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Growing Food Security: How A1 Organics Compost Supports CSU’s Community Farm
Colorado State University’s Growing Food Security project turns an acre of research farmland at ARDEC South in Fort Collins into fresh produce for students and neighbors facing food insecurity. Every season, student volunteers grow more than 20,000 pounds of vegetables that go directly to the CSU Rams Against Hunger Food Pantry and other food banks…
Wood You Believe It? Why Composted Wood Pieces Are Good for Your Soil
If you’ve ever noticed small pieces of wood mixed into a bag of compost, you might wonder if it belongs there. It does. Wood is a natural part of what makes compost valuable to your soil, and it’s worth understanding why. Wood Adds to the Organic Matter That Makes Compost Work Organic matter is often…
Why Summer Mulching Is One of the Best Things You Can Do for Colorado Gardens
Colorado summers are beautiful. They are also brutal on soil. Between the heat, the low humidity, and the afternoon sun that bakes exposed ground dry within days, unprotected garden beds lose moisture fast. Plants stress. Roots struggle. Maintenance demands go up. A 2 to 3 inch layer of quality mulch changes that equation significantly. If…
Clean Wood Recycling for Contractors: A1 Organics’ Guide for Acceptable Wood Material
Starting September 1, 2026, Denver’s Universal Recycling and Composting Ordinance (URCO) requires construction and demolition projects across the city to separate and recycle readily-recyclable materials instead of sending them to the landfill. That includes concrete, asphalt, scrap metal, corrugated cardboard, and clean wood. A1 Organics accepts clean wood materials under the requirements stated below: What…
How to Use Compost the Right Way: Application Guides for Every Project
Compost works best when it’s applied correctly — and the right approach varies depending on whether you’re seeding a lawn, amending raised garden beds, managing a sports field, or stabilizing a slope. As Colorado’s leader in certified organic recycling and STA-certified composts, we want to make sure our customers get the results they’re looking for….
Conserving Water in Colorado with Compost
Organic Matter Matters: Volume 1 – Water Retention in Soil If there’s one challenge that defines landscapes, agriculture, and soil health across Colorado and the West, it’s water. Limited precipitation, increasing drought cycles, and rising demand mean every drop counts. That’s where compost and more specifically, organic matter, becomes a game changer. What Is Organic…
Organic Matter Matters
How Organic Matter Conserves Water in Colorado Soils with A1 Organics Compost In Colorado’s dry climate, conserving water is essential for healthy landscapes. One of the most effective ways to do this? Increase the organic matter in your soil using high-quality compost from A1 Organics. Organic Matter Holds More Water Research from the USDA…
Closing the Compost Loop
Everything starts with the collection of expired or excess organics, “natural resources”, in the blend of green (nitrogen-rich) and brown (carbon-rich) materials. Green materials include kitchen scraps, spent grains and lawn clippings while brown materials consist of items like dry leaves, straw, or wood. Redirecting the correct clean organics away from landfills is one of…
Persistent Herbicides and Composting
Herbicides are liquid or solid products used by homeowners, farmers, ranchers, and more to combat weeds. While herbicides have detailed labels that list all appropriate uses, warnings, and restrictions, there are still a number of ways that they can wind up in products intended for composting. Continue reading to learn what persistent herbicides are and…
What Can We Use Wood Waste For?
Whether you’re working in your yard or on your property, you likely end up having quite a bit of wood waste due to trimming overgrown trees, dead branches, and more. Rather than taking piles of wood to the landfill, learn what wood waste can be used for, and contact A1 Organics for help recycling yours….