About Us
Welcome to Prema's Permaculture & Composting
Prema’s Permaculture & Composting is a Palm Springs–based business that transforms organic waste into a valuable community resource. We help cities, schools, farms, nonprofits, and organizations turn what is often discarded into healthier soils, stronger local food systems, workforce opportunities, and long-term environmental impact.
Our work is rooted in real-world implementation through Urban Farm of Palm Springs (UFO Palm Springs)—our flagship demonstration site. We design, build, and manage community composting systems across the Coachella Valley and Inland Empire, delivering practical SB 1383–compliant solutions backed by operational experience, not theory.
By keeping collection, composting, and food production within the same community, we create lasting local value. As a mission-driven business, we reinvest in sustainable systems that strengthen communities, support economic opportunity, and deliver measurable environmental results.
Our Story
Every meaningful journey begins with a moment that changes the way we see the world. For Prema Walker, that moment came during her childhood in southern India.
As a young girl, Prema learned that a neighboring farmer had taken his own life after losing his rice crop and falling into debt. The tragedy left a lasting impression and sparked questions that would stay with her for years. She came to understand that healthy soil is more than the foundation of agriculture—it is the foundation of livelihoods, communities, and hope.
Years later, after moving to the United States and earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering, a simple conversation about compost at a local farmers market brought those childhood memories back into focus. She realized that many of the challenges she had witnessed began beneath our feet—with the degradation of the soil itself. That realization became the turning point that inspired her life’s work.
Prema founded Prema’s Permaculture & Composting to help communities see organic waste differently—not as something to discard, but as a valuable resource that can restore soil, strengthen local food systems, and create healthier, more resilient communities. Today, that vision continues to guide every composting system, educational program, and community partnership we build.
Our Mission
Our mission is to integrate permaculture principles into everyday urban life through practical community composting, regenerative agriculture, and environmental education. We empower communities with the knowledge, tools, and systems needed to transform organic waste into healthier ecosystems, stronger local economies, and a more sustainable future.
Our Vision
We envision thriving communities where practical permaculture and community composting are part of everyday life. By advancing local solutions that restore soil, strengthen food systems, and support a green economy, we aim to create resilient communities that prosper environmentally, socially, and economically for generations to come.
Our Values & Philosophy
We believe sustainability should not be reserved for our free time—it should be woven into the fabric of everyday life. With thoughtful design, practical action, creativity, and community collaboration, simple daily choices can restore natural systems, strengthen local economies, and create lasting benefits for both people and the planet.
Community Impact
Every composting project creates an opportunity to restore soil, reduce waste, and strengthen local communities. At Prema’s Permaculture & Composting, we work alongside schools, businesses, nonprofits, local governments, and community organizations to develop practical solutions that create measurable environmental and community benefits.
Our approach goes beyond diverting organic waste from landfills. We help communities build sustainable systems that improve soil health, support local food production, advance environmental education, and encourage long-term stewardship of natural resources. By combining practical implementation with community engagement, we create solutions that are both environmentally responsible and economically sustainable.
Whether supporting California’s organic waste reduction goals, developing community composting programs, or delivering hands-on education, every project is guided by the belief that healthy soil is the foundation of resilient communities and a more sustainable future.
Community Composting
Practical composting systems for communities, schools, and organizations.
Education & Training
Hands-on workshops, consulting, and educational programs for all ages.
SB 1383 Support
Helping organizations implement practical solutions that support California's organic waste reduction requirements.
Regenerative Solutions
Restoring soil health through regenerative agriculture and sustainable land stewardship.
Prema Walker - Founder & Educator
She Speaks From Systems She Has Built
Prema does not speak from theory or pilot programs. She speaks from composting infrastructure she has designed, funded, built, and operated in real California communities. Her sessions help audiences understand not only what the policy requires — but how communities can realistically participate, comply, and benefit.
Who She Speaks To
- City and county governments navigating SB 1383 compliance
- Community members and residents ready to take action locally
- Students and educators building sustainability into curriculum
- Workforce development programs training for green economy jobs
- Nonprofit organizations working in food, environment, and community
- Sustainability and climate practitioners at all levels
Selected Workshops and Talks
- Composting 101
- Permaculture 101
- Rooted in STEAM: Circular Thinking, Permaculture, and Composting
- Rooted in Community: Sustainable Agriculture and Critical Thinking
- Introduction to Permaculture
- Resources for Business Development and Funding: Strategies for Starting and Scaling a Composting Business
- Unlocking Sustainable Living with Permaculture in Urban Settings
- California's Mandated Composting Law: How Communities Can Do Their Part
- Waste Audits and Material Flow Analysis for Schools
Organizations Worked With
- California Climate Action Corps
- Institute for Local Self-Reliance
- California Alliance for Community Composting
- Desert Compost
- Urban Conservation Corps
- Huerta del Valle
- University of California, Riverside School of Education
- Jewish Family Services of the Desert