Manure composted for bedding the dairy herd using the BioReactor by XACT.
Compost or Dried Dairy Manure For Bedding The Herd
The BioReactor will make bedding to meet the a farmers specifications. By adjusting the time that the manure is kept in the BioReactor, either dried or composted bedding is produced.
Quick Time: If you choose to simply dry the manure for bedding then the manure is kept in the BioReactor for a shorter period of time (18 to 24 hours).
Compost Time: If you choose to convert the manure to compost that is pathogen free then the manure is kept in the BioReactor for 72 hours at a temperature of 150o F (55o C). This protocol is based on the “Time and Temperature” standards set down by the EPA. Cows like the light fluffy texture of compost for bedding. Because it is sanitized (proven pathogen free), managing the herd’s health is easier and less worrisome.
The BioReactor offers farmers a choice of beddings. Either way, the BioReactor is the better technology for solid manure management.
The BioReactor Makes Ecological and Economical Sustainability Possible.
Sustainable organic waste management–in the real world–has to converge 2 notions of sustainability. The 1st is ecological sustainability and the 2nd is economic sustainability. With XACT’s BioReactor composting technology, this dual purpose sustainability is not only possible but profitable!
Superb Green Roof Design
Let’s consider, for example, the green roof industry. A building owner chooses to have a green roof installed. Construction begins using a soil substrate for the plants. What if the soil substrate included compost made from organic waste which was generated by the occupants and/or operations of the building itself? Now that is an exciting sustainable concept!
This is where the BioReactor enters the picture. The BioReactor is ideally suited to an urban setting. because the:
• Waste is quickly processed with automatic feeders and off loaded with no on-site peripheral contamination.
• Equipment meets OSHA Safety Standards.
• Remarkably small electric motors power the drive(s) so that the operation is quiet.
• The BioReactor has a professional finish and the installation is pristine in appearance.
By composting solid organic waste (food waste, paper, leaf and yard waste etc.) with the help of the BioReactor, you can turn raw waste into rich pathogen-free, sanitized compost in 4 to 7 days.
Plus, soil amended with good quality compost produces healthier plants. This picture compares 2
Plantings in soil amended with compost!
types of plantings. The 3 rows of plants on the left were placed in pots in soil that had been amended with compost and the single row of plants on the right were placed in pots with soil only. The difference in the health of the plantings is clearly visible, and there is much scientific study and data to prove the benefits of compost for plant better growth, and better resistance to pests and drought to be true time and time again.
No doubt by now, you have figured out the economics/cost savings with respect to the:
Typically, the BioReactor will pay for itself in under 3 years which is better than industry standard.
This is just one example of how the BioReactor can make sustainable organic waste management both ecological and economical. Please feel free to get in touch with us to explore these opportunites for your next project. Many thanks, D.
What advice would you give someone who is starting up a new composting operation? Assuming all the permitting and funding are in place, there are still challenges in the running of the site that will have to be dealt with. For my part, the best advice I would give is to choose the XACT BioReactor technology because it eliminates or minimizes most of the remaining challenges of the composting process such as:
Compost discharged from BioReactor after just 4 days.
Plus, get the C:N ratio and the moisture right, and in 4 to 7 days, the BioReactor makes great compost! Because of this, typically, the BioReactor will pay for itself in under 3 years making in one of the best investments in the industry today! This bit of advice, if taken, will get you started in the right direction. XACT Systems does more than supply equipment, we support you from the very start to be successful in the business of composting. Chose wisely my friend.
Last fall we were at a trade show and on the table of our booth we had a bucket of fresh compost from our customer’s BioReactor. It was great looking compost–dry, fluffy, no odor and so on. So, a gentleman walked by the booth, took one look at the compost and said, “I want 3 tractor trailer loads of this compost right away!” We were flabbergasted. This man was in the business of growing organic hops for an organic beer brewer, and the compost from the BioReactor was just what he needed to boost the health of his soil and get better crop yields. What really got him enthusiastic was the quality of the compost and that he could get all that he wanted so close to his farm.
Compost Discharged After 4 Days
You see, our customer is composting the manure from a 1700 cow dairy herd, and there is lots and lots and lots of compost being produced from the manure on a daily basis. Typically, upon discharge after 4 days, the compost is about 75% mature which means all the pathogens have been killed, the weed seeds are destroyed and there is virtually no odor. This compost is ready to spread on a field and is an excellent soil amendment from so many perspectives…moisture retention, organics booster, nutrient value, suppresses plant disease, controls weeds, balances the soils pH and improve the soil structure. This compost has tremendous value which positively impacts the bottom line–and this hop grower knew that. Needless to say, we connected the hops grower to our customer.
Time after time, we get asked by people who are evaluating the prospect of composting solid organic waste (regardless of what the waste is), they wonder “What can I do with the compost?” They don’t realize the value of the product they are making because they are only focused on finding a solution to get rid of the troublesome waste. But, by making GOOD compost from the waste, they now have created an opportunity to make money from the product (compost) in addition to solving their waste management problem. Evidently, there a many markets available to compost producers, and it is just a matter of making the connection. When the composting operation makes consistent high quality compost such as that which can be produced by the BioReactor, the customers may indeed beat a path to your door! Many thanks for you time today, and please let me know if we can be of any help to you with your waste management problems, AND marketing your compost! D
When choosing equipment to make bedding from manure, many farmers have opted for the 24 hour drier process. This is an interesting choice since manure that has been simply dried in a rotating drum for such a short time will still have disease causing bacteria (pathogens) in it. According to the standards of the EPA and other governing bodies, the standard for pathogen kill is 72 hours at 150F degrees (55C degrees). Would this not raise some red flags about somatic cell count and mastitis for the dairy herd?
On the other hand, other farmers are choosing to truly compost the manure by following the EPA guidelines (3 days in the rotating drum). This choice seems make sense for those farms wanting more certainty in the quality of bedding material, herd health and/or more value from their manure. By more value, I mean, that manure that is composted vs dried has a $ value as a soil amendment–either as an amendment on the soil of the farm or amendment to other commercial operations such as landscapers, soil blenders, nurseries or specialty crops etc.
Nevertheless, whatever your objectives are, whatever processing time you choose, the XACT BioReactor is the wise choice. Thanks for your time today. Have a good one…..D