie in Tasmania, Nicole Masters with Ernie's friend Jake Chandler in Montana, Ernie's friend and Soil Food Web colleague in Spain, Costa with Ernie and Soil Sisters, Costa with Ernie and her family.
Each shirt is not just a conversation starter but also a piece of what Ernie calls “craftivism” - using a hand-stitched garment to spark discussions about compost and sustainability.
Left: Ernie's Christmas t-shirt. Right: The t-shirt she made for Valentine's Day
Soil Sisters Singleton: Connection Through Compost
Ernie’s creativity extends far beyond her t-shirts. Inspired by the documentary Kiss the Ground, she founded Soil Sisters Singleton, a group of like-minded women (and blokes) in her community who are passionate about making a difference. Many members are women connected to Singleton’s mining industry—some new to Australia and seeking connection. Soil Sisters became a place for these women to bond over compost, food, culture, and sustainability.
Left to right: Soil Sisters and community garden members proudly wearing Ernie's t-shirts that read: "Sow the Seeds of Compost", "Keep Calm and Compost", "Obsessed with Compost", "What Would Compost Do?"
Another of Ernie’s initiatives is “Compost and Coffee,” a monthly gathering at a local café where participants solve composting dilemmas over cups of coffee. Attendees bring jars of compost to swap to inoculate each other’s compost with diverse microbes and then take home coffee grounds from the cafe. It’s a simple but powerful idea: nurturing community while nurturing soil.
The Bigger Picture: Compost Culture
Ernie has now established her own business, Compost Culture, that educates and empowers people to compost at every level - from backyard to regenerative farms. Her workshops teach scientific methods to improve soil biology, reduce waste, and close nutrient loops.
“One day, I was turning compost, and I felt this incredible rush of serotonin and endorphins,” Ernie recalls. “I thought, ‘Everyone should be doing this!’” That realisation fuels her work, which now includes coaching farmers, running school programs, and supporting businesses in sustainable resource management.
Clockwise from top left: Ernie at a Conference, with her microscope at the film screening of Rachel's Farm, in her compost bay and with her compost apprentice Jim Gauld sporting his "The Answer is Compost" shirt.
Joining LOCCAL
Above: LOCCAL is the LOcal Community Compost ALliance of Australia. Clytie proudly wears her "LOCCAL Compost" t-shirt
Ernie is excited to be a committee member of Australia's newly formed, Local Community Compost Alliance (LOCCAL). For her, LOCCAL represents the power of collective action. “It’s exciting to see people coming together to focus on compost,” she says. Ernie sees the value she can bring to the LOCCAL’s members is to help composters navigate some of the complexities, rules and regulations around composting in order to “make sure bureaucracy doesn’t get in the way of people doing good work.”
Ernie isn’t just a Soil Sister - she’s a soil superstar! Through crafting t-shirts, turning compost and connecting communities, Ernie’s work reminds us all that composting isn’t just about transforming waste. It’s about transforming lives, one handful of soil, or one witty t-shirt, at a time.
If you are a community composter or involved in supporting community composting locally, regionally, or nationally in Australia, please complete the Membership Form to apply for your 2024/25 LOCCAL membership.
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