ISO: land to expand compost business

We are Cariboo Compost, the leading curbside organics pick-up service in the Cariboo region, currently serving the City of Williams Lake with approximately 40 customers. As our business grows, we find ourselves in need of additional space to expand our composting operations. Our vision is to divert organic waste from landfills and transform it into a valuable soil amendment for local farmers. To achieve this, we are seeking a small piece of land to establish our composting facility. The proposed facility would consist of a 3-4 bay bunker or tunnel system built on an impermeable surface, preferably concrete or asphalt, to meet the Organic Materials Rules & Regulations (OMRR) guidelines. This could be built out of concrete blocks on top of an already existing concrete slab or we could pour a slab in afterwards. The active composting area would need to be covered to prevent rain and snow from entering the material. This cover would be a timber structure with metal roofing. Key Features of the Composting Facility: Dimensions: The active composting area would require a minimum space of 10' wide x 40' long, with additional space outside for material and equipment storage, totaling approximately 1 acre. Construction Cost: We are prepared to cover the construction costs, estimated at around $30,000. This includes the bunker or tunnel system, impermeable surface, and a timber structure with metal roofing to cover the composting area. Compliance and Professional Assistance: We are very familiar with the rules and regulations in place with composting in BC. The Organic Materials Rules & Regulations (OMRR) governs composting food waste and our process would be built to fit their guidelines. As per OMRR, ‘facilities that have a design capacity of less than 5, 000 tonnes dry weight of finished compost per year, a notification to the ministry is required.’ Our current composting capacity is well under 5,000 tonnes, so only a notification would have to be sent in to the ministry. We are currently working with a Qualified Professional to assist us with final design and signing off for our constructed composting facility and process. Equipment and Utilities: We have our equipment fleet, including a mini-excavator and trailer. While we can handle day-to-day operations, occasional use of a tractor or skid steer may be required. Power needs can be met through solar or an extension cord, and water can be hauled in tanks if necessary. In return for the proposed land usage, we are open to negotiation on several fronts: Composting Material: We are open to discussing options for composting any material available on-site. Lease Payments: We are open to negotiating the use of portions of the finished compost product in lieu of lease payments. Equipment Usage Agreement: We acknowledge the potential need for additional equipment and are open to discussing agreements for tractor or skid steer usage. Power and Water: We are willing to work collaboratively to ensure that power and water needs are met efficiently, including potential solar subsidies. Our shared goal is to contribute to the circular economy by diverting organic waste from landfills and creating a valuable soil amendment for local farmers to use on their fields and grow their crops. We believe composting is an integral part of the circular economy and one that is most easily achieved at the local level. With the proper infrastructure and enthusiasm in place we could capture much of the organic waste in our region. With our current climate situation and extreme temperature fluctuations, growing strong and healthy crops are at the top of the priority list. Strong and healthy crops come from good genes and also strong and healthy soil. Healthy compost amendment has been proven time and time again to be majorly beneficial to overall soil health and especially water and nutrient retention. Let us all work together to bring life back to the earth with Cariboo Compost. We appreciate your consideration of our proposal and look forward to the possibility of partnering with Young Agrarians to bring Cariboo Compost's vision to fruition. Please feel free to contact us at cariboocompost@gmail.com to discuss this proposal further. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Oliver Berger Cariboo Compost