Horseshoe
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A Hatchling Earthworm
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Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/12 23:25
Howdy Folks!
First-time poster on this site. (Sure love the forum activity! Lots of good reading!)
One of my friends wants me to help her come up with a large vericomposting system for where she works. When she told me their restaurant would like to vermipost their food scraps I asked how much she thought she'd have on a weekly basis; she replied "lets start out with 35 pounds"!
My "bin" is an old chest-type freezer and no way something that small will help her out.
Any ideas out there for how to help her out, size-wise especially? (The restaurant/cafe is at a school and she hopes to get the students involved also.)
Again, great site. And looks like some good folks here! Hope all is well with you and yours!
Shoe
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redhen
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A Protected Species Earthworm
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/13 09:06
Before your friend buys/builds anything she should check to see if she needs a permit by her state to dispose of a large amount of food waste. A few years ago I wrote and received a grant, from Wake County Solid Waste Management, for my daughter's elementary school. The approved proposal was to compost, onsite our pre-consumer cafeteria food waste and office/classroom scrap paper, using redworms in bins.
This project had to be visisted by very curious Health Department officials, (who incidentally were surprised and amazed when they saw how well the bins worked and that there was no smell.. ) Then I was informed that a good portion of the grant had been held in reserve. The reason it had been reserved was to pay for my time if indeed our project needed to be permitted by the state. (Evidentally it is a very long involved process.) What I decided to do was make sure that we stayed below the amount that would make us have to be permitted. (I forget the amount, but maybe something like 1 cubic yard (amount going in) a day or week.)
It is so annoying that a great project like this, that makes such good sense, would have to be squashed due to red tape.
oh...and PS..
We found that an in-ground bin was the easiest to manage, most stable and forgiving.
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth. |
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Horseshoe
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A Hatchling Earthworm
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/13 14:07
Thanks, Susan!
Excellent points! I'll pass on the word to her and the school. (This is going on at Duke Divinity School in Durham; perhaps someone there will have some "clout"!?) I also notice you mentioned Wake County so you must be our neighbor! Yay!
Glad you mentioned the inground bin...I was wondering how they would handle temps w/out adding extra expenses to the operation.
Maybe I can write the Ag School in Raleigh and gain some more insite, eh? If so, I'll post back here so everyone can benefit from the set-up.
Have a fun day!
Shoe.
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loonyhiker
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A Hatchling Earthworm
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/13 17:27
I'm a school teacher too and ran into some blocks at school. I thought it would be very easy to get food scraps from the cafeteria but unfortunately they have strict rules about food waste/extras. They have to dispose of all leftover food in the trash and no one may take anything home. Sometime there was a problem with workers making too much food and taking it home. What a shame. There are some students who could benefit from taking the leftovers home. I sometimes sneak in the cafeteria on Monday mornings when they clean out old veggies. I reach in the trash and take the lettuce out. What a bummer!
Pat
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redhen
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/13 21:13
Horseshoe..You are also welcome to email me anytime and we could discuss what you guys would like to do
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth. |
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Horseshoe
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A Hatchling Earthworm
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/18 19:00
Thanks, Susan! I'll keep you in mind as we move along. Yesterday, I rec'd a phone message and it seems there is some money set aside for projects such as this. I hope to be able to help the school out and get something going for them. This, unfortunately, coincides with my farm/greenhouse business so hope they aren't in TOO big of a hurry! Anyway, thanks for letting me know I can email you. Hopefully we can somehow "bless" the Divinity School!
loonyhiker, yes, it is a shame that folks/students can't take home the leftovers. In one of our schools, when growing up, the leftovers were often sent home to certain families who signed up for "suppers"...I think they paid a small fee to qualify but it was very minimal and they were guaranteed at least a couple meals per week for their suppers.
Off to close up the greenhouse and feed my wormies! They love me, ya know!
Shoe.
