Compost Blended with Top Soil

When Green Earth Landworks receives the compost, it is cured in static piles, and, due to the severity of the weather conditions, the piles are inoculated with a microbial package to enhance the final maturation of the compost.  The mature compost is blended with top soil for bulk sales at the nursery.  It is also used for top dressing, erosion control socks filler.  These socks are used by the DOT which requires the compost be certified.  The lab reports show that the compost passes all the tests with flying colors!  Please get in touch if you would like a copy of the report!

Once all the installation and recipe tweeking had taken place, the system nearly runs itself.  There is only one operator who works a total of 3 to 4 hours a day with the entire composting system (including loading, unloading and clean up).  There is minimal maintenance, and the energy requirements are so low because the 10’ x 30’ drum is being driven by only a 5 hp motor.  As an added bonus, the heat off the BioReactor helps heat the building!

Jeff Jessen, the Renewable Resources Program Administrator, says, “the XACT composting system runs on Cruise  Control now…it runs so well and it couldn’t be  easier to operate.”

Alaska Green Waste Solutions sells the compost to a local nursery for $50.00 a cubic yard.  The nursery cures it for a couple of weeks, blends it and uses it for landscaping at housing projects, erosion control for large projects, and as a medium for compost socks.  “They cannot get enough of our compost” Jeff reports.

A new study from The Ohio State University suggests that most modern cities have the potential to grow up to 100 percent of their current needs for produce and other items.  The study, “Can cities become self-reliant in food?,” conducted by Parwinder Grewal, professor of entomology and director of the Center for Urban Environment and Economic Development at Ohio State University, suggests that a city such as Cleveland, OH, could produce most of the food its citizens need.

The report states that “While not trivial, current local food production only accounts for 1.7 percent ($1.5 million) of the $89 million Cleveland spends annually on fresh produce, and 0.1 percent of the city’s total food and beverage expenditures. However, the potential for food self-reliance is significantly higher considering available space in the city.”

The study determined that Cleveland has more than 3,000 acres of vacant lots that are the result of years of manufacturing job losses, the recent economic downturn and a high rate of home foreclosures. He also found 2,900 acres of flat rooftops.

This study indicates that “the city can prevent economic leakage anywhere from $27 million to $115 million annually by increasing its production of fresh produce, poultry and honey. This could boost the city’s economy and lead to increased job creation.”  In addition, local food production has many other benefits, such as boosting access to and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables; cut obesity rates due to consumption of healthy food and increased physical activity; promote a sense of community and decrease crime activity; and raise property values as vacant lots are put to attractive and productive use.

Urban farming can also reduce human impact on the environment. Professor Grewal said food in the U.S. travels an average of 1,500 miles from the farm to the consumer’s plate, requiring large amounts of fuel and energy for transportation and refrigeration. Additionally, increasing green space in the city through farms and gardens can boost carbon storage in the soil, reduce problems associated with stormwater runoff, and curtail the urban heat island effect.

“Just like the organic food movement, where it was about five to six years ago, the local food movement is gaining a similar type of momentum right now, and every city has the potential to at least increase its local self-sufficiency and resilience by producing its own food.”

This study certainly makes sense, and the BioReactor Mini, such as the 510 or 515  makes it a viable economic and environmental business endeavor.  All the features of the XACT BioReactor scream “Urban”.  From the fast throughput to the quiet operation to the odorless processing there is no better composting system for organic waste conversion.  Couple the BioReactor technology with the staggering food waste produced from schools, restaurants, hospitals, and grocery stores and then utilize the finished compost for Urban Farm–it makes cents (lots of them)!

XACT BioReactor Composting Manure

BioReactor can turn your manure into pathogen free compost in 3 to 4 days which can also be used as bedding for the herd as well as a soil amendment. When you start to calculate ALL the savings, the XACT BioReactor offers a return on your investment which out performs any other piece of equipment you will have on your farm.  If this seems hard to believe, just give us a call to check it out for your farming operation.  Many thanks.  D

Compact BioReactor with Mixer & Generator on Trailer

Compact BioReactors like this one can have a big impact on a school’s organic waste management challenges.  It has fast throughput, produces stable compost in 4 to 7 days, produces no odors or emissions.  It is suitable for situations where 1 to 4 cubic yards of waste need to be processed daily.  This BioReactor has a friction drive and it is powered by a 1.5 hp motor.

This technology is ideal for schools or universities.  If you are concerned about teaching good environmental values and indeed acting in an environmentally responsible way, then the BioReactor could be just what you need.  Why not consider this unit for a pilot project.   As you can see, the footprint required is pint sized, and it is easy to use, clean and quiet to operate, and controls odors.  The opportunity to save hauling costs and enhance your “Green” image is available now…so why not find out a more.  It would be my pleasure to help answer any questions about how the BioReactor can enhance your leadership in the community and commitment to the environment.

Compost made by the BioReactor is high quality therefore demanding a higher price than average.  Or, it replaces sand or sawdust as a bedding material therefore eliminating out-sourced bedding material.  Or, compost reconditions crop fields (with numerous benefits) so that fertilizer costs will be reduced.  So, please consider composting as the final stage of  the anaerobic digester process and reap ALL the benefits.  Leave nothing to waste!