Registration for the 2026 Community Compost program is open!

We are welcoming participants to join us in the program which will kick off in April, running through November. There are 150 spots available in the program and registration will be open until all spots are filled. Important note: You do not need to be a Saratoga Springs resident to participate! This program is open to all, no matter where you live.

The Community Compost program offers participants flexible food scrap drop-offs and educational opportunities in compost and sustainability.

In April, there is a training session that all members are required to attend. There is an annual cost of $80 per household to become a member of the program, this cost directly supports one seasonal staff support in the program. There are scholarships available for participants who might not otherwise be able to join.

We hope that you will join us in turning food waste into a valuable resource to enrich our shared land!

Step 1: Register for the program: Fill out the registration form to join.

Step 2: Attend a Compost Training: Before dropping off any food scraps, you’ll attend a required training session led by Sustainable Saratoga. The training will cover: what you can and can’t compost, how to store and prepare food scraps at home, how the drop-off system works, and the importance of composting why composting matters for Saratoga Springs

Step 4: Start Collecting Your Scraps: At home, collect acceptable food scraps in a container of your choice, or with our provided compost bin you will receive when you join the Community Compost Program.

Step 5: Drop Off at Pitney Meadows: Bring your scraps to our on-site composting system on the farm. Before emptying into the drop-off bins, participants will weigh the scraps and log the weight, date, their name, and any additional comments onto the program clipboard.

Step 6: Your Scraps Become Soil to be used in public gardens to grow food! Food scraps are emptied into the compost culverts by staff and volunteers after the culverts have been aerated. Then, we cover the scraps with a carbon source (we use mostly wood chips). The mixture takes time to break down and is often emptied and formed into windrows for secondary decomposition. Finished compost is used to enrich the soil at Pitney Meadows’ Community Garden and agricultural fields, helping grow nutritional foods for public programming, local families, food pantries, and growing beneficial habitats for the ecosystem. You are directly stewarding community-shared land and agriculture with your participation!

The Community Compost Program is modeled after the successful Bethlehem Municipal Compost program and in consultation with ANCA’s Compost for Good reflecting a growing movement towards sustainability, environmental resilience and circular systems for communities.