Compost Club YYC is a family friendly, social learning space where people come together to make compost and spend time with one another.
The club was started in 2022 at Highfield Regenerative Farm by a small group of people who were interested in soil health, compost, and community building. It grew quickly and before long, it became one of the best attended programs at the farm.
What happens at a meetup
We usually meet outside — in gardens, backyards, and other shared spaces around the city. There’s no fixed program: people just arrive, say hello, and we begin whatever is planned for the day.
Usually we are tending to one or more projects, at different stages.
A pile that was started a few weeks ago might need turning. Someone might be experimenting with a new mix of materials. A fermentation might be ready to open and use in the garden.
Sometimes we’re simply noticing how things have changed since the last time we looked. We’ll gather around, take a look, and decide together what to do next. Often that means turning a pile, preparing materials, or starting something new.
The learning happens along the way. People share what they’ve noticed, ask questions, offer ideas. Over time, you start to get a feel for it — what’s working, what’s not, what might happen next.
It’s common for people to bring various things to share — extra materials, garden produce, books, tools, or just something to eat. Things get passed around. People help each other out.
You don’t need to know anything to take part. You can jump in, or just stand back and watch for a while. Both are fine.
Who are the meetups for
A lot of people are coming because they want to learn how to make good compost.
Most of them like being outside and doing something with their hands. Others just come to socialize and provide moral support.
Instructions and techniques are basic-to-advanced, depending on who is there and what is most appropriate for the group. Sometimes we have guest facilitators come to share their stories and expertise.
What you might learn
If you keep coming, you’ll pick things up.
- How to build and maintain a compost pile
- How to get the balance right
- How to tell if it needs air, water, or time
- How different materials behave
- Where you can get materials
- What healthy compost looks and feels like
There are also many different approaches to choose from — hot vs static composting, vermi-composting, fermentation — and you can see how they compare in practice.
It’s not something you need to learn all at once. It builds over time, through repetition and shared experience.
Although composting takes patience (as much as growing a garden!) you might be surprised to see how much transformation can happen in a very short time — it’s really quite magical.
A few things that matter to us
We try to pay attention to the materials we’re working with. Food scraps, leaves, wood chips — these are all an important part of a larger cycle, and we treat them that way.
There are a few simple ideas that guide how we work together:
Learning by doing
We learn by working with real materials, in real conditions. There’s no substitute for getting your hands in it and seeing what happens.
Respect for materials
Food scraps and organic matter are not waste. They’re part of a cycle, and we try to treat them with care and attention.
Sharing and reciprocity
Materials, knowledge, and finished compost are often shared. What we make together tends to circulate.
Many ways to participate
People show up in different ways — regularly or occasionally, actively or quietly. There’s room for all of it.
Lately, we are exploring the idea of a compost project makerspace — a place where different small experiments and projects can happen side by side, with support from the group. Let us know if you have any ideas we can help you bring to life!
When and where
We mostly meet on Tuesday evenings through the warmer months (May – October). And then occasionally throughout the winter.
Our main site is on the grounds of the former Highfield Regenerative Farm. We also meet in other places around Calgary, like residential backyards, community gardens and other shared spaces. Please let us know if you would like to host an event.
The best way to know about upcoming events is to join our newsletter. After you’ve shown up a couple times, we can also add you to our WhatsApp community.
Join us for a gathering
Compost Club is free and open to people of all ages and backgrounds.
Come check it out. Bring your curiosity, along with some friends and maybe a snack or story to share! We recommend also bringing a water bottle, closed-toe footwear, and some wet gloves if you have them. Dress for the weather, in something that you don’t mind getting a bit dirty.
Accessing the site
Since the farm is technically no longer in operation, amenities are limited: there are no washrooms, potable water, or electricity. Otherwise, the site is generally accessible to people with limited disabilities. The site is partially shaded by large trees, which helps a LOT on hot sunny days.
Highfield Regenerative Farm is located at:
1920 Highfield Crescent SE, Calgary, AB T2G 2J9.
- The site is accessible by Calgary Public Transit.
- Vehicles and foot traffic may enter the south gates, just off 11 St SE.
- Parking is available along the West side of the greenhouse (near 11 ST SE) – take your first right through the gates and follow the road around to the opposite side of the greenhouse.
If transportation is preventing you from attending, reach out and let us know. There may be someone who is driving from your part of town.