The Single Process - Humification BIOVIN, humified grape marc, can supply heat for houses, if it is processed from fresh grape marc, with this in mind, and when the 'humification process' is complete it will improve garden soil. Fred acknowledged the BIOVIN process in his evaluation. A deeper understanding of that process from the work of Herr Dr Graefe leads me to believe that when we refer to 'decay', rotting, composting, humification, biodegradation, etc., we are refering to a single process devised by nature and ubiquitous in nature. The basic distinction among them is the relative degree of efficiency and completeness. And the key factor in humification is the presence of a sufficiently abundant fungi, thermomyces languinosus. This is a pivotal point and the explanation that supports my contention that there is a single process expressed through different degrees of completeness. Because of the centrality of that point, it behooves me to quote the verbal description of the product in its entirety. This was provided by Ing. Peter J. Schneider, INTERTREST, Austria. Quote: "Short Technical Description." “The process of "Regulated Grape Marc Composting" allows the humification of grape marc which is available in large quantities as a by-product of wine making. The fermentation process is started by inoculation and regulated by temperature and air flow in a solid state fermentor and ensures a succession of microorganisms ( Streichsbier et al.,1982) starting with yeast which, autolysis and subsequent binding of the residual alcohol by esterifying reactions, enable rapid appearance of a mixed population of bacteria. The temperature increase continued by this bacterial flora favours growth of a thermophilic fungal flora (dominated by Thermomyces sp.) which is mainly responsible for the decomposition process. In the last phase a mixed population of Streptomycetes and other Actinomycetes is taking over and is finalizing humification with an additional production of plant growth hormones (see analysis). The fermented product is dried and granulated and can be stored for several years without losing quality.” The process is performed by the collective metabolic elements of over 450 different species of microorganisms. Additionally there are several behaviours of the 'pile' that suggests it, the 'pile', is an ecosystem, to wit, it is self-sustaining, heat and moisture retaining and recycles its 'wastes'. Further research led me to B.C. Wolverton's work through N.A.S.A. and Wolverton Environmental Services, Picayune, Mississippi, on the use of selected plants to clean air and water. Domestic scale. That is, composting (Biovin), filtered greywater (re-use) and composting toilet (Biovin) will supply water and soil organic matter to grow vegetables. That sequence is the closed loop nutrient cycle in inhabited buildings which enables the dweller to cultivate edibles. A ‘flow diagram’ of integrated component relationships has been rendered and a curriculum devised for an ‘Urban Farming School’, as EARTHSEASON URBAN FARMING SCHOOLS. Industrial scale, I am orienting my entry position to wineries and their volumes of potential feedstock with a network of co-composting feedstock suppliers, i.e. raw organic by-product
materials from food processors, juice canneries, brewing 'wastes' etc. I think that there is a technical reason why composting on an industrial scale hasn't expanded as one might expect, and that's because not every mixed materials co-composting process will 'drive itself to completion' for lack of the thermophillic fungi, which brings on the 'high heat' and drives the process to completely use up the available feedstock. This produces a poor quality product and only of marginal value. Dr. Graefe explicitly states that in a co-composting pile only 10% of the initial feedstock material must be humified grape marc to promote the 'high heat' form of co-composting and to yield a high quality organic fertilizer. That is the 'recipe' for successful INDUSTRIAL management and completion of all co-compost piles leaving no unprocessed original material. I'll take this opportunity to explain one more point so you can appreciate what I have in mind, where I am going with this. Please excuse me for repeating in the following, various points you are very familiar with. I need to give you the contextual details so you will have a firmer grasp of what I am proposing. Considering the climate problematique, an urgent pressing need exists to 'put into action' field work methods that will increasingly rebuild soils and their rates and capacities to sequester carbon, provide for increasing soil moisture, countering desertification processes and 'with knowledge and foresight produce HEALTHIER PLANTS growing in HEALTHIER ECOSYSTEMS.' One of the areas with easy access would be to divert the enormous quantities of winery grape marc into high quality organic fertilizer which applied to productive and fallow fields will increasingly stabilize carbon. If this is done in tandem with the inclusion of organic raw material from food processing, etc., the methane from improper landfill management would be lessened or eliminated. That which was diverted would be transformed into a 'carbon sequestration' capacity and by my calculations, using all the winery marc and co-compost material each year making high quality organic fertilizer, there will be produced by the end of the third year as much ORGANIC high quality fertilizer as is presently produced from fossil fuel sources. The efficacy of this strategy is that one is reducing / eliminating on one side the cause of the problem, and on the other side increasing the magnitude and the exponential effect of the corrective side. I needn't remind you that the areas in which the stakeholders in this proposed scenario are 'well' organized, i.e. wineries, landfill operators and food processing operations, making access to "those players on the ground" a manageable task . Furthermore, in the 25 or more years that this knowledge of humification has been public, there has been pitifully little interest in its adoption even though increasing awareness around making 'landfills smarter' has proceeded only incrementally. That fact suggests the need for a 'quantum level' improvement in efficiency by diverting 40% + organic waste in an inclusive cooperative program. Dr. Graefe's patent work took this into account. There are several facts to support this observation. Foremost are his studies, including the 4 patents that make eminently clear, on close reading, that what he has presented is
1) an elucidation of THE STANDARD FOR 'DECAY'/CATALYSIS (in situ and in vivo); 2) an iteration of a natural process that is both'sine qua non', 'without which is nothing,' e.g. desert sand, and 'ne plus ultra', 'there is nothing better; i.e., all other species and ecosystems emanate from the level of microorganisms, 4) that widespread adoption would logically begin with the largest quantities of agricultural fruit crop which is grapes. More grapes are grown world-wide than all of bananas, apples and oranges. (see patents), 5) that one of the references used for the basis of his patents is Uses of Waste Materials, Bruttini, Arturo, P. S. King and Son., London, 1923, (p.236), a comprehensive coverage of ALL organic waste materials prompted by the shortages in Europe from World War I. If, all that I have presented, makes a case for a reasoned and practical approach to engage with the climate problematique on local, regional and larger scale, one promising initial step would be to make available this knowledge, know-how, designs etc. to the policy of The National Wine Grape Initiative frames the sustainability orientation the U.S. Wine and Grape industry. The national organization for each grape growing countries would be the ‘pioneer’ for the Deep Green Humification that undergirds downstream co-composting. National Wine Grape Initiative, formed within the last few years and who are looking to make their industry 'greener'. I believe that a successful negotiation could occur between ourselves and N.W.G.I with the information, documentation, knowledge and 'know-how' of the late Herr Dr. Gernot Graefe's patient and profound work. I know I can't do it myself given my health conditions and present age, 70 years. Besides my limitations, I don't have the sophisticated skills to engage with a preeminent industrial sector 'banner bearer'. An easily digestible report is called N.W.G.I. Position Paper. Referring to that study could give you a simplified picture of their 'stance' before their subsequent re-writings. I will leave this with you for your consideration, anticipating we could discuss it by phone. Namaste. Richard S. Bennett, B.A.