NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — No matter where you look the changing leaves are everywhere.
But rather than throwing the fading fall foliage away, the Nashville Food Project is hoping you consider helping Mother Nature instead.
"We have three different garden sites around the city, and we make our own compost at all three of those sites," communications manager Mary Kate Grant said.
It turns out recycled leaves make the perfect fertilizer.
"The composition of compost is two times brown carbon-rich matter and one part green nitrogen-rich matter. So all of the waste that comes out of our garden that's considered the green matter, but we struggle a little bit to find brown matter. And so that's where the leaves come in," she said.
Healthy compost helps keep the produce growing and allows the nonprofit to continue sharing meals with people in need.
"Using the compost we grow food, and then we cook it, and then we share it," she said.
Last year, the Nashville Food Project distributed more than 230,000 meals.
"The meals are shared alongside our partners' organizations. So we partner with about 50 other poverty-disrupting organizations in Nashville and share meals alongside the programming that they are already doing," she said.
Grant said this year due to inflation, the need is increasing. But, simple action could help feed others, without pinching your own pockets.
"So easy. It's not costing you anything at all. It's just bagging up your leaves like you normally do, and instead of throwing them away, we're diverting them from the landfill and giving them kind of back to the earth," Grant said.
The nonprofit will continue accepting leaves for as long as they keep falling.
If you want to donate your fall leaves you can do so at these locations: 5904 California Avenue by the compost bins or outside the gates of the Community Farm at Mill Ridge at 12924 Old Hickory Blvd.
