Sent via Commissioner Terry’s newsletter on 5/23/2026.

Did you know DeKalb County used to be primarily farm land? While a large urban county today, some residents still honor those agricultural roots by planting fruits, vegetables, and flowers. My office had the great opportunity to stop by some of these farms and learn from them first hand.

The secret ingredient to growing successfully in our Georgia clay soils? Compost.

As part of the Avondale Estates Curbside Composting Pilot Program, farmers in DeKalb County were able to apply for compost through Foodwell Alliance and receive the finished compost made from Avondale Estates Residents’ food scraps. Thanks Avondale Estates!

Lets learn about some of our local growers! 

Meet EcoSun Farms

Person in a garden under "Eco Sun Farms" sign, surrounded by lush greenery and kale plants.

Meet EcoSun Farms! A boutique farm with a vision to increase accessibility to nutrient-rich, chemical free, locally grown food using sustainable agricultural methods. They were established in 2022 and feature bees, chickens, composting worms, leafy greens, herbs, and mushrooms. They are in the process of transitioning to organic because they believe in nutrient dense foods, growing using natural methods without pesticides and herbicides to ensure healthy foods are being delivered to their community. 

Meet Field & Flower

Greenhouse with seed trays, blooming garden path, and close-up of young plants.

Meet Field & Flower! A cut flower farm located in Scottdale GA.  The growing season is February to November on less than 1/4 acre. As a micro farm, the farm focuses on high yield and high dollar crops to maximize limited growing space.  Growing specialty tulips by forcing them in crates is the farm’s primary crop. In 2026 the farm forced over 18,000 bulbs.

The owner of Field & Flower actually lives in Avondale Estates and participated alongside many of their neighbors in the Compost Now pilot program. Additionally, many of their neighbors also purchase flowers. They were so excited to get the compost grant knowing that their direct community participated in an input that helped produce their own goods.  

Meet Garland’s Garden

Tractor with soil pile, young tomato plants in pots, and a large mound of dark soil near garden sheds.

Meet Garland’s Garden! Owned and operated by 26 year old Andrew Lane, with a little help from his mother, Gwen. This spring is their 5th season and they grow organic vegetables and herbs starts, along with pollinator friendly perennials.  Their goal is to offer their community plants that are beneficial to both the environment and people alike.  

Meet the Waldorf School

A man in overalls stands by a garden sign at The Waldorf School, surrounded by lush plants and a greenhouse.

Meet the Waldorf School of Atlanta! Part of their campus features a garden that includes multiple herbs, succulents, leafy greens, and more! Additionally they have their own composting system allowing students and community members to turn their food scraps into compost.

Meet Earth Dog Farm

Colorful garden with flowers, a small black and white dog on grass, and a bee on purple flowers.

Meet Earth Dog Farm! A small flower farm, newly based out of Lithonia, GA. They utilize several high tunnels for growing high quality cut flowers for sale to local florists and the Green Market at Piedmont Park. They use organic methods like heavy application of compost, omri listed amendments, crop rotation, cover crops, and they encourage and add beneficial insects for pest control.

Compost’s healing properties for the soil has proven essential for our local growers. In just one year 540 Avondale Estates residents were able to divert 136,000+ pounds of food scraps from the DeKalb County landfill, avoiding over 14,000 pounds of methane from going in the atmosphere, and creating enough compost to support over 17,000 plants.

Imagine how we could heal our soil and support our growers if the entire county, all 770,000+ residents, diverted their food scraps.

Ted