Permascaping, by Homegrown Foods
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Homegrown Foods

Nothing that grew here goes to the landfill

Fruit that's past eating, kitchen scraps and yard trimmings become compost through our partner Green Thumbs Recycling, and come back to Valley gardens as soil.

Offer compostable wasteWhat we take

The other half of a food forest

A yard that grows food also makes waste. Composting is how it feeds itself next year.

Half of what a fruit tree drops never makes it to a table, and almost none of what a kitchen throws out needs to go to a landfill. In a landfill it makes methane. In a compost pile it makes soil, and soil is the whole point of what we do.

Green Thumbs Recycling in San Tan Valley is our composting partner. What we collect goes there, and the finished compost comes back into gardens and food forests around the Valley. You keep a cleaner yard, the landfill gets nothing, and the soil gets better.

What we take

If it grew, it can go back to the soil.

  • Fruit that's past eating

    Soft, split or fallen fruit, the windfall under a tree, the box that went too far. If it's not going on a table, it's going in the pile.

  • Kitchen scraps

    Peels, cores, coffee grounds, eggshells, the ends of everything. Keep meat, dairy and oils out.

  • Yard trimmings

    Leaves, prunings, grass and the cuttings from a workday. No treated wood, no palm fronds.

  • Spent soil and mulch

    Old potting mix, used straw and wood chips that have done their job in the garden.

How it works

Three steps, most of them ours.

  1. Tell us what and how much

    Fallen fruit, scraps or trimmings, roughly how much, and whether it's bagged, boxed or still on the ground. Two minutes in the form below.

  2. We pick up, or you drop off

    Enough for a load and we come by on a route. A bucket or two is quickest to drop off with Green Thumbs Recycling directly.

  3. It becomes soil

    Composted in San Tan Valley and spread back into Valley gardens and food forests, including the ones we plant. You get a receipt.

Questions people ask

Who is Green Thumbs Recycling?

A food-waste and yard-waste composter in San Tan Valley, Arizona, and our composting partner. What we collect goes there, gets composted, and comes back to Valley gardens as soil. They also take drop-offs themselves: 4396 E Skyline Dr, San Tan Valley, AZ 85140, open Wednesday to Saturday 8 to noon and Sunday 8:30 to 12:30. Phone (480) 613-7520.

Is this the same as donating food?

No. Food that can still be eaten goes to people, through our food donation page. This page is for what can't be eaten anymore and would otherwise go to the landfill.

What can't go in?

Meat, dairy, cooking oil, pet waste, treated or painted wood, palm fronds and anything plastic. If you're not sure, say so in the form and we'll tell you.

Do you pick it up?

Yes, on a route, when there's enough of it or it's on the way. A single bucket of scraps is easiest to drop off; a tree's worth of fallen fruit or a yard's worth of trimmings is worth a pickup.

Is it tax deductible?

Homegrown Foods is a 501(c)(3) public charity, EIN 92-3311736, and compostable material is an in-kind gift like any other. We'll give you a receipt for what you gave. By IRS rules the value of an in-kind donation is set by the donor, not the charity, so talk to your tax preparer about what it's worth on your return.

Offer compostable waste

Tell us what you have, roughly how much, and where it is. We'll come back with a pickup day or the easiest place to drop it off.

“Permascaping transformed my front yard into a sustainable, beautiful oasis. … The team’s expertise and attention to detail were outstanding, creating a low-maintenance, eco-friendly landscape that I absolutely love. … Highly recommend Permascaping for anyone looking to elevate their outdoor space in Arizona!”

Miles Zeisberg, on Google, August 2025
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