Seen & Herd

·S7 E6

Worms at Work: How Vermifiltration Is Changing the Way California Dairies Handle Wastewater

May 26
36 mins

Episode Description

BioFiltro is back on Seen & Herd, and a lot has changed since their last conversation with Paul Sousa, Western's Director of Environmental Services and Regulatory Affairs. Steve Rowe, BioFiltro's board chairman, and Sanjar Taromi, their livestock lead, return to give a ground-level update on where vermifiltration stands in California's Central Valley and why the timing of this episode matters.

The short version: Vermifiltration uses worm beds to treat dairy wastewater. The longer version is why it's worth paying attention to right now.

What you'll hear in this episode:

  • Where BioFiltro stands today: 4 operating systems in California, 4 under construction (including a 10,000-head open lot dairy in Pixley), and 6 more in permitting
  • How the economics actually work: BioFiltro covers nearly all CapEx and 90% of OpEx under 20-year agreements funded through carbon credit arrangements; dairies primarily cover ongoing electrical costs
  • Post-digester applications: BioFiltro's first post-digester vermifiltration system is up and running in Chowchilla, opening the door for dairies dealing with higher ammonia and nutrient loads on the back end of digestion
  • The regulatory landscape: CV Salts, the State Water Board remand order, CARB's SB 1383 rulemaking on livestock methane, and whole-farm nitrogen balance requirements are all converging; this system addresses multiple pressure points at once
  • The numbers: 90% reduction in manure methane, 75–90% reduction in nitrogen load, early data showing up to a 60% reduction in hospital pen time on some dairies, and real-world reports of reduced groundwater pumping
  • Dairy Plus grant applications: expected to open in June, with a 90-day window; this is the final round of the $85M USDA-funded program administered through CDPHE; vermifiltration is a fundable practice
  • What to do right now: reach out to BioFiltro or Paul at Western before the application window opens, not after

Guests:

  • Steve Rowe, Board Chairman, BioFiltro
  • Sandra Taromi, Livestock Lead, BioFiltro

Resources & Contacts:

Seen & Herd is brought to you by Western United Dairies.

See all episodes