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==Discussion and Next Steps==
==Discussion and Next Steps==
The Barrel O' Fun has achieved most of the goals set out for the project and is currently still being tested. The project allows for large scale vermicompost while minimizing maintenance and area required for the bin.
The next steps are to continue watching the bin as the worms progress throughout the organic waste and test the transfer of worms from one half of the barrel to the other.


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 19:10, 1 May 2011

Background

Locally Delicious is a book of recipes and resources written in effort to re-localize Northern California, and the Six Rivers Region's food system. This effort is not only just about re-localizing food, but it is also an effort to change the growing of food to a more organic, healthy matter. One way to demonstrate this is to use a worm bin for healthier, more fertile soil, while reducing the environmental impact of organic wastes and chemical fertilizer. A worm bin is a form of composting in which certain types of worms are used to create compost out of organic waste, such as leftovers from a salad or old bread. The Locally Delicious worm bin is being built for the Jacoby Creek Charter School located in Arcata. The worm bin is being built for the school for educational purposes and also for the organic waste that comes from the school's salad bar and their garden. This bin will handle roughly 10 pounds of organic waste per week. Team Organic Flapjacks will be handling the designing and construction of the school worm bin.

Problem Statement and Criteria

The following table represents the criteria we addressed in our project, the associated constraints, and the weights we rated each criterion.

Criteria Constraints Weights
Safety This criterion was determined by making sure the users could not injure themselves when using the worm bin. 10
Simplicity The worm bin had to be easy to construct and easy to maintain in order for the criteria to be reached. 9
Durability This criterion was determined by how long the worm bin would last through use and weathering. 9
Cost In order to meet this criterion, the cost to construct the worm bin had to be low. 7
Educational Value This criterion was determined by how much the users would learn about vermicomposting by using the worm bin. 7
Efficiency In order for the worm bin to get a high rating in this criterion, the solution had to be efficient in composting organic material while being easy to maintain. 6
Extensibility This was determined by how easily the worm bin could reconstructed and upgraded for larger processing. 5
Aesthetics The worm bin had to appease the eye and look professional in order to meet this

criterion.

4

Description of Final Project

The Barrel O’ Fun worm bin is constructed from a plastic, food grade, 55 gallon drum. The drum is cut in half, longitudinally, and the end of one half is removed, creating a “nest” half. The intact half is laid inside the nest section and they are bolted together. A spigot is installed at the end of the nest barrel to harvest worm compost tea. Two pallets, with a central trough cut out, are placed on top of cinder blocks. The worm bin is then placed on the pallet. A PVC cover support system is constructed, and a plastic sheet is draped over the top. The sheet is then bungeed to the pallet. The cover is folded back in order to add waste to the bin. Over six to eight weeks, the worms will compost the waste. When it is time to harvest, only a corner of the bin is fed. This draws the worms to the top layer of compost in the corner, and they can be scooped up and placed in the other half of the bin. The full side can then be harvested. Waste is then added to the half with the worms, and the process continues. The build process is inexpensive and fairly simple. The Barrel O’ Fun is built from durable materials and is safe to use. It provides a great way to teach children about vermicomposting, and it is efficient, producing vermicompost in six to eight weeks. It is easy to create more bins, and it looks professional.

Costs

The table below breaks down the individual cost of each material used to build the Barrel O' Fun. The total retail cost is $272.60, while our cost was $179.13.

Material Quantity Individual Cost ($) Retail Cost ($) Our Cost ($)
55 Gallon Plastic Drum 1 40.00 49.95 40.00
Pallet 2 Donated 10.00 Donated
Worms 4 14.99 24.95 59.96
Carriage Bolts 6 0.15 0.15 0.90
Washers 6 0.09 0.09 0.54
Nuts 6 0.09 0.09 0.54
10 ml Plastic Covering 1 1.80 (per ft) 1.80 (per ft) 12.00
Spigot 1 6.29 9.99 6.29
Spigot 1/2" Fitting 1 3.59 3.59 3.59
Cinder Blocks 6 1.75 1.75 10.50
Grommets 1 pkg 8.54 8.94 8.54
Caulk Sealant 1 5.39 7.99 5.39
Gutter Strainer 1 3.41 3.41 3.41
Bungee Cords 4 1.45 2.50 5.83
Sand Paper 2 .99 .99 1.98
Small Bucket 1 1.99 4.99 1.99
PVC 90 Degree Joint 1 .44 .44 .44
PVC Piping 20 .44 (per ft) .44 (per ft) 4.98
PVC T Joint 2 .44 .44 .88
Tax 22.38 11.37
Total 272.60 179.13

Testing Results

The Barrel O’ Fun was partially constructed at a private residence and then transported to the Jacoby Creek High School Garden. The remaining construction took place on the location where it was to be tested. Once the bedding and organic waste were added, the worms were introduced and the testing begun on April 10, 2011. The first revisit 7 days later revealed little compost, however the colony was still consuming the waste material. Water had leaked into the barrel from the recent rain and drainage occurred only to a certain extent, due to a drooping of the middle of the B.O.F. where the barrels are connected. When the water was drained the spigot functioned properly. More worms were added to handle the amount of organic waste and plans were formed for rain deterrence. During the second revisit, on April 24, 2011, the colony was still alive and compost was being produced. A 4”x4”x4” block was inserted under the middle of the B.O.F. to prevent the drooping and a PVC structure was built under the cover material to handle the excessive rain. The testing so far indicates a working vermicompost system, although it is too early to confirm success. Transfer of the worms to the other half of the barrel still needs to take place as well, which is also time dependent.

