Giving Your Scraps a Second Chance

Why do you only have two options for pick up days?

Our business is small and just getting started. That means one person often wears many hats — from chicken care to desk work and everything in between.
We schedule pickups twice a week to ensure there's enough time to manage all aspects of the business with care.
If your bucket is full before your scheduled pickup, you're always welcome to drop it off for free at our main collection site in Ashland, MO.

​

What can’t I put in the bucket?

The biggest issue for our staff? Produce stickers. Please check avocados, squash, bananas, and other stickered produce before tossing them in.
Also, please do not include:

• Large amounts of paper (occasional napkins or newspaper are okay)

• Coated paper products (e.g. waxed, glossy)

• Fabric, even natural fibers (they’re often stitched with synthetic thread)

• Glass, metal, or plastic — none of these break down into compost

​

What happens if I accidentally put the wrong thing in?

Don’t worry — we’re not here to shame anyone.
If it’s a one-time whoops (like a rogue produce sticker or a bit of plastic wrap), we’ll catch it during sorting.
If we notice it happening often, we might send a friendly reminder to help keep things clean and compostable.

 

Do you take yard waste?

Can we say maybe?  If you’re doing a major yard cleanup, check in first — we might be able to offer disposal options at a minimal charge. When we can accommodate, the answer is 

• YES to: grass clippings, small branches, leaves, garden trimmings

• NO to: chemically treated grass, thorny branches, contact-irritant plants, or anything that could harm our birds.

 

What if my bucket goes missing or gets damaged?

If your bucket disappears into the great unknown (it happens), let us know and we’ll get you a replacement. You will pay a new Bucket Buy-In.

Buckets that are cracked, warped, or no longer sealing properly can also be swapped — just shoot us a message or leave a note on pickup day. There is no charge if we are replacing a bucket from normal usage. In fact, we usually pull questionable buckets during the cleaning process to prevent you from having this issue.

​

Can I get compost from Iffy Creek Compost Collective?

Not quite yet! We use a traditional, "cold" composting system, which takes a year or more to fully break down your scraps.
When compost becomes available, we’ll let all active customers know.

​

Where does my food waste go?

Iffy Creek is a small family farm spread across three locations.
Your food waste first serves as supplemental feed and scratch for our flock of chickens. After some time, the remaining material (along with chicken manure) is raked up and added to worm bins alongside rabbit droppings.
Once it’s been digested and sifted — voilà! — it becomes rich, usable compost for garden applications.

​

What do I do if my bucket smells bad?

First, make sure your lid is tightly sealed — that’s the easiest way to keep odors in check.
Next, add a layer of dry material: grass clippings, fallen leaves, sawdust (from untreated wood), or black-ink newspaper work well.
As a bonus, customers in good standing can request two Emergency pickups per year, if the smell becomes unmanageable. Help is just a call or text away.

​

What if I have too much food waste for my bucket?

Planning a big event (like a watermelon party) or clearing out old fall decor? You can request an extra bucket at no charge for that week's pickup.

You’re also welcome to:

• Add more buckets as needed

• Drop off your compost at the farm (and say "hi" to the birds!)

• Request an Emergency Pickup ( max of 2x/year for active customers)

​

Can I skip or pause my pickup schedule?

Everyone needs a break! If you’ll be away during your scheduled pickup, let us know at least 2 days in advance, and we’ll remove you from that week’s route.
If you’ll miss 3 or more pickups in a row, please talk with us to pause your payment plan.

​

How clean does my bucket need to be?

We handle the washing, but we appreciate it if you avoid tossing in liquids or heavily soiled items that could cause spills or leaks.

 

Do you accept compostable plastics or bioplastics?

We do not accept compostable or biodegradable plastics — even the ones labeled “compostable.” These require industrial high-heat systems and will not break down in our cold composting process.