I've had a nagging, pessimistic thought in the back of my mind as I research compost pad engineering and construction.
The whole idea of this service is to approach local eateries to divert their food wastes from the landfill to a site where it can break down to compost. I've thought for a while that a compost pad with several windrows would be the best facility. A compost pad requires permits, planning and construction, which all translates to lots of time and money.
Back to my nagging thought: How do I justify a large construction project if I initially won't have a large client base?
Then I read some more: black soldier fly larvae
Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) eat fast, and they eat a lot. Their diet isn't limited to just fruits and vegetables. They'll devour citrus, meats, bread, dairy, manure. When the larva grows into adult, the fly exists only to mate and make more larvae. An adult is not interested in eating due to not having a working mouth, so they leave people and picnics alone. Houseflies can't take hold of the food scrap pile due to the voraciousness of the larvae. And, the larvae can also be sold as chicken food. Yum.
I'm not unfamiliar with housing invertebrates in a food scrap bin. Vermicompost has been an ongoing project for me. I've also wanted to have a worm setup as part of the entire composting business. They're not terribly efficient though. I've also been battling these horrid fungus gnats. They make me so angry, crawling all over the walls and windows. Joke's on them: I've ordered some beneficial nematodes just today. I've made some compost tea with what the worms have contributed, and my houseplants had a burst of life with new growth and flowers.
This is how I've thought to modify my composting plan: begin with a worm and larvae shed/small barn. This allows me to develop a customer base and inform the community of my service and products. Equipment maintenance and fuel will be limited only to my pickup truck. I won't need to find a carbon bulking agent to get my carbon/nitrogen ratios. I won't have to invest as much time and money initially, and the business can grow as needed. A compost pad will be my later stage goal. At that point, I will have hard numbers and a good sense of what I can manage.
Larvae and worms have renewed my confidence in my business plan. Thanks, guys.
The whole idea of this service is to approach local eateries to divert their food wastes from the landfill to a site where it can break down to compost. I've thought for a while that a compost pad with several windrows would be the best facility. A compost pad requires permits, planning and construction, which all translates to lots of time and money.
Back to my nagging thought: How do I justify a large construction project if I initially won't have a large client base?
Then I read some more: black soldier fly larvae
Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) eat fast, and they eat a lot. Their diet isn't limited to just fruits and vegetables. They'll devour citrus, meats, bread, dairy, manure. When the larva grows into adult, the fly exists only to mate and make more larvae. An adult is not interested in eating due to not having a working mouth, so they leave people and picnics alone. Houseflies can't take hold of the food scrap pile due to the voraciousness of the larvae. And, the larvae can also be sold as chicken food. Yum.
I'm not unfamiliar with housing invertebrates in a food scrap bin. Vermicompost has been an ongoing project for me. I've also wanted to have a worm setup as part of the entire composting business. They're not terribly efficient though. I've also been battling these horrid fungus gnats. They make me so angry, crawling all over the walls and windows. Joke's on them: I've ordered some beneficial nematodes just today. I've made some compost tea with what the worms have contributed, and my houseplants had a burst of life with new growth and flowers.
This is how I've thought to modify my composting plan: begin with a worm and larvae shed/small barn. This allows me to develop a customer base and inform the community of my service and products. Equipment maintenance and fuel will be limited only to my pickup truck. I won't need to find a carbon bulking agent to get my carbon/nitrogen ratios. I won't have to invest as much time and money initially, and the business can grow as needed. A compost pad will be my later stage goal. At that point, I will have hard numbers and a good sense of what I can manage.
Larvae and worms have renewed my confidence in my business plan. Thanks, guys.
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