MERCER COUNTY

Local composters turn waste into garden food

Some communities are considering composting as a way to cut down on costs and landfill space, but one in Mercer County is already doing it.

Terence Farren, Grove City borough manager, said the borough has had a successful composting effort for several years. The program was started as part of the recycling program, Farren said.

Twice a year the borough collects yard waste -- such as leaves, branches and grass and shrubbery clippings -- and takes it to a composting site where it is ground and mixed with leaves. The piles are turned occasionally so the mulch can decompose, Farren said.

The yard waste collected in Grove City this year will be available for residents to use next year to enrich garden soil, Farren said. He said he doesn’t know how many tons of compost they produce in a year, but "it’s a lot."

"It’s a program that’s worked really well for us," Farren said.

Gary Micsky, an agent with Mercer County Cooperative Extension, said he doesn’t know of any other communities that have a program like Grove City. He said there’s been talk of starting programs, but he doesn’t know where the plans stand. Micsky said the 4-H Park has a small program. Also, the Mercer County Conservation District has a program and a Compost Education Center.

Micsky said he is surprised composting hasn’t caught on more in the county, especially in the urban areas. He said all the yard waste goes to landfills, and there’s only so much garbage they can hold.

In the future, Micsky anticipates there will be more a demand for local communities to compost.