The Dirt Factory in University City acts as a composting site for the neighborhood. Community members bring their food scraps and yard waste there and it is turned into nutrient-rich compost. Each year, The Dirt Factory opens its gates to give the freshly completed compost back to the community.

For Dirt Day, Saturday, May 2, the site will be filled with patrons who can take home up to 10 gallons of screened compost per person. Attendees can also take a tour of The Dirt Factory and take home a free vegetable or herb transplant. The day also includes two free workshops for the public.

From 11 a.m. to noon, composting expert Tyler Weaver, host of Tyler Talks Trash, will share his own experiences with composting. He'll teach attendees how to compost (no matter how small their space may be) with hands-on demonstrations. 

From noon to 1 p.m., Eric Blasco, Penn State Extension Master Gardener and the creator of edible landscape company Erb Food & Garden will teach attendees how to keep their soil healthy. Urban soil, soil testing and using compost will be discussed in the workshop and soil testing kits will be available for $10.