Martha Stewart May Be the Perfect Spokesperson for Natural Organic Reduction

Domestic diva Martha Stewart is known for a lot of things — impeccable style, a brief prison stint, and being the BFF of Snoop Dogg and a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, to name just a few — but we think she may have yet another role in her future: Human composing pitch person. 

Martha Stewart NOT Living

In a recent appearance on the podcast 50+ & Unfiltered, the 84-year-old lifestyle icon shared that she wants to be “composted” when she dies. Stewart explained that she envisions a final resting place similar to how she currently honors her horses — wrapped in linen and interred in a deep grave on her property in Katonah, New York. 

“When one of my horses dies, we dig a giant hole really deep in one of my fields — we have a pet cemetery — and the horse is wrapped in a clean white linen sheet and very carefully dropped down into this giant, lovely grave,” she said, according to People.com. “I want to go there. It’s not going to hurt anyone. It’s my property.”

Entertaining the idea

Stewart’s proposed process isn’t exactly what the profession knows as natural organic reduction (NOR), although the premise is spot-on. Professional NOR requires state approval, regulatory oversight, and licensed facilities to ensure public health and environmental safety. Composting directly on private property — even with the best intentions — is not the same as a sanctioned NOR facility, and in most jurisdictions remains legally restricted.

Stewart’s home state of New York does legally allow human composting as a disposition option. New York legalized the practice in a law signed by Governor Kathy Hochul in late 2022, with regulations to follow. However, New York has elicited some criticism from the deathcare community because it tucked NOR neatly under existing cremation laws, meaning that cemeteries were the only entities allowed to perform the process — not funeral homes or private companies. So far, no cemeteries have taken the state up on the invitation to establish a natural organic reduction service.

Coffin things and stuff

Stewart’s comment that it would be acceptable simply because it’s her property probably won’t cut it, either. Burial on private land typically still requires compliance with local and state regulations — including cemetery permits, depth requirements, and record keeping. And that’s a good thing (haha), because Martha Stewart isn’t interested at all in traditional burial. 

“These coffin things and all that stuff? No way,” she noted on the podcast.

At this point, Stewart’s best bet might be to do what many other New Yorkers have done — let her loved ones transport her body to an established facility in one of the other 13 states where NOR is legal. After 8 to 12 weeks, her soil could be returned to her property and used to nurture her 27 (!) stunning vegetable and flower gardens. 

Fabulous #14: New Jersey Governor Legalizes Natural Organic Reduction

It’s been 18 months since New Jersey Assemblyman Herb Conaway, Jr. introduced Bill A4085, which would legalize the process of natural organic reduction (NOR)  in his state. During that time, Conaway, who is now a U.S. Representative, waited patiently as his bill traveled through four committees, sailed through both chambers of legislature, and sat on the desk of Gov. Phil Murphy for three full months.

On September 11, 2025, Murphy finally added his signature to the document, officially making New Jersey the 14th state to legalize natural organic reduction and “controlled supervised decomposition of human remains.” According to the bill, the law should take effect on the “first day of the 10th month following enactment,” which would be July 1, 2026.

Wells and cemeteries

The State Board of Mortuary Science of New Jersey will oversee NOR facilities, practitioners, and operating rules and regulations. According to NorthJersey.com, NOR facilities will have to be “annually registered and be inspected and approved by the Department of Environmental Protection, with the process under personal supervision, direction, management and control of a person duly licensed as a practitioner of mortuary science or duly licensed as a funeral director.” 

The act also specifies that facilities will have to be located at an “appropriate distance from drinking water wells” and “funeral directors will have to make sure people know a deceased person can still be placed in a cemetery even after the natural organic reduction.” These two provisions were added to the bill by the Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Cemetery Board, respectively.

36 states to go

New Jersey is the second state to legalize NOR in 2025. Georgia’s NOR law was signed in May and went into effect on July 1. Since it was first approved in Washington in 2019, one to three states have approved legislation allowing this eco-friendly disposition method each year, including Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Oregon, and Vermont. NOR legislation is pending in 11 other states. 

As of July 1, 2025, Natural Organic Reduction, or Terramation as some call it, became a legal form of disposition in the state of Minnesota.  According to information that I believe reliable, Minnesota was the 11th state to pass legislation permitting such and the 13th state to activate the process.  The process of Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) or Terramation is labeled by many as “human composting”.

