three life stages of the black soldier fly
Introduction to BSF
If you found “grubs” in your compost or worm bin, or if you just learned of this amazing composting technique, the “BSF Basics” page is a good place to begin: LINK
Feb 132013
Nov 012013
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Full Moon Natives is proud to present the 5th Annual Saturday ~ November 16, 2013 |
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~ FREE ~ Family Fun ~ FREE ~ Seminars ~ FREE ~ Workshops~ FREE ~
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Free Seminars
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| In The Nursery
Planting a Dish Garden by Carla McDougal… select your herbs and we’ll dig in the dirt and plant your dish garden for you in Purple Cow Pots and Planters!!! Living Christmas Trees – we will have a selection of native trees suitable for decorating your home during the holiday season with the added bonus of enjoying their beauty year-round in your yard. The birds will appreciate starting their New Year’s off with another habitat. Not only does it help our wildlife but it reduces unnecessary waste in our landfills. Follow us on Facebook for the most up-to-date information on Purple Cow Happenings! |
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| Special AppearancesWes Burwell is owner of Awakenings Wellness Centre, London, Canada. Wes is a certified Quantum Biofeedback Specialist and Holistic Health Practitioner; he deals with stress management and has helped numerous clients return to health and healing. He has mastered all types of energy medicine and their beneficial effects on the human energy system and anatomy. He has mastered many applications of Energy Medicine including electro-acupuncture, infra-red therapies, ionic detoxification, homeopathy, nutrition, exercise programs, detoxification protocols based on homo-toxicology Ayurveda, crystal therapy, Reiki therapy, reflexology, intent work EFT techniques, Samadhi meditation, low-level lasers and now LED light therapy. Wes is our guest speaker and will spend the day at Purple Cow to answer your questions.What are those adorable fluffy creatures? It’s the alpacas from Breath of Heaven Alpaca Ranch
We are thrilled to announce that Marcody Ranch and Hope Reins, Inc has joined our Purple Cow Family – they will be offering free pony rides. Stop by and visit – learn more about Hope Reins, a non-profit organization that strives to improve the lives of special needs riders via therapeutic riding. Have a mystery bird in your yard? Want to learn more about the beautiful birds in our area? Ask an expert…members of the Halifax River Audubon will be answering questions and giving advice. The wonderful Fiber in the Garden Ladies will be knitting, crocheting, weaving, felting…and more. They love to share their knowledge and well help you get started on a project. They will also have some of their projects on display and possibly some for sale – great gifts! And of course, John will be stealing the show in the animal area – our adorable mini-donkey who thinks he should get all the attention. His buddy Ram-A-Lamb and Rebel and Clary will be greeting all. Ms Clary will be stylin with her new look! Dad will be home for this event and he’ll be signing autographs and doing some bench racing. For those of you who do not know – dad is Marvin Panch, winner of 1961 Daytona 500, 1965 Atlanta Races, 1966 Charlotte World 600 and more. Local Pawpaw Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society will have gardening books for sale, and you know how much they enjoy talking “the native way of life”. |
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Oct 192013
Good drainage is key to a balanced BSF system
When I refer to a “balanced BSF system” I mean one that promotes aerobic bacteria (thrives in oxygen) and discourages anaerobic bacteria (thrives in the absence of oxygen). A nice benefit to an aerobic system is that it smells neutral, or even good, depending the waste being processed. Anaerobic bacteria are associated with foul, sewer-like odors which are a sign that a composter needs attention. To maintain an aerobic environment in our composters, we need pockets of air throughout the waste. The problem is that BSF castings are so fine, and they generate such a large volume of them, that air pockets are filled up over time. This dense, oxygen-starved waste usually becomes anaerobic. Even in systems that seem fine at the top, and may even smell fine, if you dig down a bit you’ll find stinky anaerobic waste. Besides being less efficient, it’s usually just a matter of time before the condition worsens. I believe I’ve solved this problem.
The combination vertical/horizontal, slotted drain system on my BSF bio-composter allows the operator to easily flush out the fine BSF castings which results in an oxygen-rich environment, and which also produces a potentially valuable liquid fertilizer as a byproduct. You may learn more about this unique drainage system here: LINK
Oct 102013
Pawpaw chapter of the FNPS
October Chapter Meeting – Composting with BSF
Piggotte Center 504 Big Tree Rd. S. Daytona
Program – Composting with Black Soldier Fly Larvae – Jerry of blacksoldierflyblog.com
The Pawpaw Chapter meets at the Piggotte Community Center, 504 Big Tree Rd. This is at the corner of Big Tree and James St, entrance is off of James St. Doors open at 6:30 pm, Program at 7pm
Sep 212013
Welcome NPR listeners!
We’re very happy to see information about black soldier flies (BSF) getting out into the mainstream. NPR does a great job of finding interesting and educational topics, and this program is a great example.
Using BSF for processing organic wastes and/or raising insect protein is relatively new to most people, but it’s growing exponentially. BSF larvae are super-fast composters, and they are a valuable feed for backyard chickens, exotic pets, and a wide variety of livestock. This site has good basic information about BSF, but if you want to get into some geeky detail, I recommend a visit to our forum. Enjoy!