How Your Scraps Help Our Soil - and Our Community
I started piloting the first rendition of the compost service in August of 2024. At the time, the program met three important needs in my life:
My community in South Bend had no programs—or plans for programs—to divert residential food waste from the landfill. While these kinds of services exist in cities all over the U.S., folks here lacked real options.
The soil on my farm was slowly becoming more acidic than ideal, due to the use of city-made compost (mostly leaves from residential collection). I needed a new source—preferably one I had more control over.
My husband, Ryan, was working off-farm, and we were looking for a way to increase farm revenue enough so he could join me in the work we love, at least part-time.
By starting the compost service, I was able to solve problems for my farm, my family, and my community.
You know how much I care about growing good food—but just as important is how we grow it. Our compost collection service turns kitchen scraps from homes around South Bend into rich, living soil for our farm. It’s a quiet little cycle that connects your kitchen, our fields, and the future of our local food system.
I’m not just rebuilding the health of my farm’s soil—I'm supporting a more sustainable food system and making composting easy for people who can’t do it at home. Once Ryan picks up your food waste, he adds it to a windrow (a long compost pile) here on the farm. The food scraps are layered with wood chips—a waste product from local tree service companies. These “greens and browns” feed a vibrant community of microbes, which break everything down into nutrient-rich compost that nourishes our crops.
It’s a beautiful process that sequesters carbon, feeds the earth, and helps keep our landfills alive just a little bit longer.
All sorts of folks are part of the compost community—professionals without time to compost, people in condos or HOAs who can’t have their own pile, even busy parents who worry their toddlers might try eating the compost if they made one themselves. 😊
I’m deeply honored and filled with joy knowing that my community is literally feeding my farm and helping it grow.
If you’re already part of the compost community—thank you. You’re making a real difference. And if you’ve been curious or sitting on the fence, we’d love to have you join us. Every bucket of scraps is a little gift to the soil, the farm, and the future.
🌱 Ready to start composting with us? Click here to sign up!
Let’s turn food waste into farm gold—together.