There is an ad on Craigslist for free mushroom compost in Fallbrook. It's a place that grows mushrooms! I keep meaning to get down there but haven't yet.

There is also a place in Ontario where you can get as much cow manure as you want for free but you'd have to compost it. I don't have an address but could give you directions if you're interested.

The City of Riverside has free mulch, Corona might as well. Or you could ask a friend in Riverside to take you there (you have to show a drivers license and utility bill to show you are a resident.)

Wow, mushroom compost is good stuff if used in moderation, I'm surprised they're giving that away for free! I'd be all over that. Note, it *may* not be fully composted when the mushrooms are done growing, so check with them to see what they say about that. I would take it anyway and use for mulch or compost it a bit more if it was still hot.

There is a HUGE pile of it in the ad, tox- I think they create it faster than they can part with it. It's my plan to add it to my compost pile- if I can just find the time to drive down there. It seems that every time we're headed that direction it's to an event where I need to be dressed nice and stay clean!

just search craig's list for "free manure". you will find lot of "free horse manure" sources. call them some of them will have and aged piled.

Major grocery stores might not give you their waste, but the smaller ones might. It's worth a try.

You also might try restaurants and coffee shops (salad bars & used coffee grounds).

And then there is horse manure

I was about to say, get ready for lots of free sources of compost materials (fallen leaves) but then I realized your area may not get as many fallen leaves as others.

You may need to collect from friends and family and certain other businesses, if you want more materials than your household generates. At work, we have lots of paper towel and paper waste, so I take those and shred them up to use in the compost pile.

Combining that with the 1/10th to 1/4th greens that are suggested, then I seem to add to my compost pile about every 1-2 weeks for my small needs.

A lot of grocery stores don't give out their old produce for liability reasons. BUT they are obligated to throw out certain produce after a certain date! Figure THAT one out!
The store I worked at for several years does give old produce to farmers for their animals. They will give UCGs to anyone who is good about picking them up.
You can check the animal shelters for chicken or bunny poop (chicken has to be composted!)
Just some suggestions! Nancy

New home builder dumped the unused sod, I ask the landscaper to save for me, then I dig the dirt out, the rest for compost.

Contact Chip Drop. Look them up online.

Check with your local garbage company. Here in San Mateo county, CA, our garbage company collects kitchen/garden waste and then processes it into compost, which residents can go pick up for free at the "environmental center". https://rethinkwaste.org/shoreway-environmental-center/compost-giveaway/