GoFarm's Composting Program

That's right, we have a free composting program! We teamed up with the City of Golden Sustainability Office to offer free compost pick up service for GoFarm shareholders and customers.

What is Composting?

• The process of recycling organic material, such as food scraps, into a rich, natural fertilizer. In this case, 'organic' means natural: something that was once alive.

• A balance of greens and browns make for a healthy soil ecosystem where beneficial microbes and plants can thrive.

• Greens: things like veggie and fruit scraps (leaves, roots, stalks, seeds) that supply the soil with a healthy dose of nitrogen.

• Browns: dry, woody materials like paper or dry leaves that contribute a source of carbon.

Why Should We Compost?

• Food waste and yard trimming waste together make up 33.7% of our trash.

• Composting diverts waste from the landfill where it is entombed forever in an anaerobic environment- meaning devoid of oxygen. This setting creates methane gas, which is a harmful greenhouse gas emitted into our atmosphere. Food waste is responsible for 58% of landfill emissions, according to the EPA.

• With composting, we avoid these harmful methane emissions and reduce our carbon footprint.

• Compost adds beneficial nutrients to the soil.

• This rich soil amendment suppresses plant disease and pests, reducing the need for chemical pesticides on your local farms and gardens.

How Do I Compost?

• At home, store your food scraps in an airtight container or in a bag in the freezer.

• Bring scraps in a reusable container or compostable bag (3 gallon size or smaller), and drop it off with us when you pick up your Local Food Share each week.

• Your waste will be turned into rich, healthy soil for your local farmers!

Which Items Can I Bring?

We are following the new guidelines provided by A1 Organics on acceptable items. Please visit their website if you would like more detailed information!

GoFarm's Compost Guidelines

You might be thinking that some things on the no-thank-you list do break down, like tea bags, paper bags, and cardboard. You're right, they do! BUT all of these products come in different versions. For example, synthetic tea bags, and cardboard coated with wax, printed with toxic ink...the list goes on. Since it is unclear and strenuous to pick these items out, A1 Organics has these specific rules and guidelines to ensure their commercial process goes smoothly. Please abide by these guidelines for our Compost Drop-off during Local Food Share distributions!

We hope you can take advantage of this compost program and find it easy to drop it off with us each week! You will be doing a great service to our environment if you can reduce the amount of food that enters the landfill. Reach out to us if you have any questions!

How Do I Compost At Home?

If you feel passionate about finding a way to compost all your natural waste, consider building an at-home compost! Balance nitrogen materials, such as fresh grass clippings and kitchen scraps, with carbon materials like dried leaves and shredded paper in a ratio of 25-30:1 in a pile at least 3ft in diameter. Layer the carbon and nitrogen materials like a lasagna and add water. Turn the pile weekly or daily for best results. The pile should heat to 120-150°F and shrink over weeks before curing for 2-3 months. Finished compost should smell earthy, look rich, and can be used to amend soil or as mulch. For troubleshooting, address issues like lack of heat or odors by adjusting moisture, aeration, and material balance. Avoid using meat, dairy, bones, fruit pits, citrus peels and use caution with large amounts of grass clippings or tannin-rich leaves as these can be challenging to break down in an at-home system.

Email: localfoodshare@gofarm.org

This blog was originally posted in 2019: Updated April 9th, 2025.