On the same day that NOR was legal in Minnesota, Washington state provider of such services Return Home issued this press release stating that they will be expanding to Minnesota.  Return Home, you can access their website here,  also announced that they will open a new facility in Minnesota for the process and also made this statement in their press release, “The expansion marks a significant step forward in Return Home’s mission to bring gentle, sustainable death care to communities across the country. With Minnesota’s progressive values, cultural richness, and long-standing environmental leadership, the state is a natural fit for terramation—a process that gently transforms human remains into soil.” 

Up until now and until a facility is built in Minnesota, Minnesotans who have wanted to have NOR/Terramation as their method of human disposition have had to work with local funeral homes and have their remains shipped to the state of Washington to implement the process.  One Minnesota funeral provider, Mueller Mortuary, has implemented a division for what they term “Green Burial Services and Options” which includes “Composting” as one of the options.

That division is called “Interra Green Burial by Mueller Mortuary” and their website can be accessed by clicking here.

Related Information —  Here is a recent notice from the Minnesota Funeral Director’s Association concerning the implementation of NOR as an alternative human disposition method.

Related Information —  Here is a video news story and print article from NBC Palm Springs (CA) about the Minnesota law and Return Home.

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take:  According to the Cremation Association of North America, the cremation rate in Minnesota during the calendar year 2022 was 72.7% compared to a national average for that year of 59%.  According to the Minnesota Department of Health, the cremation rate in Minnesota in 1982 was 7.6% and in 1961 — 64 years ago — it was 1.8%.

I give you those statistics to show you how fast things can change.  I live in Minnesota and I was a practicing funeral director during the swift percentage run-up on cremation over the past 40 years.  Minnesotans are “open minded” and willing to try new things. . . . That may be one reason that Return Home decided to invest in their 2nd facility in the state.

As a funeral director, I can remember traditional casketed funeral families decision making processes on selecting cremation.  One of the factors in the process of going to a high percentage cremation rate was that once a family chose cremation as the human disposition for the first member of the family unit, there was generally no going back to traditional casketed burials for the family with future deaths.

I wonder if that might be the same situation with those that opt in for NOR?

Finally — It was Katrina Spade, who you can learn about here, who pioneered the process and business of Natural Organic Reduction.  She is involved with her own NOR business/funeral home in the state of Washington.  I’ve told people this before and I still believe that it could be true.  The process of “human composting” seems to resonate with people I talk to.

Cremation choice went from 1.8% of the populace in Minnesota in 1961 to  70% roughly 60 years later.  Could the same happen with NOR over the next century?  If it does and Death Care disposition decisions are changed that drastically, one hundred years from now when people read about the most influential people in the world during the 21st Century, Katrina Spade could well be in that discussion.

Here is the Recompose website.

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Return Home Announces Expansion into Minnesota as Natural Organic Reduction Becomes Legal

SEATTLE, July 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Return Home, the nation’s leading provider of human composting, also known as Natural Organic Reduction (NOR), announced today that it is actively planning to open a new facility in Minnesota. This announcement comes as NOR becomes legal in the state, effective July The expansion marks a significant step forward in Return Home’s mission to bring gentle, sustainable death care to communities across the country. With Minnesota’s progressive values, cultural richness, and long-standing environmental leadership, the state is a natural fit for terramation—a process that gently transforms human remains into soil.

“We are incredibly excited to begin our expansion eastward into the amazing state of Minnesota,” said Micah Truman, CEO and founder of Return Home. “This is a state known for its deep connection to land, community, and innovation—and it’s beautifully suited to our values and approach. Today marks the beginning of a powerful new chapter.”

Return Home’s Minnesota facility will be designed with the same care, transparency, and family-centered focus that has defined its work in Washington state. With over 500 families served, the company has pioneered an approach to NOR that combines technological innovation with compassionate, deeply human service.

Planning is currently underway for public presentations, community partnerships, and investor events throughout the Twin Cities and surrounding areas. The new facility is expected to bring not only cutting-edge environmental death care to Minnesota, but also meaningful new jobs and opportunities for regional collaboration.

