The VermiDigest by BioFiltro

Alberto Dairy in Stanislaus County will soon be home to about 8 acres of BioFiltro’s vermifiltration system to clean 100% of their liquid manure. We will be breaking ground on this exciting new project in May of this year.

The project will significantly reduce the dairy’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, predominantly in the form of methane emissions from the existing anaerobic lagoon. BioFiltro’s system will also transform the manure into a nutrient-rich vermicompost, which increases soil health and adds carbon to crop soils. The vermifilter is expected to remove more than 80% of the volatile solids and nitrogen from the liquid manure, thereby reducing the risk of contaminating groundwater.

It’s no surprise that Alberto Dairy is an early adopter of this innovative technology. Established in 1981, the family has implemented many sustainable practices, including a closed-herd system to ensure optimal health and low disease rates, composting, a climate-controlled calf barn, and much more.

• BioFiltro’s system will reduce GHG emissions from manure management from 4,947 to 1,238 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) a year.
• The overall project improvements, including new mechanical separators, will reduce GHG emissions by 7,654 MTCO2e annually.
• Approximately 1,740,000 gallons of manure water will be recycled every day.
• The vermifilter will produce approximately 25,278 dry tons of vermicompost over five years, enough to boost the soil health of about 1,087 acres.

By implementing this project, Alberto Dairy’s worm farm will have a positive environmental impact on climate, soil quality, water quality and quantity used, and air quality.