Horton Bay Heritage Farm

Farm Donations: Recycle For Farms

one person’s “junk” can be a farmer’s treasure

At Horton Bay Heritage Farm, we believe that one person’s “junk” can be a farmer’s treasure. Our mission is to reduce waste, repurpose useful items, and keep as much as possible out of the landfill. Many of the things people throw away still have a purpose on a farm — recycle for farms by donating old garden tools to plant trimmings and organic waste. By donating these items, you help support sustainable farming practices and give new life to materials that would otherwise be discarded.

We are grateful for farm donations from our communities of Petoskey, Boyne City, Charlevoix and surrounding areas. Farm resource donations from individuals and businesses help out small-scale farms like ours get free resources we can use while reducing the waste stream in our community, It's a win win! Your contributions are of value in our day-to-day farm operations

Below is a list of the types of donations we can put to good use. If you have something to offer that’s not on this list, feel free to contact us — we may be able to use it or connect it with a local farmer in need.

Items We Accept

General Farm Needs

Usable Wood Scraps — Plywood, 2x4s, 4x4s, and other wood pieces for building raised beds, crates, nest boxes, and general farm structures.
Plain Cardboard — Non-waxy, non-glossy cardboard (like shipping boxes, not product packaging) for use in mulching, weed suppression, and soil-building.
Farm Tools & Gardening Tools — Pruners, shovels, rakes, pitchforks, and other gardening tools.
Fencing & Fence Materials — Electric fencing, barbed wire, chicken wire, hog panels, cattle panels, and fence posts (wood or metal) to support livestock and pasture areas.
Food-Grade Totes (55 Gallons or Larger) — Useful for water storage, feed storage, and general farm needs.

Soil building, Composting & Natural Inputs

Bagged Sawdust & Shavings — Attention wood workers: Only from untreated wood. Used for animal bedding, composting, and soil improvement.
Woodchips and Leaves — Attention landscapers and tree trimmers: We can accept large hauls and dump truck loads of woodchips and leaves'
Bagged Yard Waste, Leaves, Grass Clippings & Pine Needles, etc. — Natural organic matter used for mulch, compost, and soil enrichment. Its important that the grass clippings of from natural yards only; free of herbicides and pesticides.
Old Hay & Straw — We accept old hay and straw even if it is wet and moldy. But only from sources that are grown free from persistent herbicides.
Coffee Grounds — Coffee grounds are an excellent nitrogen source for composting. Collect them in buckets from home, coffee shops, or restaurants and drop them off.
Horse Manure — Manure from horses is a valuable addition to our composting system. But, only if you know how your horses' hay and straw is grown! Persistent herbicides are detrimental to soil building composting systems.
Pumpkins & Gourds — Post-Halloween pumpkins, gourds, and decorative squash are great additions to our compost pile or livestock feed.

Nursery & Garden Supplies

Empty Nursery & Landscape Pots — We welcome used pots of all sizes for reuse in our nursery.
End-of-Season Patio Plants — Drop off your spent planters, plants, and soil at the end of the season.
Extra Plant Divisions — Divisions from perennials and other hardy plants are always welcome.
Bulbs, Tubers & Corms — Don’t want to overwinter your dahlias, gladiolas, or other tender bulbs? we will give them a forever home!

Crafting, designing & workshop Supplies

Grapevines for Wreath-Making — Winter grapevine cuttings are perfect for wreath crafting. Drop off your pruned vines, and we’ll create something beautiful.
Ribbon, Jute, Wire, Twine & Yarn — These materials are essential for wreath-making, floral arranging, and other farm crafts.
Scissors, Snips, Wire Cutters, Glue Guns & Glue Sticks — Used for creating floral accents, dried flower crafts, and decorative items.