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Jerry
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A Juvenile Earthworm
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/21 01:55
Shoe,
Is this pre-consumer food waste or post cosumer?If it is post consumer, I woulld use black soldier fly larvae to dispose of it. You can get rid of 35 pounds per day in a container about the size of a garbage can.
Jerry
www.jetcompost.com or www.compostsolutions.com
THE SIGNIFIGANT PROBLEMS WE FACE CANNOT BE SOLVED AT THE LEVEL OF THINKING WE WERE AT WHEN WE CREATED THEM |
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redhen
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A Protected Species Earthworm
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/21 09:39
Jerry..If one were to use the BSF bins, how would you go about stabilizing that very wet manure to perhaps bag and sell as compost? Would you transfer the material to a worm bin?
I am very interested in the BSF bin, as I have now learned what voracious eating machines these creatures are.
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth. |
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Horseshoe
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A Hatchling Earthworm
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/22 14:55
Thanks Jerry for the suggestion. (And thanks, Susan, for the question to Jerry!)
I'm not familiar with BSF larvae but it sounds like they are eating machines! Being larvae though, what happens when they all hatch/pupate into adult flies? Won't they be everywhere and create a nuisance, or will the stay near the bins, laying more eggs, etc?
At this point in time, it appears the school cafe will only be wanting to compost/vermicompost pre-consumer scraps (trimmings from carrots, lettuce leaves, veggie parts that are not used in dishes, etc).
Shoe.
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Bob Ingram
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A Protected Species Earthworm
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/22 18:39
Shoe, they look like a black wasp, but have no mouth and no stinger...as an adult they have no function but to reproduce and die....really a neat critter. When they're around you'll notice a big reduction in house flies, as well. Their manure is excellent worm food as well. Seeya, Bob
www.trinity-ranch.com |
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Horseshoe
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A Hatchling Earthworm
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/22 21:20
Thanks, Bob!
Looks like I better look into these!
Do people tend to use them in bins separate from a worm bin, or can they exist together in one bin?
Also, do you have a favorite link or book or article on BSF I could use for research? (I'm still convinced I want to help this school get started with their "green campaign" in whatever shape or form I can lead them.)
Again, thanks. (Great people, great info on this site!)
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redhen
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A Protected Species Earthworm
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/22 21:28
Horeshoe..You are going to love this powerpoint/slideshow on BSF's. My whole opinion changed completely after viewing it.
http://www.esrla.com/brazil/frame.htm
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth. |
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Horseshoe
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A Hatchling Earthworm
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/23 01:41
Howdy!
And thanks for the link, Susan. Unfortunately I don't have PowerPoint on my system. Waaaahhhh! (<---crying out loud)
However, I'll definitely do some Googling and see what else I can find on the 'net.
Again, thanks!
Hope everyone has a great week ahead!
Happy Worming!
Shoe.
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redhen
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A Protected Species Earthworm
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/23 10:48
horseshoe...Just go to that site and click on each of the slides.
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth. |
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redhen
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A Protected Species Earthworm
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/23 10:50
horseshoe...Just go to that site and click on each of the slides.
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth. |
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Horseshoe
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A Hatchling Earthworm
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/23 17:11
Now THAT is amazing!
I'd love to set up something like that here on the farm, see how to properly operate it, then introduce the school to it.
Has anyone here ever set up a system like this yet? If so, can you order the BSF larvae like you can order worms?
Shoe
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gnosnhoj
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A Protected Species Earthworm
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/23 20:31
I wondered what the heck those things were in my hot compost tumbler all these years  ! Now I know, and am glad I didn't go postal on 'em! They really do a dang fine job in quickly breaking down big chunks o' stuff, and my chickies did love 'em when I'd pitch a hand-full out  .
Plenty of BSFs in W. KY, so to borrow and paraphrase from Susan, when I build my outdoor bin, they will surely come  !
My across-the-road neighbor raises cows, and there is a free-manure-for-the-hauling horse stable less than a mile down the road, so I imagine I'll never lack for critter chow, be it wormies or BSF larvae. Kill weed seeds / pre-compost in my hot bin then let the li'l fellas at it. This is getting mo' betta all the time !
