KCC Press Release
For contact and Media Requests: Keith McKenzie, [email protected]
Manure and food waste composts are an economical alternative to traditional nitrogen fertilizers.
Louisville, KY (6/29/26) —- As farmers, municipalities and landowners across Kentucky face rising fertilizer costs and ongoing soil health challenges, the Kentucky Composting Council (KCC) is encouraging greater use of manure- and food waste – based composts as practical, locally available sources of nitrogen and organic matter.
Recently, KCC was asked to address the current state of soil nutrients and soil organic matter across the Commonwealth. Compost, manure, and other natural nitrogen sources — such as horse, cattle, and poultry litter — offer reliable and cost-effective alternatives to conventional synthetic fertilizers while improving long-term soil health.
“Kentucky is uniquely positioned to meet its nutrient needs using resources we already have,” said Keith McKenzie, Executive Director of the Kentucky Composting Council. “From horse farms and cattle operations to poultry producers and food processors, our state generates abundant organic materials that can be safely and effectively returned to the soil.” Kentucky has one of the most diverse and concentrated supplies of organic nutrient inputs in the nation. As the Horse Capital of the World, the state maintains a consistent supply of horse manure and stable bedding. Kentucky also produces more than two million head of cattle annuall, ensuring access to cattle manure in nearly every county. Poultry, the state’s top agricultural commodity, generates litter with highly valued nitrogen content.
In addition to manure, food waste and meat byproducts are increasingly recognized as valuable inputs when properly composted. These materials contribute both immediate nutrients and long-term organic matter, helping soils retain moisture, reduce erosion, and support crop productivity.
“Incorporating compost and manure isn’t just about replacing fertilizer — it’s about building healthier soils and more resilient farming systems,” said Krista Jacobsen, University of Kentucky Horticulture Associate Professor and KCC advisor. “These materials can help farms utilize locally created biological sources of fertility, feed soil food webs, improve soil structure, and overall farm efficiency.”
For producers and land managers seeking access to organic nutrient, such as manure, KCC recommends contacting their county Extension agent for guidance on available manure resources. Commercially produced compost is also widely available across Kentucky, including through suppliers such as Smith Creek, Thoroughbred Landscape Products, and Charlie’s Compost.
WKU Earth Day
Kentucky Composting Council had the honor of attending WKU’s Earth Day celebration. We distributed informational flyers to students and other attendees. Earth Day; One Compost pal at a time!
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- Organic CSA farmer Keith McKenzie honored with U of L’s Josh Smith Memorial Sustainability Award
As a part of the Community Engagement Awards Ceremony during UofL’s March 21st Engaged Scholarship Symposium, the University of Louisville Sustainability Council gave the 2025 Josh Smith Memorial Sustainability Award to our CSA farmer and the Chair of the Kentucky Composting Council, Keith McKenzie.
Keith and his wife began farming in McClain County in 1988, and in Breckenridge County in 2004. Demonstrating his passion for repairing our relationships not only with the land, but also with each other – as sustainability demands of us – Keith also earned a Masters degree in Social Work from UofL early in his farming career. Currently, he and his family manage 71 acres of farmland in Kentucky, and, since 2019, they use only organic methods. His operation was certified as organic in 2022, and then in 2024, Keith’s Knob Hill Farm stepped in to relaunch a Community Supported Agriculture program at UofL with weekly campus deliveries of fresh seasonal produce for subscribers at a farmstand in Freedom Park at 3rd & Cardinal every Tuesday 4-6pm, starting in June.
For the past two years, Keith has also been a regular fixture at “Compost Church” on Sundays, our Community Composting Project’s weekly volunteer day. He’s provided compost education to countless UofL community members and the public. He has collaborated with UofL’s Sustainability initiatives as Chair of the Kentucky Composting Council, and we were honored to host the Council’s second annual conference on campus during last fall’s UofL Sustainability Week. Keith continues to promote the composting and gardening efforts at UofL across the Commonwealth, and he has elevated the profile of UofL’s sustainability work throughout the region and nationally as a gold standard for others to emulate, providing many contacts and projects for our gardening and composting teams.
Keith McKenzie’s tireless efforts at supporting and promoting UofL’s projects have made him an ambassador for our Sustainability Programs, and we are delighted to honor him with the 2025 Josh Smith Memorial Sustainability Award