Fall is here, and as you’re cleaning up your yard and packing away those seasonal decorations, consider an eco-friendly way to dispose of them: composting! At Goldfinch Farm, we’re thrilled to accept your fall yard waste and decorations, including leaves, pumpkins, gourds, and corn stalks. Not only is this a great way to reduce landfill waste, but it also supports our farm’s sustainability efforts by providing organic material to enrich the soil and feed some of our animals.

Goldenberg family photo on a classic fall display. All items welcome at the farm for composting.

Why Compost Your Fall Yard Waste?

Each year, millions of pounds of yard waste end up in landfills. But materials like leaves, pumpkins, and other natural decorations are rich in nutrients and can easily be composted, creating high-quality organic matter that enriches the soil, improves plant health, and reduces landfill volume. By bringing your fall yard waste to Goldfinch Farm, you’re helping us build a healthier farm and community.

What We Accept

Here’s a list of items we’re happy to take off your hands this season:

Fallen Leaves: Great for composting, leaves add carbon to the soil, which balances out nitrogen-rich materials.
Pumpkins and Gourds: Perfect for animal feed or compost. After Halloween, pumpkins are a tasty treat for some of our livestock, and any leftovers enrich our compost piles.
Corn Stalks and Hay Bales: Great for composting or as animal bedding. These break down slowly, adding structure to our compost.
Pine Needles and Straw: We can use these materials to balance our compost pile with added texture and support for our plants.

Feeding the Animals

Whenever possible, we love to feed your pumpkins, gourds, and certain greens to our animals. Pumpkins are especially popular with our goats, who enjoy munching on the fresh, vitamin-rich vegetable as a seasonal treat. Our chickens, too, benefit from some of the leftover vegetables, which provide a bit of variety to their diet and help keep them healthy as we head into winter.

The Benefits of Composting

When we compost, we combine your fall yard waste with other organic materials from the farm to create a rich, nutrient-dense soil amendment. Here are some of the benefits we see on the farm:

Enriched Soil: Compost is a powerful natural fertilizer, feeding our soil and helping plants grow stronger.
Reduced Waste: By composting, we reduce the amount of material going into landfills, helping to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Improved Soil Structure: The organic matter in compost improves soil aeration, drainage, and water retention— all vital for a healthy farm ecosystem.
Support for Native Plantings: Enriched compost gives us the opportunity to cultivate native grasses, wildflowers, and even some cover crops, which contribute to a diverse and resilient ecosystem.

Drop-Off Details

If you’re in the Saline area, we welcome you to bring your fall yard waste and seasonal decorations to Goldfinch Farm. Here’s how to do it:

Drop-Off Hours: Daylight hours only. Please give us a heads up with a text or email.
Location: 9770 Macon Rd, Saline, MI 48176, south side of the driveway
Contact Information: Please feel free to reach out to Megan at goldfinchfarmmi@gmail.com or (906) 869-0372 with any questions.

Why Your Contribution Matters

By bringing your yard waste to Goldfinch Farm, you’re not just clearing up space in your yard— you’re joining us in creating a regenerative cycle that benefits the soil, our animals, and the environment. Whether you’re a first-time composter or a regular recycler, we’re grateful for your support in helping us make farming sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Thank you for being part of this season’s composting efforts, and we look forward to seeing you at the farm!

Composting Your Fall Yard Waste and Decorations