Community Compost Program

THIS PROGRAM WILL LAUNCH IN FALL 2026

At Sunray Community Farm, we believe healthy soil begins with community. Our Community Compost Drop-Off Membership helps transform local food scraps into living soil that supports regenerative growing systems, perennial agriculture, pollinator habitat, compost production, and community food systems here in New York's Capital Region.

Rather than viewing food scraps as waste, we see them as part of a living cycle; returning nutrients back to the soil where they can help grow food and support soil biology.

This membership is designed for individuals and households who would like to participate in local composting efforts while maintaining the flexibility to drop off food scraps at their own convenience directly at the farm.

Membership Details

  • $10 per month

  • Automatically billed every 3 months

  • Membership may be canceled at any time

  • Limited membership availability

What Your Membership Supports

Your participation helps support the development of regenerative compost systems and living soil at Sunray Community Farm. Food scraps collected through this program contribute to compost production, education, chicken systems, perennial agriculture, agroforestry plantings, nursery production, and other community-based ecological stewardship projects that help build a resilient local food system.

How the Program Works

After registering, you'll receive a welcome email with program guidelines, accepted materials, and drop-off instructions.

Members receive access information and a private code for the designated compost drop-off area. During access hours, members may bring approved food scraps directly to the farm and contribute to an active composting system that helps build soil and support our long-term regenerative farming efforts.

This membership-based approach helps us maintain a clean, organized, and manageable community composting program while creating a direct connection between local households, nutrient recovery, and food production.

  • We accept most household food scraps and organic kitchen materials, including:

    • Fruits & vegetables

    • Bread, grains & pasta

    • Coffee grounds & tea

    • Eggshells

    • Dairy products

    • Cheese

    • Meat scraps & bones

    • Seafood & shellfish

    • Cooking oils in small quantities

    • Nuts, seeds & baked goods

    • Spoiled food (removed from packaging)

    • Paper napkins & uncoated paper towels

    • Wooden chopsticks & untreated wooden compostable items

    • Cut flowers & small amounts of plant material

    Please remove:

    • Produce stickers

    • Twist ties

    • Rubber bands

    • Packaging materials

  • Please do not include:

    • Pet waste or animal feces of any kind

    • Cat litter

    • Disposable diapers

    • “Compostable” plastics or bioplastic packaging

    • Compostable cups, lids, utensils, or cutlery (unless made entirely of untreated wood)

    • Plastic bags

    • Glass, metal, or conventional trash

    • Chemicals or hazardous materials

    If you are unsure about an item, feel free to contact us before adding it to your bucket.

    • Community Compost Drop-Off Memberships are billed in recurring 3-month periods in order to help support the ongoing operation and maintenance of our small-scale community composting systems.

    • Memberships may be canceled at any time by contacting us directly. Cancellation will prevent future billing cycles from renewing automatically; however, active membership periods are prepaid and non-refundable once a billing cycle has begun.

    • Access to the compost drop-off area and container system will remain active through the end of the current paid membership period.

    • Because this is a community-supported and limited-capacity program, membership fees help support long-term soil building, regenerative farming, and ecological stewardship efforts at Sunray Community Farm.

If you are interested, please complete this membership application form, and we will be in touch within 5-7 business days.