Food waste used to grow vegetables

The Monoghan Farm eco-estate has embarked on a holistic recycling programme which includes a food waste recycling and worm farming project.

The Monaghan practises organic farming where 90 per cent of residents on the property in Lanseria grow their own vegetables through soil made of recycled kitchen waste.

Monaghan Farm manager Pieter Tolmay has always had a passion for the environment and contributing to eco-awareness.

Tolmay conceived the idea of Earth Probiotic’s Boskashi food waste recycling initiative by creating compost from residential and restaurant food waste. The food sourced from waste is processed through his compost and vermin-compositing operations. Tolmay says it is amazing to see what this product has done.

“This filters through from the improvement in soil quality, increased yields and disease resistance in plants especially in the winter months, water saving in irrigation, owls and other wildlife,” he said.

The Monaghan’s composting method is a method of providing a solution for organic waste solution that is incorporated with horse manure, garden and food waste produced by the estate.

The Other Side, which is the estate’s restaurant, collects food waste in airtight drums and layers it with Bokhashi. The landscaping team then collects the waste and adds it to their compost after two weeks. This initiative is also part of the recycling programme that has managed to reduce Monaghan’s waste by a significant quantity. “The great thing about these initiatives is that it is not costing us any money but saving us money,” Tolmay said.

He also said that one of the benefits of the Monaghan Farm is the educational practice this initiative promotes by educating residents, staff and the Monaghan Montesorri School who implemented the Earth Probiotics Bokhashi food waste recycling method.

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