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Revision as of 00:37, 4 May 2011

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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 handled the design 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 (per ft) 1 1.80 1.80 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 (pkg) 1 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 0.99 0.99 1.98
Small Bucket 1 1.99 4.99 1.99
PVC 90 Degree Joint 1 0.44 0.44 0.44
PVC Piping (per ft) 20 0.44 0.44 4.98
PVC T Joint 2 0.44 0.44 0.88
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 instructions for build the Barrel O' Fun can be found here: Build Instructions

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 composting.

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.

Organic Flapjacks Barrel O' Fun Video

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2011 Team Organic Flapjacks

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