Bio Products Opportunity

Original post by jmgs

Original post by jmgs

Today our worm castings made their debut at Chatham Marketplace.

It’s taken us awhile.  For years Piedmont Biofarm has been working on bringing in food waste from Chatham Marketplace, running it through the worms in our vermiculture digester, and returning valuable castings to the Marketplace’s shelves.

We thought it would have a nice “round trip” feel to it, and at long last it does.

Amanda and I wrote a grant to install a worm composting system.  It was funded by the North Carolina Department of Environment, Pollution Prevention Division.  At the heart of their mission is the diversion of waste from landfills, and this project does exactly that.

Amanda collects food waste, runs it through a modified “backyard chipper” that Brian Rosa gave us, which turns food into a “worm smoothie.”  It’s basically a “pre-digestion” step that enables the worms to consume more food faster.

Brian is a worm expert who has worked with us for years.  From our backyard pilot, through a couple of die-offs, to now, where we finally have product for sale.

Today the folks at Chatham Marketplace were gracious enough to grant us an “end cap.” That’s retail speak for “premium real estate.”

And we filled it up with products that come from the Plant.  There are books and puzzles, worm castings, and soaps (which are derived from our glycerin co-product).

On the back of our worm castings bag we offer a “Casting FAQ” which reads like this:

What’s a worm casting?  It’s worm poop.

Why would I want to buy worm poop?  It’s a great soil amendment for bedding plants, houseplants, and gardens.

So it’s like fertilizer?  Yup.  And just like fertilizer you can think of it in ratios.  Pick up a bag of fertilizer sometime and you will see an NPK listing.  The N is for nitrogen.  The P is for phosphorus.  The K is for potassium.  Worm castings have an average NPK ratio of 1.6-0.25-1.

Is it organic?  Yup.  Worms concentrate organic matter, so their castings break down much faster than food scraps in a compost pile.  Organic matter also has a C:N ratio.  That’s a measure of how much carbon and nitrogen are present.  There’s always more carbon than nitrogen.  Worm castings tend to average 12.5 :1.

What’s the PH?  Worm castings average around 6.77.

Is it safe?  We don’t suggest eating it.  But it is great to add to your soil.  It has trace minerals in it, and we get every batch tested by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture before we take it to market.  That way we know it is free of pathogens that can harm your bedding plants.

Where do they come from?  Piedmont Biofarm, on the eastern edge of Pittsboro.  We collect food waste (some from Chatham Marketplace), and run it through our vermiculture digestion system.

Why such a small bag?  If you would like to buy in bulk, call Amanda at 919-321-8260.  We don’t make a lot of these-the worms are virtually hand raised, so make sure you call ahead.

Why so expensive?  We are the only permitted vermiculture facility powered by human food waste in North Carolina.  If you would like to save money on your castings, check out Country Farm and Home on Small St. in Pittsboro.  Over there Melinda sells cheaper castings in bulk that come from hog waste.

Can I just get my own worms and make my own for free?  Yup.  Please do.  You can take Worm Workshops at the Abundance Foundation next to Piedmont Biofarm, or you can go to Bountiful Backyards in Durham.

Why would we advertise for the competition?  Because we think the world needs to change.  One way to start to change is by making dirt.  Soil can be a renewable resource if it is treated right.  And worm castings-from anyone-can be an excellent start.

Original post by Lyle

Join us for the Fourth Annual

Collective Biodiesel Conference

July 31st - August 2nd, 2009, at American University in Washington, DC!

3 Days, 3 Tracks, More than 20 Speakers!

KEYNOTE: a special advance screening of FUEL, the full-length biodiesel documentary

With director Josh Tickell, author of “From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank” and “Biodiesel America”

REGISTER | SCHEDULE | FAQs

The Collective Biodiesel Conference, originally held at the Colorado School of Mines, is a technical conference for small scale biodiesel and B100 users. It’s THE national conference for the homebrew community.

Biodiesel Production, Feedstocks and Usage are this year’s workshop themes. Talks will also cover Safety, Regulatory Compliance, and Fuel Quality.

The CBC brings people with all levels of biodiesel experience together to share secret tips, innovations and best practice methodologies. Whether you’re a newbie or a die-hard home-brewer, a B100 user or just looking, come learn more about biodiesel production and consumption from some of the community’s heavyweights!

Participants will also get to meet with legislators, take biodiesel buses to a Saturday night bonfire at beautiful Calleva farm, and tour the Pogoil farm-scale biodiesel processing facility.

The last day of discount ($150) “Medium Bird” registration is July 15^th. After that, registration is $175 until July 30^th, then walk-up registration is $225. You can also sign up for on-campus housing at our website for both nights of the conference for just $50 per night, and also buy one of our sharp conference t-shirts for just $15.

Learn more about this year’s conference and REGISTER TODAY!!

Thanks,

Web:  http://CollectiveBiodiesel.org

Email: biodieselconference@gmail.com

About the Collective Biodiesel Conference

The Collective Biodiesel Conference was held in Golden, Colorado the last three years. It is a non-profit effort, volunteer-run, and dedicated to building the biodiesel community.

Special thanks to American University’s Department of Facilities Management for hosting this year’s conference.

Original post by caleb

The Long Beach Branch NAACP has announced the 2009 ACT-SO Team that will represent Long Beach at this week’s National Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) Competition.

Original post by Lyle

Coos Bay native Ed O’Donnell, a molecular toxicology graduate student at Oregon State, was to mix elbows with Nobel Prize winners this week.

Original post by Lyle

Testing is completed and all the grades are in. After four years of hard work and sacrifice, the Allen High School 2009 valedictorian and salutatorian are Truc Do and Trevor Ede.

Original post by Lyle

The Big Band Royal Concert by Universiti Malaya will feature evergreen and contemporary songs, big band-style, writes DENNIS CHUA.

Original post by Lyle

COLUMBIA — Stem cell research has been considered by some to be the next area in science that could potentially produce life-saving cures, but controversy over the issue has limited research opportunities.

Original post by Lyle

Researchers have discovered a key switch that makes stem cells turn into the type of muscle cells that reside in the wall of blood vessels. The same switch might be used in the future to limit growth of vascular muscle cells that cause narrowing of arteries leading to heart attacks and strokes, limit formation of blood vessels that feed cancers or make new blood vessels for organs that are not …

Original post by Lyle

( Gladstone Institutes ) Researchers at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease have discovered a key switch that makes stem cells turn into the type of muscle cells that reside in the wall of blood vessels. The same switch might be used in the future to limit growth of vascular muscle cells that cause narrowing of arteries leading to heart attacks and strokes, limit formation of blood …

Original post by Lyle

COLUMBIA — Stem cell research has been considered by some to be the next area in science that could potentially produce life-saving cures, but controversy over the issue has limited research opportunities. An MU researcher thinks he has found a way to avoid the controversy altogether. R. Michael Roberts, curator’s professor of molecular biochemistry in MU’s animal sciences division and a member …

Original post by Lyle

EvoGrid is a grid-computing concept that’ll attempt to digitally simulate the primordial soup from which life arose and it may shed light on the origins of life on Earth and in the universe. It may also provide new tools for evolutionary biology, biochemistry, and complexity studies. Studying the Earth’s rocks, scientists know that life appeared on Earth roughly four billion years ago. They also …

Original post by Lyle

A

Original post by drnjbmd

This PowerPoint presentation brings together all the learning outcomes of Biochemistry units in the BY1 specification for the Biology and Human Biology AS courses. The relevant section of the Teacher’s Guidance material follows, together with some explanatory notes.

Original post by Lyle