The Microfarm is home to its very own composting site! Check out this video made by our compost managers to tell us a little bit more about what Microfarm composting is all about!

We have four small bays that are used for composting at the farm from food waste drop offs by the UT community. Check out the list below about the food waste items that we accept! Drop off your food waste in our aluminum bucket and don’t forget to take your bag/receptacle back with you. We ask that you put food waste in the bucket so we can weigh them for our metrics.

  • fruits
  • vegetables
  • peels and rinds
  • breads and pasta
  • grains
  • coffee grounds

Because we are not an industrial compost facility, we are not able to accept any type grease/greasy foods items since our compost pile does not get hot enough to break them down, check the list below for items we don’t accept! If you are unsure whether you can compost your food items at the farm, send us an email at microfarm@utenvironment.org!

  • meat and bones
  • dairy
  • fried foods
  • processed food
  • sugary food
  • nuts
  • plastics
  • tea leaves
  • paper towels and napkins

Another option is to create your own small compost bin to use at home! Create holes around the sides of your container of choice and add your “greens” (nitrogen materials such as food scraps) and “browns” (carbon materials such as paper and dry leaves), making sure you add more “browns”. While there are many posts about the ideal ratio of “browns” to “greens”, we’ve experienced it is more trial and error and adjusting based on how your compost looks and smells like. Here is a helpful resource on troubleshooting your compost pile. For more information and resources around food waste and composting, check out Green Events Waste Hub.