More details on the planned location, opening timeline, and community outreach events will be announced in the coming weeks. For funeral homes interested in being part of the discussion around community outreach and education, please reach out directly to the Return Home team at info@returnhome.com. For updates and more information, visit www.returnhome.com.

About Return Home
Return Home is the leading provider of Natural Organic Reduction (human composting) in the United States. Based in Washington state, the company offers families a gentle, transparent, and environmentally responsible alternative to burial and cremation. Return Home has been featured in Forbes, NPR, The New York Times, The Atlantic, and more, and is the recipient of multiple national funeral industry honors. Learn more at www.returnhome.com.

Georgia Is Now the 13th State to Legalize Natural Organic Reduction

Effective July 1, 2025, residents of the Peach State will have access to another option for disposition: natural organic reduction. Georgia governor Brian Kemp signed into law Senate Bill 241 on May 9 after both sides of the aisle showed overwhelming support for what the bill calls “organic human reduction.”

Georgia is the 13th state to legalize natural organic reduction, and the first since Maine’s NOR law was finalized in June 2024.

Toward a greener South

When it comes to expanding disposition options beyond flame cremation and traditional burial, Georgia has been one of the most progressive of the nine Southeastern states. Alkaline hydrolysis has been legal in Georgia since 2012; at the time, Florida was the only state in the region to offer AH, legalizing it in 2010. North Carolina, Alabama, and Tennessee followed suit in 2013, 2017, and 2018, respectively.

Georgia also boasts several green burial options. According to the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Georgia, there are “at least two exclusively natural burial grounds” in the state in addition to multiple hybrid cemeteries where green or natural burial sections exist alongside those reserved for traditional burials. One of those two operations has received certification from the Green Burial Council — one of just a handful in the entire Southeast to be GBC certified. 

Breaking new ground

When it comes to NOR, however, Georgia stands alone as the only Southeastern state to offer this relatively new, but rapidly growing disposition method. While NOR is (perhaps expectedly) legal all along the West Coast and in the majority of the Northeastern states, none of the other 12 states offering NOR are easily accessible to Southerners, at least from a geographic standpoint, as the above graphic from our friends at Return Home illustrates. Also evident from this graphic is that none of the other eight states in the region have even introduced NOR legislation.

This doesn’t mean, however, that Southerners who would like to be transformed into soil have to wait for Georgia’s deathcare community to set up NOR operations. Auburn, Washington’s Return Home and other established NOR providers, including Washington-based Recompose, often open their doors to out-of-state families who pay to transport their loved ones to their West Coast facilities. 

The founders of both Return Home and Recompose voiced support for Georgia’s new law, offering statements to Atlanta News First.

“Recompose is thrilled by the passage of the human composting bill in Georgia. […] We are proud to see the movement continue to grow so beautifully,” said Recompose founder/CEO Katrina Spade.

Return Home founder/CEO Micah Truman also “applauded the state’s legislative effort, saying the movement is about connection,” Atlanta News First reported. “I think we’re like salmon,” Truman said. “We want to go home.”

In late September we learned that The Natural Funeral of Lafayette, Colorado, was launching a program in which existing funeral homes can purchase what the company calls “Chrysalis” vessels for use at their own funeral homes or other facilities.  The “Chrysalis” vessels are used for the human disposition process of Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) that has now been legalized in several states.

The “Chrysalis” vessels are, at this point in time, intended to be available to those funeral homes in states whose laws allow such dispositions.

The Natural Funeral calls their NOR process “terramation” and, according to CEO Mike Reagan are “extending the reach of terramation services” to other areas of the country.  Here’s what Reagan said in prepared statements from a recent press release, “By introducing the TerraCare Partner Program™, we are not only expanding the reach of terramation services but also enhancing the capacity of funeral service providers to meet a critical and growing demand for sustainable end-of-life options.  This program is a testament to our commitment to innovation and leadership in the funeral industry, ensuring that our partners can offer services that truly reflect the ecological values of the communities they serve.”

You can learn more about this partner program by clicking here to get to The Natural Funeral website.

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take:  I recently read an article that mentioned that Natural Organic Reduction is now legal in 12 states.  The same article said, however, that the process is only being done in Colorado and Washington because those are the only states with licensed facilities at this time.

