Personal Project: Worm Sifter

I took on another personal project which was to build a worm casting sifter, or a panning trommel, to better separate my worms and my castings. I found this worm casting sifter DIY video from Planted by Chris, which I followed to build my very own sifter. After I completed my sifter, I would recommend probably a different style with an electric motor. This works better than by hand, but still requires lots of work and sifting for small juveniles/eggs.

I started off by buying the video’s purchase list requirements to make the sifter. This included mesh wiring, PVC pipes and joints, bots and washers, and extra buckets. I cut the pipes using PVC snips and dry-fit the rotation frame together. This was partially done during the snowmagedon. I had to wait post-storm to get certain parts because hardware stores were sold out of PVC for plumbing issues.

Continue Reading

The [RE]verse Pitch Competition

I decided to participate in the [RE]verse Pitch Competition which I originally heard about in 2019. It’s an entrepreneurial competition like Shark Tank, only the difference is that materials are pitched in reverse to the entrepreneurs. This competition is sponsored by the City of Austin, nonprofits, and other corporate sponsors.

I was planning on pursuing vermicomposting bags made from Austin Eastcider’s excess sugar Supersacks. All in all, I would reattempt this experience with the same or similar idea, a potential mid-size municipal vermicomposting center for the city of Austin.

Entrepreneurs are used to pitching their business idea to investors, partners, and anyone they might share an elevator ride with. In this competition, the tables turn. The [RE]verse Pitch Competition helps turn valuable raw materials that are currently leaving local businesses, non-profits, and institutions as waste into the raw materials for new or expanding social enterprises.

[RE]verse Pitch Competition Website
Continue Reading

Christmas Lights and Adventures

I had a festive holiday season, which included a trip home to see family and friends! I met friends for Christmas lights, went with the girlfriend to an Austin art bazaar, and a Christmas music-timed lightshow at an Austin lakeside coffee bar.

Trail of Lights – Addison, TX

I met up with a group of friends I made while I was living in Dallas, before I moved to Austin. We all went out to Vitruvian Park in Addison, Texas to the Trail of Lights, a sea of lighting that encompasses all the trees immediately in and around the complex walking path. I also worked for a few years in the lower building complex with the HCK2 Partners marketing and communications agency.

Continue Reading

Personal Project: Seed Bombs

Inspired by my previous experiences making seed bombs, my excess old used worm newspaper, and a bag of wildflower seeds I was holding onto – I decided to make my own seed bombs. Ideal seed bombs have soil, clay, and compost with seeds inside acting as an explosive seedling environment to flourish. However, they can also be made with used newspaper because it will melt in the rain releasing the seeds, just like a soil-based seed bomb.

For this experimental project, I followed an instructional YouTube video on how to do with newspaper – including how to add dye to color the seed bombs! I had most of the materials on hand except the small blender and cactus silicon mold – both found at Goodwill!

Continue Reading
1 4 5 6 7 8 26