I am also working with another group in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). They are ambitious, and I look forward to seeing them grow in SVG and beyond. Certainly any IP that is developed in these places could be useful when it comes time to expand, especially if expansion includes of climates that are similar.
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Thanks so much for this AMA, @cbravmann!
What are the financial or legal hurdles youâve faced disposing of organic waste? What is the average tonnage of waste per month for a commercial grow op? How do you feel about processing waste into useful materials like biochar?
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Some very preliminary work. Zambia is just now establishing there Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA). This is generally thew first step of many, when it comes to reguating the industry.
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You work with lots of people who have big dreams for their cannabis operations. Whatâs the most common misconception new growers have when they contact you for consulting?
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Hi Will,
This could be a whole AMA in itself. In places like Colorado and Maryland, green waste needs to be weighed and disposed of properly, including under lock/key, until it is carted away.
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As always, there is an implicit/explicit cannabis charge,for dealing with cananbis material, so count on it costing more than your regular trash, even though it is organic, and could be compsted, and turned into something useful ; as you mentioned, biochar.
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Do I see an AMA topic in the near future? Might you be available for another AMA to discuss the waste issue? I certainly agree that the subject warrants its own dedicated discussion. Thoughts?
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Awesome. What life is made of!
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As far as numbers, I would be hard pressed to give you those off the top of my head. However, a 100 light room with 1000 plants can yield on the order to 200 pounds (dry), so probably more like 1000 pounds wet, or more. A large percentage of that will be green wasted wet, so I think this would be a decent baseline.
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[quote=âcbravmann, post:69, topic:23052â]
A large percentage of that will be green wasted wet
What are your favorite ways to dispose of green waste? What do you recommend to clients who are dealing with the issue?
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1 - get licensed
2 - build grow
3 - make lots of money
4 - be super cool while doing steps 1-3
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I cannot implore this message enough to new clients. The âcoolâ ship sailed about a decade ago. Now it is just business. But, having a successful business is cool, so at least we have that going for us 
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Iâm in! Just let me know the time/place!
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If I had my drothers, it would be composted. I do not think this is happening in most places.
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Wednesdayâs at 11 AM PST, my brotherâŚevery week!
Weâll set up another AMA after we wrap this one; which should be soon, so get those questions in now, GN community!
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What are your thoughts on integrating other natural detritivores, like red wrigglers, black soldier flies, or African night crawlers to aid in the decomposing /composting process? Are you seeing this ever practiced in large organic facilities?
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I recommend doing whatever the state/local jurisdiction(s) say to do. Due to the nature of the business, as it currently stands, there is a ton of wasted resources when it comes to the industry, wasteful packaging and not properly composting green waste are just two of many. I would be willing to bet that most states are shooting from the hip. I think it would be great if it could harnessed into something meaningful, starting with compost. Beyond that, I would like to see what innovative solutions the smart people come up with. I am unfortunately not one of them, so I cannot say. But perhaps an AMA with some really smart people, on the bleeding edge of recycling/composting, and innovative alternative use for plant material
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I see things like this, as well as planting other plants that support good bugs, in order to mitigate the bad bugs, as decent solutions. However, I generally see this happening in outdoor facilities.
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Any companion plants you might recommend to our friends who grow organic or biodynamic?
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When farming outdoors, I have also been turned on to corn-based plastic, for things like irrigation tubing. This can be tilled right back into the groud, where it breaks down during the off-season. If we are talking about a fully organic outdoor business, then planting things like alfalfa meal, in order to till this back in, in order to build up the soil for next yearsâ crop is another way to create a more natural/balanced production/plant
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