Compost happens. Food and yard waste will turn into compost that provides the nutrients for crops in the future - sometimes slowly - sometimes fast.
But decomposing organic matter is always good for your garden, and bad to put in the landfill. I compost at home - hundreds of pounds of garden waste each year. On site composting is the most efficient way to keep nutrients in your garden.
If you don't have the space or materials to generate your own compost, Lane County's USD-funded "Free Community Compost" program has 5,000 tons of the City of Eugene's Love Food, Not Waste compost ready to give away - for free. The Love Food, Not Waste program collects scraps and waste food from residents, businesses, and restaurants to make sure it doesn't generate methane at the Short Mountain Landfill. Compost helps soil retain moisture, and hot composted material - like the county is giving away - has no weed seeds so it makes an excellent mulch or soil amendment.
There will be giveaways through 2026 with the first this Sunday Nov. 10th at the Lane Events Center. For those of you who aren't big on math, that's 30 pounds per person - if everybody wants their share. Community gardens, and school gardens can get free deliveries, and individuals can pick up compost at the Fill Your Pantry event. And because this compost is made of food scraps, it is richer and more potent than the normal woody product you may be used to finding in bags at local stores.
Spreading a few inches of compost on your garden - and especially on raised beds can improve productivity next summer so you'll have even more zucchinis to beg the neighbors to take next year.
Lane County's first Free Compost Day event of 2024 is on Nov. 10, part of the Willamette Farm & Food Coalition's Fill Your Pantry event.
Lane County will host eight Free Compost Day events through 2026, providing up to 5,000 tons of free compost to Lane County residents.
Application for organizations to get free delivery can be found here.