The Prescott Community Compost Project (PCCP) announces its third annual Fall Leaf Drive. Because leaves are a critical carbon component of the compost recipe, they must be stockpiled each fall to keep the program running. Donors can bring leaves to the purple compost tent any Saturday at the Prescott Farmers Market, to the PCCP site during the Friday or Sunday morning volunteer work session or email to set up a drop-off time. Staff request that donations contain leaves only and are free from gravel, pet waste, yard waste, trash, pine needles and spiny oak leaves (Gambel oak leaves are acceptable). Staff also request that all leaves are bagged for easy transport. Once some bags have been received, the empty bags will be available at the booth for reuse. Any amount of leaves is helpful as the need for leaves is urgent and ongoing.
The Prescott Community Compost Project processes residential kitchen scraps collected at Prescott Farmers Market’s Saturday market and commercial kitchen food scraps from local restaurants into compost to be used in local gardens. These scraps are transported to the compost site located at 997 Schemmer Drive. Each Friday and Sunday, a dedicated crew of up to 25 volunteers assist PFM staff to process the food scraps by mixing them with wood chips, leaves, straw and untreated wood shavings before shoveling it into piles. Fresh piles are covered with a thick “blanket” of wood chips or mature compost which prevents foul odor and unwanted critters from accessing the composting food within the pile.
These piles are turned by hand regularly to ensure that there is sufficient oxygen within the pile to ensure proper decomposition by the aerobic bacteria. The moisture, temperature, and odor of the piles are monitored closely, and the “recipe” of the pile is adjusted to maintain ideal conditions within the pile, and to prevent odor. After 6-9 months of turning, the compost cures for an additional 1-2 months before being sifted and sold at the Compost Booth at the Prescott Farmers Market.
The Prescott-area community has shown immense support for this program. More than 200 households donate their food scraps weekly and over 600 people have volunteered on Fridays and Sundays to build new piles, turn active piles, and screen finished piles. Since it began in early 2021, the PCCP has helped divert more than 150 tons of food scraps from the landfill.
This project would not be possible without the following partners: City of Prescott, BiGA, Nick’s Feed Your Face, Prescott Community Cupboard, MCK Woodworks, Mile High Tree Service, Prescott Coffee Roasters/Corvis Distributing.
For more information about the project, to register as a volunteer and to donate, visit https://www.prescottfarmersmarket.org/community-compost/ or email compost@prescottfarmersmarket.org.