Falling leaves mean business for Owatonna Compost Site on Owatonna

OWATONNA — Despite the current economic crunch, one business continues to thrive this season.

Ray Miller, manager of the Owatonna Compost Site, said business is remaining steady as residents are taking care of their fall leaves.

“It’s been pretty decent. Except for the rainy weeks, then it was slow,” Miller said.

Residents are encouraged to bring their raked leaves to the compost site, as yard waste and leaves were banned from being deposited at landfills more than 15 years ago.

Mary Overlee Olson, recycling coordinator for Steele County Environmental Services, said the ban became effective to slow not only the fill of landfills but because when the natural materials biodegrade, methane gas is released. Underneath the slower degrading materials, a pool of methane guess can occur which could possibly lead to worse consequences.

“In the worst case scenario, fires can be created, although that is very rare,” Overlee Olson said.

Some residents may choose to mulch their leaves back into their lawns. The mulched leaves will decompose back into the lawn, providing nutrients.

“If you don’t have a lot of leaves, you can mulch them,” Overlee Olson said.

Within Owatonna, city ordinances prevent residents from raking leaves and yard clippings into the streets, aiming to avoid having the debris swept into catch basins, ditches and gutters. An ordinance violation may be punishable with a fine up to $300.

Matt Durand, Owatonna stormwater manager, said on a rainy day such as Wednesday, the need for residents to not rake into the streets is apparent as the heavy rains easily wash yard waste into the drainage systems. Homeowners who live next to vacant lots also should not dump yard waste onto the lot lines, as they tend to drain into the ditches and cause a blockage of drainage.

The city does bulk up on street sweepers during this time of year to catch the leaves floating into the streets.

“We do have the street sweepers out, in the spring and the fall they are continuously trying to clean up the leaves and debris,” Durand said.

Burning of leaves is also not allowed.

“No burning is allowed anytime in Owatonna and Medford. Other cities don’t prohibit burning, but it is strongly discouraged in all municipalities because of the fine particles that then sift into the air,” Overlee Olson said.

Although a small fee is required to drop off leaves at the Owatonna Compost Site, users can pick up fresh compost next spring to use for a cheap, but effective, fertilizer.

“(Compost is) nature’s way of fertilizing,” Overlee Olson said.

Compost improves moisture holding capacity, soil texture in sandy soils and increases nutrients in soils with poor organic content.

“In clay soils, which we have a lot of in Steele County, it improves drainage and soil texture,” Overlee Olson said.

Miller said the compost site opens annually on April 1 or 2 (depending on if April 1 lands on a weekday). Buying Owatonna compost means that not only are residents getting an all natural product, but they are buying something produced and sold locally.

“That’s what we’re here for. The potting soil you buy in the store is good stuff, but this is good too. This has all the nutrients in it. It’s all natural,” Miller said.

The Owatonna Compost Site is located at West 32nd Avenue. October hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Starting in November, the site will close at 5 p.m.

The compost site will close for the season the day before Thanksgiving.

Loads of leaves do not have to be bagged, but should be covered if hauled in the bed of a truck or in an open trailer.

Wendy Reuer can be reached at 444-1565.

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Member Opinions: By: L080100 on 10/22/09 Pay to dispose of your leaves, pay to get them back in the form of compost..... COOL! By: owatonna_guy on 10/22/09 This is the biggest rip off going!! Every other place I have lived the city takes care of this for free, granted the homeowner still has to rake and haul them to the site, but you do not get charged to dump them. I just spent $15 the other day hauling leaves out there, that was 2 truck loads. I still have another 3-4 loads to go, by the time I am done I will have about $50 in dumping the leaves. Perhaps the city should have looked at doing something such as a free dump site for the people of Owatonna rather than buying a waterpark. By: L080100 on 10/22/09 My Cool comment was sarcastic if that wasn't clear. I've never come across a city where we have to pay to dispose of the leaves :( Big fail. Being surrounded by giant 50+ year old maple trees does not make the compost site an affordable disposal option. By: Petunia on 10/22/09 Leaf piles take for-ev-er to compost on their own. We're paying for space and compost heap maintenance. Other cities do not perform this task for "free". There is an equal amount of overhead, but the cash comes from taxes. I think it's great that if one doesn't use the service, they don't have to pay. By: L080100 on 10/22/09 That's a good way to look at it Petunia.... You pay for it either way. I'd rather have it rolled into my property tax and pay for it that way. Maybe that would encourage more people to take advantage of the service and dispose of their leaves properly vs throwing them in the trash, burning then or putting them in the street.. By: owatonna_guy on 10/22/09 I beg to differ Petunia, the other cities that I have lived in have provided this service free of charge. Other than the tank of fuel for the loader that the street department used, it didn't cost anything. As far as your comment about "if one doesn't use this service, they don't have to pay" doesn't mean a damn thing in this town. I don't use the schools, the new streets on the north end of town or that !@#$%^&* water park, but guess who's house payment has gone up. By: Petunia on 10/22/09 owatonna_guy: It actually takes a good deal of time and pile-turning to get those darn leaves composted. They also sift out the larger sticks that didn't break down. Add the fuel, labor, equipment purchase, equipment maintenance, the real estate being tied up, and I think there is a real cost to the venture. Though I compost most of my yard waste, the fall leaf piles overwhelm me and my yard. I'm a happy customer of the Compost Site. My comment about not paying if you don't use the service was a rather oblique reference to the ridiculous stuff that Owatonnans DO pay for but shouldn't have to (waterpark, anyone?). By: owatonna_1st on 10/22/09 Common theme on OPP - no matter the issue bash the water park. Every problem in this town can be blamed on the water park. The road improvements on 26th street are being paid not by increased property taxes but by the city sales taxed imposed a few years back. By: Medford_Tiger_78 on 10/22/09 If you live in town, do you HAVE to rake your leaves ? I don't live in town, therefore, i ask. By: Dallas on 10/23/09 I live in Owatonna and I don't rake my leaves. By spring most of them have decomposed where they are, and the lawn mower takes care of them then. By: bubbles on 10/23/09 If you want to complain about paying to drop your leaves off, and raking them, and all the manpower.... Why dont you pay a Lawn care company to do it. This way They do the manpower and take all the leaves. Therefore you wont have to keep doing it yourself. Most lawn care companys have their on compost pile to put the leaves. By: twocents on 10/23/09 I have one of those mulching recycling type mowers and it does a pretty good job of grinding up leaves to almost nothing. It's best to have some dry weather though, which has been rather scarce this fall.
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