On Halloween, about 2000 people received an email from the Highfields Center for Composting offering “New Rewards for Highfields’ Heat Recovery Kickstarter Project!” The Hardwick nonprofit has been researching ways to better capture the heat generated by decomposing food scraps, and is in the midst of a $40,000 Kickstarter campaign to help fund a research center.

The two images that accompanied the email, though, were startling for some. In one, a smiling woman held up squash to obscure her naked breasts, while straddling a green placard with the word ‘Compost’ written across it. Another woman lay topless in a pile of dark humus, flinging some up with her left foot. Both models were volunteers for a 2013 ‘Hot Compost’ calendar that Highfields’ planned to offer as a reward in its campaign.

But the cheeky photos sparked a small but vocal backlash from customers and others who found the concept offensive and demeaning to women. Under pressure, Highfields scrapped plans for the calendar and offered an apology on its website and Facebook page, in which it called the concept a “mistake” and said it did not reflect Highfields as an organization.

Corin Hirsch was a Seven Days food writer 2011 through 2016. She was also a dining critic and drinks columnist at Newsday from 2017 to 2022, and contributes to The Guardian, Wine Enthusiast and other publications. She’s spoken often on colonial era drinking and is the author of Forgotten Drinks of Colonial New England, published by History Press in 2014.

27 replies on “Highfields Pulls ‘Hot Compost’ Nude Calendar After Unexpected Heat”

  3. I objected on grounds of false advertising. “This will GET YOU HOT” the subject line of the email promised. “If these don’t get you hot (or your compost) than [sic] nothing will…” said the text. Even though I replied, “…not sure who your target audience is here…naked Hardwick
    girlies do NOT get me hot…”, nobody responded with an explanation of why a respectable company would fail to deliver on published promises.

  4. Nudity is NOT the problem. Objectification/sexualization and sexism are the problem. Did you actually read the article?

  5. It does seem interesting that the Men of Maple Corner project was seen as “cute,” but these women are seen as “offensive.” Typical double standards at work again…

  6. Get over yourselves whiners, no one is making you buy it. Probably the same people that want to decide who should/should not have an abortion and what god you should worship.

  7. Heather Gray WAS NOT the photographer for this project. This project may have been inspired by her work, but she had nothing to do with it.

  8. Nudity is not offensive. Honestly, people need to get over it – in many other nations, nudity is a fact of life, not an invitation or objectification. The women who modeled for the project were willing participants and appear to be having a good time – if you don’t want to buy the calendar, then don’t buy it! What’s next, burkas for all so we don’t “offend” someone? Spare me!

  9. This is ridiculous. Why are people so prude? These women look beautiful and were obviously very happy to participate. Why does no one ever say things like “that’s objectifying men”? Why is it always only women?

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