How to Build

The first step, after obtaining a food-grade 55-gallon drum, is to cut it in half lengthwise as shown on the right, in Figure 1.

caption
Figure 1: The 55 gallon barrel cut in half. (Photo by Paul Sereno)



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Figure 1a: The removal of the end will create a "nest" barrel. (Photo by Paul Sereno)

After this, cut 3” off of one end of one half, seen as the line marked for cutting in Figure 1a. This will make the “nest” barrel.







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Figure 1b: The barrels are connected and overlap by 5". (Photo by Paul Sereno)



Then, demonstrated in Figure 1b, lay the intact half inside the nest barrel. Adjust the barrels until they overlap by 5”.






A ¼” hole is drilled near the top of the connection on one side. The barrels are then bolted together with a ¼” bolt and nut, with the bolt head on the outside of the connection. This is repeated around the connection until the barrels are well connected (approximately 5-6 bolts). A hole is then drilled or cut at the end of the nest barrel for the spigot (Figure 1c). The spigot is then installed.

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Figure 1c: The spigot, installed. (Photo by Paul Sereno)





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Figure 1d: 1/4" drain holes are drilled into the dividing wall. (Photo by Paul Sereno)

Next, drill 5-10 ¼” holes at the bottom of the dividing wall for drainage (Figure 1d).









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Figure 1e: Silicone caulk is used to glue the gutter strainer over the entrance to the spigot. (Photo by Paul Sereno)

A gutter strainer is then trimmed so that it will lay flush with the bottom of the barrel, and cover the entrance to the spigot. 100% silicone caulk is then applied to the area around the spigot, and is also used to glue the gutter strainer to the bottom of the barrel as in Figure 1e.




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Figure 1f: The outer connection is caulked to prevent leaking. (Photo by Paul Sereno)

The outside of the connection is caulked as well, in order to prevent leaking, as shown in Figure 1f. The caulk is then allowed to set for at least 24 hours.





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Figure 1g: The pallets and the cinder blocks set in place. (Photo by Paul Johnston)




After the caulk has set, the base is created. Six cinder blocks are placed underneath the corners of the pallets, as in Figure 1g.





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Figure 1h: The trough is cut into the pallet. (Photo by Paul Johnston)


The pallets then have the center of the top planks removed, like in Figure 1h, creating a trough.




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Figure 1i: The barrel is placed in the trough. (Photo by Paul Johnston)


The barrel is then placed in the trough. The end of the barrel opposite the spigot is elevated by placing a 2”x4” across the trough as seen in Figure 1i.




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Figure 1j: The T-jointed crossbars that span the barrel. (Photo by Paul Sereno)

The connection of the barrel is supported by placing a small cut of 4”x4” lumber inside the trough. The rain cover is constructed with ½” PVC piping. For this barrel, four 2’7” lengths, two 7¼” lengths, two ½” T-joints, and one ½” 90° elbow are used. In Figure 1j, two of the 2’7” sections are joined by a T-joint, to make a total of two 5’2” crossbars that will span the length of the barrel.




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Figure 1k: A 1/4" notch is cut in each end of the PVC. (Photo by Paul Sereno)

¼” notches are cut 1” from each end. As seen in Figure 1k, these notches hold the crossbars in place.





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Figure 1l: The elbow piece is inserted, which will tent the plastic sheet. (Photo by Paul Sereno)

The crossbars are placed apart by 9½”. The 7¼” sections are joined by the 90° elbow. In Figure 1l, the free ends of the sections are placed in the free opening of each T-joint, to provide a tent for the 10 mil plastic sheet.




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Figure 1n: The sheet is bungeed to the corners of the pallet, and adjusted for a snug fit. (Photo by Paul Sereno)


The 10 mil plastic sheet is laid over the top and cut, with an overhang of at least 6” on each side. Grommets are installed at each corner of the sheet, folding over the corners for extra strength. The worms are then added to the bin, along with compostable waste and the bedding material (horse manure or shredded paper), as seen in Figure 1m.




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Figure 1m: Worms are added to the bin. (Photo by Paul Johnston)


Worms should be added at the ratio of one pound of worms to every half-pound of waste. The sheet is then bungeed to the pallet with four 24” bungee cords. One end is hooked into each corner, and the other end is wrapped around a board on the pallet. In Figure 1n, the sheet is then adjusted to ensure a snug fit.




The sheet is removed weekly in order to feed the worms. After approximately 6-8 weeks, the vermicompost should be ready to harvest. When it is time to harvest, only one corner of the bin (about one quarter of the surface) is fed. Over a few days, the worms will migrate to this area. This area is then scooped up and placed in the empty half of the bin along with more waste and bedding. The vermicompost can then be shoveled out of full half, and the cycle continues.

Over time, due to the break down of organic waste, leachate will build up at the bottom of the bin. As the barrel is elevated, the leachate should drain through the drain holes in the divider and down to the spigot area. The spigot can then be opened and the leachate collected. The leachate can be mix at a ratio of 1 cup of leachate to 2 gallons of water. The resulting liquid can be applied to soil or plants.

Discussion and Next Steps

The Barrel O' Fun has achieved most of the goals set out for the project and is currently still being tested. The project allows for large scale vermicompost while minimizing maintenance and area required for the bin.

The next steps are to continue watching the bin as the worms progress throughout the organic waste and test the transfer of worms from one half of the barrel to the other.

References

2011 Team Organic Flapjacks

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