[SLSNursery]

Definitely need to check your State and local regulations. In our State of CT and many others every aspect of the dumping, piling, processing, and storing of yard waste is regulated. There is regulation coming along for what the state is calling ‘notifiers’. That will apply to the contractors or small places that make and allow piles of yard waste. No heavy restrictions for them now, but once you start accepting someone else’s stuff you are in a different, more regulated category. Plus, if you are in an agricultural location, does your state restrict manure piles? This could open doors to more problems than a few yards of compost is worth. Also, what is the land worth that you will dedicate to this? Can something more productive be done with it?

We run a registered site on industrial land and I’m sure many folks think they are doing me a favor and over paying to dump brush and logs. It’s just another business operation and we try to be as fair as possible. Try getting rid of the ground up mulch, especially after a few hurricanes. There is so much available, you almost have to pay to dispose of it before it catches on fire. Yes we sell plenty of mulch and work to colorize it, but think about what is dumped every day. If it has a lot of leafy debris or dirt, it can’t be easily colorized. Needs to be screened first to make a good product.

Grass and leaves don’t catch on fire, but that is a different permit if you want to windrow and process. Takes a lot of space and storm water runoff can be an issue. Soil and fill not as much of a problem, but you can’t just add fresh leaves and grass to soil piles. As others have mentioned, could take about a year or so to break down.

To the OP, you will have a dump the minute you allow others to have access and unload. You will need equipment and time to manage piles and then hopefully if you manage it well, you might be able to sell some recycled products. My thoughts are to keep the incoming and processing operations as one equation and the selling separate. That is don’t expect the sales to justify and pay for the dumping. Make each department stand alone as a profit center or you will also start losing money without knowing it. A lot goes into managing piles and people (customers). A few friends making a small pile, probably ok. More than that, then really think about it.