ReFeed Farms is pioneering a revolutionary circular nutrition system that regenerates food waste into enriched soil amendments and fertilizers. At the core of this innovative model is ReFeed’s vertical worm farm, home to 6.4 million hard-working worms that serve as natural bioconverters.
These remarkable invertebrates are the magical agents of regeneration, upcycling tons of unused food and scraps into nutrient-dense worm castings. As expert composters, the worms ingest organic matter and excrete it as worm poo, one of nature’s riches soil enhancers. ReFeed’s worms can process over 6 million pounds of food waste annually, worth an estimated $17 million.
The circular nutrition system starts by collecting unwanted food from farms, grocery stores, restaurants and other sources. This recovered food is sorted – usable portions are redirected to food banks to combat food insecurity. The remainder goes to livestock operations as animal feed. Finally, whatever is left is fed to the worms at ReFeed’s state-of-the-art worm facility.
This multi-step regeneration process allows ReFeed to extract full value from discarded food, following principles of a circular economy. At capacity, the system will prevent around 5,400 metric tons of carbon emissions yearly, equal to taking 1,144 cars off the road. The worm castings generated can replace synthetic fertilizers, providing a natural, sustainable boost to soils.
Why Worms?
ReFeed selected worms for their exceptional waste recycling abilities. As decomposers, worms have evolved to break down organic matter and recycle nutrients back into the earth. A single pound of worms can consume up to half a pound of food scraps per day.
Earthworms have a gizzard like birds that grinds up food, and a crop that stores food before it moves through the digestive tract. Beneficial microbes in the worm gut help break down matter into simple compounds. What comes out the other end is worm castings or vermicompost, packed with nutrients, minerals and microbiota.
Vermicompost contains over 60 micronutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and more. It is rich in humic acid and beneficial microorganisms like bacteria and fungi. Worm castings have a perfect pH balance and aid water retention in soils. The castings contain worm mucus and excretions that enhance soil fertility.
Studies show vermicompost can enhance germination, plant growth, crop yields and overall plant health. It improves nutrient bioavailability compared to traditional composting. ReFeed’s vermicompost provides sustainable nutrition to soils, reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers.
The Vertical Worm Farm
ReFeed engineered a state-of-the-art vertical farm specifically designed for optimal worm productivity. This one-of-a-kind facility can accommodate up to 6.4 million Red Wiggler worms comfortably. The farm’s vertical design allows for processing high volumes of organic waste in a small footprint.
The worm beds are stacked vertically, with sophisticated temperature and moisture controls to create the perfect environment. Red Wigglers are ideal for vermicomposting as they are surface dwellers that thrive in dense populations. The worms work their magic on organic inputs 24 hours a day.
Built-in drainage and aeration systems promote aerobic activity and prevent anaerobic conditions. Monitoring systems check oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, moisture and other parameters for optimal worm health. The farm’s proprietary biofilter system mitigates potential odors.
This high-tech, automated farm allows ReFeed to scale up production in a sustainable way. At capacity, it can produce over 800,000 pounds of vermicompost annually – a renewable, regenerative nutrient source.
Circular Nutrition
ReFeed’s circular nutrition model aims to close the loop on our broken food system. As pioneers in vermicomposting, ReFeed has developed a circular system that extracts maximum value from wasted food through regeneration rather than disposal.
It starts with prevention – recovering edible surplus food and redirecting it to communities in need. Usable portions are donated to food banks to provide quality nutrition while reducing environmental harm.
Remaining organic waste gets recycled into animal feed, upcycling scraps into a protein source for livestock operations. This substitute feed offsets demand for soy, corn and other feed crops.
Finally, all remaining materials are looped back to the soil as vermicompost. ReFeed’s worms work their waste-to-wellness alchemy, regenerating discards into a premium soil amendment. The end result is a high-value substitute for synthetic fertilizers.
At capacity, the system will divert 6 million pounds from landfills annually. It will avoid over 5,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions – delivering measurable climate impact. The 840,000 pounds of vermicompost will restore depleted soils, sequestering carbon.
ReFeed verifies these sustainability benefits through life cycle assessments and third-party verification. Farms, vineyards and other customers can integrate ReFeed fertilizers to reduce environmental footprints.
This regenerative model reduces waste and emissions while generating social and economic benefits. It provides quality nutrition to communities and livestock. Circular NutritionTM can scale to process growing food waste streams, while delivering a sustainable alternative to damaging synthetic fertilizers.
Worm Power for Good
ReFeed’s lowly worms are the heroes that enable its circular approach. These remarkable invertebrates have evolved over millennia to recycle and replenish nutrients in soils. Worms are nature’s fertilizer factories, providing environmentally-friendly nutrition for plants.
Vermicomposting is proving to be a game-changer – supercharging the organic food movement and sustainable agriculture. More farmers are applying vermicompost for its profound effects on plant growth, crop yields, pest resistance and more.
The market for vermicompost is projected to grow over 8% annually as demand for organic fertilizers rises. ReFeed is leading the way in scaling up worm-powered solutions to convert organic discards into a premium regenerative product.
At its worm facility, ReFeed can process exponentially more food waste than traditional composting. The automated vertical farm houses up to 6.4 million worms, generating over 800,000 pounds of vermicompost annually.
ReFeed’s closed-loop system extracts economic, social and environmental value at every step. The company verifies its sustainability benefits through rigorous quantification of impacts. Each year, the circular nutrition model can prevent thousands of tons of greenhouse gases and redirect millions of pounds of food to positive uses.
As pioneers in vermicomposting, ReFeed is proving the viability of circular food systems. Worms are at the heart of ReFeed’s regenerative process to create a truly sustainable solution to the global food waste crisis. Unlocking the power of worm poo transforms waste into agricultural renewal.
ReFeed’s Circular NutritionTM model is scales to meet the growing need for effective waste solutions. With worm castings as nature’s fertilizer, this regenerative system returns health to depleted soils and closes the loop on our broken food systems. The humble worm may hold keys to future food security and climate resilience.
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