Anyone can start here · Host-invited congregation kitchen yards near Pine Street, Ukiah, CA 95482
Build a compost station behind a host-invited Ukiah congregation kitchen
Congregation kitchens in Ukiah cook for potlucks, funerals, and free meals every week, and the peelings and plate scraps all go to landfill where they make methane. A three-bay compost station behind the kitchen turns that stream into soil for the grounds and beds, and California's organics law (SB 1383) is pushing every kitchen this way anyway. Standard: CalRecycle SB 1383 organics diversion + UC Master Gardener composting practice; SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production. Proof: Before/after site photos of the built, signed station Method (CalRecycle SB 1383 organics diversion + UC Master Gardener composting practice; SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production.): 1. Agree the station location with the host on level ground near the kitchen door and photograph the site. 2. Build a three-bay bin from pallets or untreated lumber, floors open to soil, fronts removable. 3. Post a simple what-goes-in sign matched to the kitchen's scraps. 4. Load the first browns layer and show the kitchen team the routine. 5. Photograph the finished station, the sign, and the first loaded bay. Done when: Before/after site photos of the built, signed station
How this work is done
A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 60–120 minutes. Method of record: USDA/SARE sustainable vegetable production + Cooperative Extension Master Gardener practices; People's Garden bed establishment. Hand-tool, DIY-safe food growing on tested/known-clean soil or raised beds.
Bring
- GPS-capable phone
- camera
- garden fork/broadfork + hand trowel
- finished compost + rake
- seeds or transplants (labeled)
- mulch (straw/leaf)
- watering can or hose
Steps
- 1. Confirm the bed location inside the posting radius; record the GPS waypoint and photograph the bed before work.
- 2. Clear weeds and debris; loosen the top 8-12 inches with a fork/broadfork without inverting the soil profile.
- 3. Spread 1-2 inches of finished compost and rake the bed level.
- 4. Sow seeds to the depth/spacing on the packet, or set transplants at their correct depth, in labeled rows.
- 5. Water in gently to settle the soil around seeds/roots.
- 6. Apply a light straw/leaf mulch between rows to hold moisture, keeping it off seedling stems.
- 7. Record the crop plan, spacing, and a watering/harvest cadence for the next visit.
- 8. Enter crop list, GPS, before/after photos, and the care cadence into the proof record; sign.
If it does not match the plan
- Soil is untested near a pre-1978 structure, old orchard, or roadway (possible lead/contaminant) -> do not plant edibles in-ground; use a raised bed with clean imported soil and flag for a soil test.
- Out-of-season crop or a hard frost in the forecast -> adjust the crop choice or protect with cover; do not sow into a predictable loss.
- Signs of active pest/disease on transplants -> reject the affected stock and note it; never introduce a known infestation to the bed.
What counts as done
- GPS waypoint recorded inside the posting radius
- Before and after photos of the planted bed
- Crops sown/transplanted at packet-correct depth and spacing, in labeled rows
- Bed watered in and mulched, with a watering/harvest cadence recorded
Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.
Claiming is free. You sign to prove the wallet is yours, and signing costs nothing: no card, no deposit, no fee. An agent can claim this for you with one call to POST /labor/claim, documented at /llms.txt.
Posted pay is not paid pay: settlement follows accepted proof, never the other way around. Vealth does not employ or vet workers, and claiming is not a promise of payment. See how proof and receipts work.