Leaves at the farm
Leaves play a critical role in helping us build healthy soil — we use them to mulch our produce beds and add to our compost. Plus, we don’t want them going into the landfill. Many people don’t know leaves can be mulched/mowed into their lawn; we encourage you to do this whenever possible. But if you have too many leaves, we have two ways that SoCliff can help out — we can come pick them up from your house or you can drop them off at the farm. Read below for more details.
Leaf pick-up at your property
Option #1: Vacuum only
You rake or blow the leaves to your curb or driveway and we’ll bring our leaf vacuum and suck them up.
The closer to the curb or sidewalk, the better (limited reach with vacuum).
In order to bring leaves from the backyard to the front for vacuuming, loosely rake them onto a tarp, drag to the pick-up spot and dump them into a pile.
If wind is predicted, cover pile with a tarp.
Service cost:
First 30 minutes of work - $85
Additional charge for every 15 minute increment - $25
Minimum charge of $85
Service time: It will take us about 30 minutes to vacuum up a pile of leaves from most small yards (.25 acres or less)
Service area: 15 minute drive-time from SoCliff (Lakewood, Wheatridge, south Arvada, parts of Golden) and are willing to travel further for additional fees. We’re also happy to travel further if you coordinate multiple yards with neighbors.
Option #2: Rake + vacuum (we do all the work)
We come and rake/blow the leaves and vacuum them.
Service cost: $70 per labor hour + $85 for vacuuming
Service time: depends on the size of your yard
Service area: 15 minute drive-time from SoCliff (Lakewood, Wheatridge, south Arvada, parts of Golden)
Why pay for this service?
You’re not spending a bunch of time bagging leaves and transporting them to the farm - you get your weekends back! Plus, you’re not spending money on plastic bags.
The vacuum shreds the leaves into tiny pieces, which break down easier when they are on our produce beds, creating healthy soil quicker.
You are supporting your local farmers in a new way! This type of work helps us diversify our income stream while still living out our values of community support and healing the planet.
Vacuuming can handle the leaves even if they are wet, making this process available for longer during the year.
Get your neighbor to do it during the same visit and you both get a $10 discount!
Email us to schedule!
Leaf drop-off at the farm
Drop-off dates: 12/7/24, 12/15/24
Drop-off time: 12 - 2 p.m
Drop-off location: the farm is located at the corner of 10th and Carr streets in Lakewood. If you need help transporting bags, let us know.
What should bags contain: only leaves or decorative grasses that are pesticide- and herbicide-free. If you have questions, please ask! Also, if possible, please don’t tie the bags as they are really hard to untie quickly.
What should bags NOT contain: garden debris, large sticks, grass that has been sprayed with pesticides, dog poop, and trash
Trash in the leaves is the biggest problem we’ve run up against. PLEASE help us by going through your leaves before bringing them to SoCliff. Remember - we want these leaves to turn into healthy soil that will help us grow healthy, clean veggies for our community.
Cost: $5 for every 10 bags, i.e. $5 for 8 bags, $5 for 3 bags, $10 for 13 bags, $10 for 19 bags
Please do not let this price prohibit you from bringing your leaves to the farm - we are happy to discuss other options. This pricing structure is our meager attempt at covering some of our time.