Behind the scenes: How this Kansas City urban farm turns your food scraps into soil

Salvaggio said that while a single head of lettuce can take 25 years to decompose in a tightly packed landfill environment, the same leafy greens return to soil in a matter of weeks when properly composted.

By Natalie Wallington
Kansas City
April 01, 2022

Excerpt:

Perched on a windswept hilltop in southeastern Kansas City, URBAVORE Urban Farm is home to hundreds of egg-laying chickens and rows of produce from asparagus and squash to strawberries and leafy greens.

The farm’s composting area resembles a small construction yard, where towering piles of waste in varying stages of decomposition sit in wide lots outlined by large stone walls.

There’s almost no odor: At first glance, all the piles look like regular soil. But when Heryer climbs into a small bulldozer and begins scooping at the newest pile, food scraps tumble out along with a pungent smell.

This process, called “turning the compost,” is essential to the decomposition process.

“I kind of like having to face our waste every day,” Salvaggio said. The knees of her jeans were stained with mud from planting potatoes. “I feel like that’s part of being human.”

The farmers begin the composting process by collecting organic waste from a variety of sources.

A dumpster in the farm’s front driveway offers neighbors a free drop-off point for food scraps, lawn trimmings and other compostable waste.

Read the complete article here.