Food Waste Management

At our house, we divert all food waste from the landfill and process all of it on site. By using Bokashi waste fermenting and composting with black soldier fly larva, we are able to efficiently and safely return food waste back to the earth.  

During the fall and winter...

  1. Collect solid food waste in an air tight gallon-size container in the fridge over a week's time.
  2. Once a week, transfer refrigerator waste to a 5-gallon Bokashi bin A. Sprinkle with Bokashi bran.
  3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until Bokashi bin A is filled. Set aside bin A.
  4. Start filling Bokashi bin B in same manner. It takes us about 1 month to fill a Bokashi bin with food waste. Set aside bin B.
  5. While filling Bokashi bin B, drain bin A in the sink (fluid builds up at bottom).
  6. If needed, top off bins A and B with more waste. Start another bin, if necessary.

During the spring and summer...

  1. We order 10,000 compost-grade black soldier fly larva in the spring when the night time temperatures stay above 50 degrees F.
  2. Fill a wire compost bin with about a foot of dry leaves or spent guinea pig bedding (pine shavings and hay). 
  3. Create a pit in the center of the compost pile and dump in a filled Bokashi bin. Add the larva to the Bokashi waste.
  4. Cover the waste with crumpled paper bags to keep other flies from accessing food waste.
  5. Cover the wire compost bin with insect screen or burlap for at least a week to allow the grubs to dominate the food.
  6. Eventually, allow at least a square foot size opening, so that native black soldier fly females can come to lay eggs.
  7. As the larva consume the food, add more Bokashi waste and fresh waste as needed.