Pumpkin Smash! A Partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools

M-DCPS is Partnering with Fertile Earth Worm Farm for First Annual ‘Pumpkin Smash!’ to Educate Students About Composting

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), in partnership with Fertile Earth Worm Farm and the Everglades Earth Cycle, is hosting the first annual “Pumpkin Smash!” at 15 District schools from October 31 through November 5, an event dedicated to educating students about composting.

This inaugural event will include 15 District schools, where students will help transform thousands of pounds of post-Halloween pumpkins into nutrient-rich compost, simultaneously reducing landfill waste and offering students a unique lesson in composting, the circular economy, and sustainability. 

“This is a prime example of the impact achieved when community partners and education collaborate to educate youth and expand waste diversion in our county” said Karly Pulido, Resource Efficiency Officer, M-DCPS. 

Media are invited to attend the event at Pinecrest Elementary School on November 5 at 9 am, where students from Pinecrest Elementary and Palmetto Middle School will participate in hands-on composting education. The Village of Pinecrest, the first municipality in Miami-Dade County to offer free residential composting through its partnership with Fertile Earth Worm Farm, has diverted 151,000 pounds of food waste from landfills.

"Composting works when everyone participates, from families at the farmers market to students in our schools. As the first municipality in Miami-Dade to offer free residential composting with Fertile Earth Worm Farm, we're demonstrating a model other communities can follow. Events like Pumpkin Smash teach kids that their actions matter and that waste can become a resource. That's how we prepare the next generation to lead on sustainability," said Village of Pinecrest Council Member Shannon del Prado, Village of Pinecrest.

The Pumpkin Smash! is designed as a fun, tangible way for students and community members to participate directly in composting. Rather than contributing to methane emissions in landfills, discarded pumpkins rich in organic matter are collected and delivered to Fertile Earth, where the pumpkins will be composted.

This year’s event emphasized not only the physical act of recycling food scraps but also the scientific principles behind decomposition and soil health. Educational materials have been distributed across participating schools, helping educators integrate topics like the composting cycle and why it's important, these were provided through an educational video.

M-DCPS Schools participating in the Pumpkin Smash!:

1. MAST Academy

2. Cutler Bay Middle School 

3. Barbara Goleman Senior High School 

4. Howard Drive Elementary School

5. Palmetto Senior High School 

6. G. W. Carver Middle School

7. IPrep Academy PK-12

8. North Dade Center for Modern Languages

9. Coconut Grove Elementary School 

10. David Fairchild Elementary School

11. Young Women’s Preparatory Academy

12. Sunset Elementary School

13. Dante B. Fascell Elementary School

14. Pinecrest Elementary School 

15. GateWay Environmental K-8 Center

As South Florida's largest and longest-running composter, Fertile Earth Worm Farm is dedicated to diverting food and other organic materials from landfills, sending it to the highest and best use - first to feed people, then animals, and the soil.   

“This partnership with Miami-Dade Public Schools is vital because it connects classroom learning directly to real-world environmental impact,” said Dr. Lanette Sobel, Fertile Earth’s founder and owner.

Official Video:    https://youtu.be/7Kg27eIosCE?si=ldG21QWpxUFNukhd

About Fertile Earth Worm Farm:

As South Florida's largest and longest-running composter, Fertile Earth Worm Farm is dedicated to diverting food and other organic materials from landfills, sending it to the highest and best use - first to feed people, then animals, and the soil.   Fertile Earth produces premium, organic soil amendments and offers educational programs to foster sustainable practices across South Florida.

Media Contact/Photography/Video:

To receive pool photos and video, or to receive the itinerary of the truck during pickup day on Nov 5, contact:   Abel at (786) 232-3102        community@fertileearth.net