Y'all have fun, whatever you're doing.
Gary
Hopkinsville, KY |
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redhen
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/23 22:03
Horseshoe..I am sure Jerry will post here soon, as this is something that he is setting up and knows a lot about. As far as buying BSF's...It's funny..I have people calling, freaked out about these creatures,because they have added too much raw OM and BSF larvae showed up in mass, almost instantly. For these guys especially.."build it and they will come"...oh yeah..they will come!
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth. |
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Horseshoe
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A Hatchling Earthworm
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/23 22:23
Thanks, Susan.
Guess I'll have to wait for it to warm up a bit more here before I can attract some. And I'm sure I can...those pics at the link you provided sure look familiar to me.
I have operated our organic produce farm for over 20 years here and we definitely have mucho beneficials of all kinds. There is no doubt I've come across these wonderful critters and was not aware of their contribution to "society"! And now, I just gotta get to know them on a first name basis!
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Bob Ingram
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/24 03:17
Shoe, Jerry Quinn is very knowledgeable in this area, but another is Dr.Jeff Tomberlin of Texas A&M University, ( who, by the way, is also on the board of Directors of the Worm Digest).....Seeya, Bob
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redhen
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/24 08:05
horseshoe...You do not have to "attract" them. I believe their eggs are on all the produce you would put in a bin. I have found them in my bins this winter, anytime the food scraps sit a bit too long, or something I added caused the bin to heat up. Of course the second the weather turns warm, the bin will become a sea of BSF larvae if a lot of raw OM is available.
Susan Quinby-Honer
redhen@nc.rr.com
Starve the Landfill...Feed the Earth. |
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Horseshoe
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A Hatchling Earthworm
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/24 22:20
Thanks Bob, and Susan.
The more info and contacts I get the better. (And by the way, Bob, saw your website...love it! Lots of good info there!)
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Jerry
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A Juvenile Earthworm
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/25 00:50
We do grow them here. We have a colony set up. We do work with Dr.Jeff Tomberlin at Texas A&M. We are working on a project that is twofold. We grow the BSF to get rid of waste, make feed out of the spent larvae and bio-diesel out of the larvae.
Shoe, my email is jguinn@ev1.net
Jerry
www.jetcompost.com or www.compostsolutions.com
THE SIGNIFIGANT PROBLEMS WE FACE CANNOT BE SOLVED AT THE LEVEL OF THINKING WE WERE AT WHEN WE CREATED THEM |
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Horseshoe
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/26 00:16
Thanks, Susan (again)...I'll keep an eye out for them. I wonder if it would be feasible to start a dedicated bin and put in our kitchen scraps only (not prime the bin with earthworms) and see if they will appear. Or perhaps I should make a concrete block bin like your extra worm bins?
Thanks, Jerry. I'd be very interested in your projects. I'd like to get in touch and hear more about your two fold project...or is there any info online available re this project?
By the way, while I have ya'lls attention... :>
The BSF container system is set up so the "full" larvae crawl up a ramp and then fall into a collecting bucket, where they release their castings and pupate into adults (if I read that correctly). When the pupate into adults how do those adult get out of the collecting bucket? I didn't notice an exit...or do they need to be released by us?
Many thanks for your patience.
Shoe.
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Jerry
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A Juvenile Earthworm
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Re:Looking for plans for restaurant-sized worm bin - 2006/01/29 21:39
In that system that is on the slide show, you would have to release them yourself. To grow more turn them loose in an area that is 80 degrees F. or better. It also has to have natural sunlight. They will hatch and lay eggs and die. They are not a nuisance fly. They will not live beyond seven days. There are a number of ways to set up a colony.
Jerry
www.jetcompost.com or www.compostsolutions.com
THE SIGNIFIGANT PROBLEMS WE FACE CANNOT BE SOLVED AT THE LEVEL OF THINKING WE WERE AT WHEN WE CREATED THEM |
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