Morbark Wood Hog Arrives
COMPOST FACILITY EXTENSION
Aug 2020
On the 19th of August, 2020 we poured the slab for the extension on the Compost Facility. This will provide extra space for the storage of our compost product.
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We have already extended the roof of the Facility to protect the compost from the rain and reducing any chance of runoff from the compost piles.
HORIZONTAL GRINDER
Nov 2020
To accelerate the processing of green waste, a Morbark Wood Hog horizontal grinder, capable of chipping very large branches has been bought.
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This was a very large purchase for the farm.
If you wish to help us in the repayment of this loan, any sized donation would be very much appreciated!
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CAY SHRED DELIVERS SHREDDED PAPER FOR COMPOSTING
Dec 2020
Cay-Shred Mobile Data Destruction delivered a load of shredded paper which we will incorporate into our compost product.
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The paper was headed to the George Town Landfill but with this new collaboration we can take some of the waste paper, compost it and add it to our fields. This is a beneficial arrangement for all parties involved!
FOSTER'S IGA DONATES CARBOARD TO THE COMPOST FACILITY
Dec 2020
Beacon Farms has made an agreement with Foster's Food Fair IGA to pick up discarded carboard meant for the landfill.
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The goal is to recycle this waste material into useful compost for use in our fields. The cardboard will have to be shredded and it is our hope that the new Morbark Chipper will be able to accomplish this task.
The shredded cardboard is mostly carbon. To get a proper mix for the composting process we will need to add source of nitrogen. This could come in the form of kitchen waste, manure or urea.
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HUSK SHREDDER PRODUCES ANOTHER COMPOST COMPONENT
Jan 2021
Through some good old ingenuity, the staff of Beacon Farms have resurrected this piece of Indian machinery that had been incompatible with the power supply here in Cayman.
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The motor was converted and the blades sharpened. Finally we are able to shred the many coconut husks produced as a byproduct of our coconut oil production.
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The two wood chippers we have are not able to handle this material because it becomes tangled in the blades, but this little machine can do the trick.
MORBARK WOOD HOG PARKED AT COMPOST FACILITY
Jan 2021
The Morbark Wood Hog Chipper has now been placed in the area near the Compost Facility where it will be stationed most of the time.
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The ground was levelled off so the machine could be operated safely.
COMPOSTING OPERATIONS ARE ABOUT TO RESUME
Mar 2021
The composting operation was at a stand still while we waited to get parts for the Morbark Wood Hog. It is up and running again and we have a backlog of waste materials to shred!
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We are especially excited to get the compost operation going again because we need to add compost to our new fields.
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With the help of our new Valentini Rock Tiller we have ground up the rock layer of about an acre of our land to a depth of 14 inches.
The finely crushed rock produced by the rock tiller will make up the inorganic part of the soil in our new fields. The organic part will be the compost we create right here at Beacon Farms
COMPOST MIXING BEGINS
Apr 2021
With our Morbark Wood Hog up and running and regular deliveries of cardboard, wood pallets and green waste material; we have been able to accumulate a good amount of shredded composting material.
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The shredded material is now ready to be mixed in our 6,000 lb. capacity compost mixer which combines the materials thoroughly with water and a little urea. The urea provides some additional nitrogen to support the biological processes that breakdown the raw materials into compost.
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The aerated pads of our Compost Facility can hold around 53 tons of material. This material will sit on the aerated concrete pads for about 20 days, reaching temperatures of over 160 F. Once this material has broken down into compost we will set it aside to cure and mix the next batches!
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The cured compost we are creating will eventually be added to our newly prepared fields that have had the rock bed ground down 14" deep. The organic matter from our compost, plus the rock dust made from grinding the rock in the field, will produce a well structured, nutrient rich soil ready for crops!
FIRST FULL BAY OF BEACON FARMS COMPOST MADE WITH RECYCLED MATERIALS
Apr 2021
The entire Compost Facility bay is now full of raw compostable material that has been shredded and mixed. The material is sitting on our aerated pads that force air into the material, increasing the rate of decomposition.
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This is the first mix we have made using the collected cardboard, shredded paper and pallets that we are recycling here at Beacon Farms.
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Within 17 days we will be able to set this compost aside to cure and begin making another full bay worth of compost!
EARTH DAY AT BEACON FARMS
April 22, 2021
On Earth Day, Apr 22 2021 Beacon Farms appropriately received a large delivery of shredded paper from our partner - CayShred.
The recyclable items we receive are used to make our compost with the added benefit being that waste which would normally end up in the landfill can be repurposed as a useful product to help increase the productivity of our farm and eventually other farms and landscapes around the island!