Free compost program allows local farm to grow food for Eugene nonprofit
By Debby McGee
Community Organizer & Farmer
Editor’s note: Debby McGee was the recipient of free compost in 2025 as part of Lane County’s Free Community Compost Program. The compost—generated by food waste collected in curbside yard waste bins in Eugene, Springfield, Veneta, and Creswell— helped McGee grow organic fruits and vegetables on her farm, which were donated to local nonprofit Reality Kitchen.
My career as a public school counselor and a mental health professional was satisfying, growthful, and aligned with my values. Now, as a retiree in my mid-70s, I volunteer as a community organizer, and I love growing nutritious organic food and sharing it!
In 1987, I found my “home in the heart of the country” nine miles outside of Eugene in Peaceful Valley. After almost 40 years of composting, planting cover crops, hauling truckloads of Alpaca manure, following organic, permaculture, and regenerative farming practices, we have TILTH! We grow food in two greenhouses and garden an area of 7,000 sq feet.
As an educator, I am always motivated to seek out and support the kids who “fall through the cracks”. Kids with developmental or behavioral difficulties often lose resources as they exit the public school system. Reality Kitchen (645 River Rd., Eugene) fills a void by offering the support and skill-building opportunities these youth need.
Per its website: “Reality Kitchen is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing employment path experiences that nourish and inspire all learners, with and without disabilities. We serve delicious food while fostering personal and professional growth through supportive resources in an inclusive community setting.”
Growing organic produce and giving it away at no cost to this vital nonprofit is my “happy place”.
The delivery of community Love Food Not Waste Compost provides fertility and increases the production of our garden soil. This enables us to feed ourselves, fill our freezer for winter, and share fresh, organic, locally grown fruits and vegetables.
Thanks for the compost!
Debby McGee is a retired public school educator who lives in a log cabin on five acres with her wife of 32 years and four cats. She loves forests, backpacking, soil, wildlife and growing food.
|
|