Ken Bellamy

Bio-Regen Units Launched

Ken Bellamy — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 02:24:13 +0000

Preliminary manufacturing of an inovative “Instant Food Waste Conversion Unit” known as Bio-Regen is now complete. The unit was launched in Penang, Malaysia on 31st July 2011. The launching ceremony was officiated by government Member Mr YB Phee, who is responsible for waste and social issues in Penang. At the Launch, the Rotary Club of Georgetown presented a Bio-Regen unit to the state government of Penang through Mr YB Phee. Plans are moving forward for the installation of approximately 50 units in 4 countries over the next 3 months. Units are already being installed in Penang, as well as at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia. To see more information on Bio-Regen units please head to www.bioregenphotonics.com or follow us on facebook at Bio-Regen Photonics Pty Ltd.

Bio-Regen Units

Ken Bellamy — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 22:38:25 +0000

Plans are moving ahead for the manufacture of Bio-Regen units this includes testing them as an on-site digestion process capable of meeting European standards for conversion of organics to agriculture. We expect this to involve the installation of approximately 40 units in 4 countries over the next 3 months.

Soil Carbon: Nutrient in the Bank

Ken Bellamy — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 23:13:18 +0000

Soil carbon is a hot topic these days and much has been made of the fact that building soil carbon reserves adds structure and health to our soils. There is little doubt that declines in soil carbon levels have run parallel with declining yields over an extended period in Australian agriculture.

An important reason for this parallel decline is the fact that soil carbon represents a reserve bank of nutrient in a soil profile. Soil carbon is largely made up of organic material and organic residues. Even humus and to some extent charcoal, the most stable forms of carbon in soils, are originally from an organic source. All organic structures contain a fixed ratio of Nitrogen: Phosphorus: Potassium : Calcium and Sulphur. That means, whenever there is soil carbon, there are stored nutrients.

The important point here is that these stored nutrients do not necessarily come from added nutrient. Photosynthetic microbes in the soil are able to capture Nitrogen and other minerals from the air and manage locked up nutrients from the soil in order to build their own bodies. As this organic synthesis takes place in the soil, nutrients are made available in a pool of shared material which both plants and other microbes may access.

Over time, the cycling of nutrients in this way reaches an equilibrium level in any soil – and a ‘reserve bank of nutrient’ results. Before the advent of synthetic nutrients, agriculture was generally based upon the accessing of these stored nutrients. Ploughing and other techniques were developed as a way to oxidise and “speed up” the transfer of these pooled nutrients to plants. Unfortunately, unless processes are in place to replenishment the nutrient reserve, a decline in fertility will naturally occur where these practices persist.

In recent times a range of techniques and products have been developed which aim to assist the biological processes which naturally build and maintain the ‘reserve bank of nutrient’ in soils. These include cell-grazing and other methods which help “rest” the land and add concentrated doses of manure, inoculants and organic products which aim to enhance the numbers of microbes which perform the nutrient building function. Some of these products and processes directly enhance the ability of special soil microbes which complete photosynthesis in the soil.

In-soil photosynthesis (and the carbon bank which results) is a key element in nutrient management. Building soil carbon in this way is a way is more than making healthy soil—it is nutrient in the bank.

New Support

Ken Bellamy — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:09:43 +0000

We are seeing significant progress towards the linking of recycled organics and soil improvement on a large scale. This is an exciting process and we are looking forward to legilsative and policy support from the new Gillard Government which gives depth to this linkage.

Food 4 Thoughts

Ken Bellamy — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 05:32:47 +0000

Food 4 Thoughts
VRM has joined a group that will:
A. Pre-process organic material from commercial outlets (restaurants) in Townsville …VRM has partnered with a new venture I am starting called “Bio-Regen”. Bio-Regen produces a unit to turn all organic material (food scraps, serviettes, etc) from the restaurant into a type of soup which is collected from the restaurant. We have already started this at one place and have two others ready to start.

B. VRM collects the “soup” which is also inoculated with special formulations of VRM products (Liquid Bokashi) used to recycle these organic nutrients
C. At the VRM depot, the containers of “fermented soup” are hooked up to a manifold which allows us to collect the gas off the top of the ferment. This gas is stored in a bladder and used to power Special Bio-Gas Generators which I have imported from China. The Bio-Gas Generators will make electricity which VRM will sell back to the grid.

D. For each load of organic material which is collected, a record is kept so that we know how much organic waste is not going to a landfill site — where it normally goes. This allows Prime Carbon to calculate a special carbon credit called a methane reduction offset credit for each tone of methane which would otherwise be created when the organic material was dumped. These Carbon offset units will be sold to businesses that want help managing their carbon footprint.

E. The fermented soup, once it has been processed becomes the basis for VRM’s special Bio-Fertiliser products which are sold to farmers and to the local council and others to help improve their soils.

F. Each quarter, a certificate is produced which details:

1. How much food and other organic waste each restaurant has recycled.

2. How much renewable energy has been generated.

3. How many tones of waste have not been delivered to a landfill site.

4. How many tones of methane emissions have been avoided.

As these benefits each have a financial benefit at some point in the chain, a rebate is planned for the restaurants concerned. It is my belief that this, together with the reduced cost to remove waste, will completely offset any setup costs to restaurants after one year.

G. And finally, the Bio-Fertilisers made from this process are to be provided in part to some community gardens being set up in Townsville right now and sold to Farmers as a way to improve the health of soils, the sustainability of the operation and the quality of the fruit, veges and other food produced. Our ultimate objective is for this food, or at least some of it to find its way back to the same restaurants here in town. So we are creating a register and supporting a forum where farmers, community gardening outlets and purchasers of food (chefs from participating restaurants) can meet to buy and sell the food which is grown from the process. This is called the “Food 4 Thought” community network.