I also think it is important to know, that according to this information from Dignity Memorial, which is a Service Corporation  International (SCI) company, that they mention 13 more states where legislation is being “considered”.  Adding those 13 states would make NOR legal in a full one-half of all states in the United States.

I’ve been somewhat taken aback by how this momentum for NOR seems to be growing.  And, while it is certainly too early to proclaim the process the next big thing in Death Care, there does seem to be a lot of interest by the consumer public in the process.

I’m reminded of “early adopters”.  That’s those people who are willing to jump on an idea before the idea becomes mainstream.  I’ve lived my lifetime in a period where it was first desktop computers that people were wary about, and then the internet, and finally, cell phones. . . . . .. All of those products had “early adopters” of the product and business people who believed in the process before they became mainstream.

And then, on the other side of the equation, there are those products that looked like they were headed for great success and for some reason, were overhyped and fizzled. . . . .Think about Napster, Google Glass, and Betamax.  Here’s an article from Time that I found about those failures.

So, at this point in time, you are probably on one side or the other of the Natural Organic Reduction movement.  It will be interesting to see where it goes from here.  Will it have “staying power” like flame cremation had when it was introduced to America in the 1950’s-1960’s or will NOR be hyped and then go away?

I think there are a lot of smart people betting that it is here to stay.

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Next Wednesday, October 2, the University of Minnesota Program of Mortuary Science will be sharing a webinar entitled “Understanding Natural Organic Reduction” (NOR).   This webinar, conducted by an educational institution would be a great opportunity for funeral professionals to get an introduction into the NOR process.

The live webinar will take place for one hour beginning at 2:30 pm Central Time.  It will cost $25 at that time.  You can watch the event for free (No CEU) by waiting and watching the taped post-live webinar.  Please scroll down to “Cost” section to see how to do that.

Here is what the flyer for the program says about this presentation:

In this 1-hour seminar, participants will gain:
● An understanding of what NOR is and the science behind how it works.
● Information on NOR legalization in Minnesota, other states in the U.S., and other places in the
world where human composting is gaining popularity.
● Perspectives from a MN mortician who has already served Minnesota families with NOR services.
● Resources on where to go to learn more about NOR and stay informed.

Minnesota and Wisconsin funeral directors can receive one CEU credit by watching the webinar live.

Cost:
$25 for one continuing education credit; (Credit Card payments only.)
Note: The presentation may be watched at a later time (no CEU awarded) by visiting this website.  (Scroll to Past Webinars)

Presenters:

• Erik Halaas has spent the last year as a FINNOVATION Fellow exploring the feasibility of bringing Natural
  Organic Reduction to the state of Minnesota. During this time, he was also the primary coordinator
  behind NOR Minnesota, a grassroots action group that drafted and successfully advocated for the
  legalization of Natural Organic Reduction in May of 2024.
  Erik has a decade plus of experience launching novel programming in public health and education
  through cross-sector partnerships. Most recently, Erik was at the University of Minnesota where he
  helped to launch the Toaster Innovation Hub, a 6500 sq. ft. space designed to facilitate interdisciplinary
  collaboration in service to student innovation and entrepreneurship. Erik has an MPA in Health Policy and
  Management and a BA in Religion and American Racial and Multicultural Studies.

• Janet McGee is an instructor at the Mortuary Science program at the University of Minnesota. She
  graduated from the University of Minnesota’s School of Mortuary Science in 2002 and worked as a
  licensed mortician for six years. In 2008, she began working at one of the largest banks in the U.S. and
  while there, attained her MBA. Her background also includes national consumer product safety advocacy
  work.

• Mandy Stafford has been a licensed funeral director for approximately 15 years in both Minnesota and
  Wisconsin. Interra Natural Burial was a dream that she saw come to life while working at Mueller
  Memorial; from coming up with a name, to learning about natural caskets and urns, to partnering with
  Return Home for terramation, she learned it all.
  Being a funeral director is her passion and natural funerals have only increased her enthusiasm. She
  remains on call one weekend a month for Mueller Memorial and helps out her local funeral home in
  southern MN. She recently became a preneed coordinator for Return Home in Auburn, WA. In her free
  time, she enjoys fishing, hunting, camping and traveling with family and friends.

To register please click here.

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