Pennsylvania municipalities that do not have curbside pickup of leaves and yard waste at least once per month are required to designate a PADEP permitted compost facility for their residents to use as a drop-off for leaf and yard waste. The NMCRC has selected Barnside Farm Compost Facility as its designated compost facility.
Monday through Friday: 7am-noon and 1:30pm-4pm
Saturdays - March 1 through June 30: 8am-noon
Saturdays - October 1 through November 30: 8am-noon
January, February, July, August, September, December: First Saturday of the month 8am-noon
Other hours are by appointment with 24 hour notice.
Hours of operation by appointment only December 15 through February 28.
Closed Holidays.
Phone: 610-888-7719 or 610-287-8880
Address: 991 Haldeman Rd
Schwenksville, PA 19473
Click here to view the agreement between NMCRC and Barnside Farm Compost Facility. You may need to download the free Adobe Reader in order to view the file.
Home composting is an easy way to reduce the amount of material you throw away and to improve your soil. According to the EPA, yard trimmings and food waste together make up 23 percent of the US waste stream. Composting at home allows you to compost food scraps in addition to leaf and yard wastes, and requires only a small amount of space - you can even compost indoors. Finished compost is beneficial when spread in garden beds or used as potting soil. Many types of organic materials can be composted, but there are some you should avoid.
Compost requires three ingredients: "brown" materials, "green" materials, and water. Brown materials, which provide carbon, include dead leaves, branches, and twigs. Green materials, which provide nitrogen, include grass clippings, vegetable waste, and fruit scraps. A compost pile should have approximately equal amounts of browns and greens in a variety of material sizes, and should be kept moist but not soaking wet.
A compost bin is useful for keeping the pile together. You can make your own bin or buy one at a gardening store. Place your compost bin in a convenient, shady area with a water source nearby. A properly managed pile should not produce odors or attract pests.
There are several different methods of composting. One of the simplest ways is to add your materials to the pile as you collect them, chopping or shredding large pieces. Moisten the pile when you add new materials or if it appears dry. Once your pile becomes established, mix additional materials into the pile and bury fruit and vegetable scraps 10 inches deep. When the material at the bottom becomes a dark, rich color and the original materials are no longer visible, the compost is ready to use. This method takes two months or more to produce finished compost.
If you'd like to learn more about composting, including additional methods, lists of compostable and non-compostable materials, and an explanation of the science, visit the EPA's composting page.
Penn State Cooperative Extension offers backyard composting workshops as part of its statewide backyard composting education program. There are several workshops in Montgomery County each year.