Kern County Taps Agromin to Market and Deliver Compost

Kern County has entered a five-year public-private agreement with Agromin, an Oxnard-based organics recycler, to market compost and mulch produced at the county’s Shafter facility and arrange deliveries to agricultural buyers. The facility can produce approximately 40,000 tons of material annually, but the county has faced constraints in trucks and personnel needed to move output from Shafter and other county sites. Public Works Manager Dave Lee said the county “doesn’t have a whole lot of fleets to deliver material,” making distribution capacity a key operational issue as production and inventory accumulate.

Under the agreement, Agromin receives about $4,500 per month and half of the proceeds from compost and mulch sales. The total contract value was not reported, so the ultimate financial scale will depend in part on sales volume and proceeds. Agromin markets the material through an online portal where farmers can place orders, then contracts haulers to deliver it, including by using trucks returning empty after other deliveries. This arrangement combines a recurring service payment with sales participation and logistics coordination rather than relying solely on county-owned delivery capacity.

The agreement also supports Kern County and participating local governments in meeting California SB 1383 requirements. The source reports that the county has been able to meet its delivery obligations under the law since the arrangement began near the end of summer, and identifies California City, McFarland, Ridgecrest, and Taft as cities that work with the county on composting and compliance. SB 1383 calls on local governments to keep three-quarters of the food waste and other organic material they generate out of landfills. For public buyers, the case illustrates how marketing, transportation, and downstream demand can be integrated into organics-diversion operations when public fleets are insufficient.

Demand and end-use economics help explain the commercial opportunity. Agromin’s General Manager, Bill Camarillo, said many county compost buyers grow permanent crops such as almonds and pistachios, while vegetable growers also place orders. Compost provides organic matter and nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and micronutrients such as calcium; it can also help soil retain moisture, an important benefit where water supplies are declining. Growers pay for material at a rate recently averaging about $10 per ton, while residential users can obtain it free. Dave Lee described Agromin’s work with agricultural buyers: “Agromin has been really good about working with farmers in the agricultural community, trying to identify areas and companies that are looking to procure compost for land application.” For local-government procurement teams, the agreement highlights the value of proven agricultural relationships, customer ordering channels, and delivery coordination alongside regulatory performance.

• Agreement term: Kern County and Agromin entered a five-year agreement covering compost and mulch marketing and delivery arrangements.
• Facility capacity: The county’s Shafter facility can produce about 40,000 tons annually; the county reported limited fleet and staff capacity to distribute the material.
• Payment structure: Agromin receives approximately $4,500 per month plus half of sales proceeds. The total agreement value was not stated.
• Distribution model: Agromin uses an online ordering portal and contracts haulers, including trucks returning empty after other deliveries, to reach growers.
• Compliance objective: The arrangement supports county and participating cities’ work toward SB 1383 organics-diversion requirements, including keeping three-quarters of generated food waste and other organic material out of landfills.
• Participating cities named: California City, McFarland, Ridgecrest, and Taft work with Kern County on composting and compliance.
• Market and uses: Buyers include permanent-crop growers, including almond and pistachio producers, as well as vegetable growers; compost can supply organic matter and nutrients and improve soil moisture retention.
• Reported price context: Growers recently paid an average of about $10 per ton; the source says residential users can obtain the material free.
• Procurement takeaway: Local agencies evaluating similar services can assess variable sales-based compensation alongside fixed fees, fleet constraints, market access, and measurable diversion outcomes.