From San Francisco to Jepson Prairie…

In San Francisco, the stuff we put into the green carts travels to Jepson Prairie, a composting facility about an hour away from San Francisco. There, all the food scraps, dirty paper and yard trimmings from the green carts are inspected for items that can't rot or decompose, like plastic or metal. These things are then removed. Everything else is shredded in a giant machine, then put into bales, or bundles, and bagged in huge piles. Oxygen and bacteria are injected into the piles to help start decomposition, or rotting. After one month, the compost is mixed and put in bales again. The piles get covered in tarps to make them very hot, and after three months the compost is ready to be used.

Bay Area farmers buy the compost made at Jepson Prairie. They spread it on their fields, under their fruit trees, and in their vineyards to help their plants (that produce the food you eat) grow strong and healthy.

San Francisco school gardens also use Jepson Prairie compost—for free!

See more photos of composting at Jepson Prairie!