Free compost until it's gone, then it's gone forever

This is a real kick in the pants, but take advantage as you're able. We've used this for years, and used a lot of it in our orchard sheet mulching project.

Loss of Leaves and Compost Material from City of Madison, Other Municipal Partners Means No Material Available for Future Years

Dane County will be giving away compost by the car and truck load for free over the next several weeks, after recently being notified that municipal partners like the City of Madison won’t be bringing compost material to county sites any longer.

The county compost sites in Verona and Waunakee will stay open until around July 1st to help backyard gardeners and growers get through another growing season. After that, those two sites will be permanently closing.

Madison has signed an agreement with a company in DeForest to process all of the leaves and yard waste picked up by the city. Material from Madison represented nearly 80% of the content that had been brought to the county’s compost sites and converted into compost and mulch.

After the compost sites close this summer, residents will still be able to drop off compost at a compost operation at the county’s Rodefeld Landfill (7102 US Highway 12 near Cottage Grove), but compost will no longer be sold. The landfill is also home to the county’s Clean Sweep program.

Beginning Friday, May 23rd, the county will offer one load of free compost for residential use per person, per day, at the Verona and Waunakee compost sites through June to exhaust its current stockpile.

The Verona and Waunakee compost sites will be open from 7am to 3pm Monday through Friday, and 7am to 11am on Saturday. The sites are closed on Sundays.

“While the situation is not ideal, we hope residents will take advantage of our compost giveaway to start this growing season,” County Executive Joe Parisi said.

For more information on the compost site closure and the free compost offer, residents are encouraged to call John Welch at 267-8815.