The Biogas Co-Op

Description

The Biogas Co-Op: Build your own Pig and Biogas Farm

The Mission

The Biogas Co-op is a non-profit association in California with a mission to empower everyone in producing their own energy and in growing their own pigs as meat using a sustainable process. We empower all members to use the design, technology, plans, tools, machineries, and all of our products to start their own pig and biogas farm.

We do not expect a payment from members but only for the maintenance for the growth of this association. And instead, we encourage all members to pass on forward, all of what has been learned from this association, to helping other member-starters to build their own pig and biogas homestead.

The Solution

The livestock of choice is pig. Pigs can be easily grown within a small area. Pigs can provide the protein needed in a small amount of time compared to other livestock animals. Also, pigs have the ability to reproduce more than six times every year allowing growers to share their production to other people. With doing so, the plan is to educate rural communities the ever importance of grassroots farming with animal husbandry.

Odor pollution is prevented with the pen design and manure collection method utilized within the association’s proprietary technical information. They key is to not allow the manure to stay long enough to decompose on the ground causing colloids in the air. TBC design implements a clean pig enclosure free of dust and flies.

However, it is not the pig that is the main focus of this association but the generation of energy – biogas otherwise called as methane. A biogas reactor is built to produce methane gas. When the gas is captured into a cylinder it can be used as a fuel to power electric generators, diesel engines and even cars. Also, it can be used as a replacement for propane as a fuel for burners – for cooking , for water heaters, boilers, even air-conditioning. If biogas is mass produced it can even be used to produce direct electricity using a fuel cell. Producing your own energy will reduce your electricity and also your gasoline consumption.

Lastly, with small starting pig farmers the manure production can be augmented by introducing leftover organic human waste (food waste) into the biogas reactor increasing the gas yield. It is more sanitary than composting because the organic food is actively digested by the bacteria inside the biogas reactor which is initially seeded with pig manure. The pig manure is the catalyst for an efficient breakdown of organic materials into fertilizer.

The by-product of the biogas reactor is a fertilizer that is carbon and nitrogen rich. It can be used as better nutrient supplements to store-bought fertilizers. When used to grow plants to feed the pigs then a circular bio-cycle exists – from pigs, to manure, to gas, to fertilizers, to plants then back to feedstock to pigs. This design is sustainable and renewable.

The Process

1. Homesteaders sign up to become a member.
2. An associate member works with the new member to assess the resources and materials needed for the homestead to start growing their own feed. A foolproof plan and scheduling is made.
3. The infrastructure for both the pig enclosure and the biogas reactor is built.
4. Homestead farmer starts growing the pigs. Within a year butcher-ready pigs are ready plus the owner used the biogas production in his own homestead.
5. The homestead owner documents his production knowledge and shares his experience to the association.
6. The homestead owner becomes an associate member-worker helping other new members build their own system.
7. The association leaders develop new ways to a better membership program.

The Founder

Jojo is an avid homestead pig grower and thinker. His innovation to growing pigs most efficiently is his utmost goal to sustainability. He believes that people need to learn how grassroots farming works to be able to appreciate the food we eat. His passion in using technology and newer designs in the pig and biogas production led him to build this membership association. He wanted his ideas learned by everyone who are interested with grassroots farming.

Jojo went to school to become an Electronics Engineer. He jumped his career from designing karaoke machines and computer modems in the early 90s to computer engineering and systems analysis which was his sole profession for more than 30 years. He is well versed in electromechanical automation and process engineering. Aging, he is now devoting his extra time to building a grassroots farming occupation – pigs and biogas.

He loves to grow pigs and has ben doing so for about 10 years now. He started with American Guinea Hogs since this breed is rare. Learning that Mangalitsa meat is highly prized, he introduced integrating this breed with his hogs and is now reaping hybrid piglets which produces more marbling in the meat.

Jojo is available to be reached via email at porksrus@itssowonderful.com or call (916)775-3671.