The ground has been cleared in Santa Paula for what will be the only commercial composting facility in Ventura County.
The 70-acre facility is a joint venture between Agromin, California’s largest organic waste recycler, and agribusiness Limoneria. The site, which is expected to open in the second half of 2027, will process nearly 300,000 tons of organic waste annually from within the county, according to an Aug. 12 news release from Agromin.
Over 150,000 tons of compost are processed in the county annually with 154,283 tons being processed in 2025 alone, according to Martha Johnson, a spokesperson for Ventura County Public Works Agency.
According to Cody Cain, Agromin head of marketing and sales, the project has been in development since 2010.
The estimated cost is between $35 million to $40 million, and the project received a $10 million grant from CalRecycle in 2023.
The existing 15-acre facility, operating since 2004 on Limoneria land, will continue to operate until construction finishes.
Cain explained that the new facility will be public, meaning that in addition to receiving waste collected by trash hauler Harrison Industries, anyone can drop off organic waste to be processed into compost and mulch for a fee. He said the new operation will be similar to Agromin’s Oxnard compost yard, where residents can pick up free compost and mulch, but at a larger scale with newer technology.
Cain emphasized that the project aims to create a “sustainable economy” where materials will be primarily gathered and distributed within a 60-mile radius. Additionally, he said that a long-term goal for the project is to add a biogas facility.
In 2016, the California Legislature passed Senate Bill 1383, which mandated, among other things, jurisdictions divert 75% of organic waste away from landfills by 2025. Cain said that Ventura County fell short of this goal, but the new facility will help close the gap.
“We’re trying to deliver services and things that the cities and counties can rely on to help them meet their compliance requirements,” Cain said. “We’re specialists in this area. We’ve got great programs and this expansion in Santa Paula is a long time coming.”
Levi Kauffman is a summer intern for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at lkauffman@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: 70-acre commercial composting site in Santa Paula preps for operation
