When Adrian Raccanello decided to expand his Yenda worm farm and move into composting, he knew it’d be a tough slog.
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“I wanted a bit of a change. There was nothing out around here in terms of high quality compost … There was a gap in the market and we seized it,” he said.
“It’s a 24/7 job, but we’ve come a long way in two years. We put in a lot of effort out here.”
They’ve been out in Carrathool for two years this coming April, and it looks like the hard work is paying off.
Mr Raccanello, his wife Deanne and their company, Wormtech, were recently announced as the recipients of a $477,000 grant under the NSW Government’s 2017 Organics Infrastructure Grants scheme.
The grant has allowed them to expand their Carrathool Composting Facility, buying new machinery and making the process more efficient. Their project works towards reducing the amount of organic waste that goes to landfill.
Mr Raccanello said the equipment he’d been able to purchase with the grant was “a real game changer”.
“We will be able to buy a self-propelled compost turner out of Europe. At the moment it’s drawn by a tractor. A self-propelled compost turner is bigger, faster and more efficient,” he said.
Mr Raccanello’s company works with other businesses by helping to manage their organic waste.
“I’m a farmer who is making something I know everybody needs,” he said.
He also wanted to offer a safer alternative to raw manures.
“Raw manures can be dangerous, but composted, pastured compost is fine. You could eat it if you wanted.”
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Member of Murray Austin Evans said the Organic Infrastructure grants program supports waste operators to help manage organic waste sustainably.
“This grant will help WormTech Pty Ltd to increase the quality of their recycled organics by improving their current process through the purchase of a trommel screen and a more efficient windrow turner as well as the installation of compacted areas for delivery and processing,” Mr Evans said.
Wormtech was one of 15 projects selected to share more than $5 million in funding under this initiative.