We started with raw land and there have been a series of delays. 
This picture shows SymSoil’s Suisun Valley location in mid-March.
The most recent delay was due to the landlord needing more time to clear debris. He also engaging in an agricultural burn.
Some of the sparks flew from the fire into one of our wood chip piles causing a few hours of exhausting excitement. The final burns and stump removal will happen early next week, before the end of the burn season.
Our tractor is rented from, and shared with, the landlord and we can already foresee the need for our own – with slightly different specifications and also the ability to use it in other locations for SymSoil’s on-farm composting services for nearby farms.
Recent trucks and the stump removal have created a need for additional grading of the area. Our entire acre is now cleared and graded (with the exception of one huge stump) and chip spreading has recommenced and will continue over the next day or two
Chip placement and Batch One move
Another delay was occasioned by not having enough equipment – we rented 2 additional trucks on a short-term basis and 3 trailers. Our President for Science, Katharine Hinson, now has one to move materials to and from the Soil Food Institute’s project in Carmel Valley, her on-farm locations near Watsonville and the company’s Suisun Valley location. This a preview of the logistics of our multi-hub, each with many spoke strategy.
We need to raise investor funds quickly to buy or rent larger trailers, our own tractor and a low-boy to move our equipment to composting service customer locations. Renting isn’t always the best option: the Vacaville Aaction rent trailers had been used for moving asphalt and were, from SymSoil’s perspective, contaminated with material harmful to soil microbes.
The best news of the week is that Cuauhtemoc Landeros is back from his project in Mexico and will be active in loading the remaining Batch One material stored in Sonoma County.
More infrastructure
Tent is up and SymSoil’s largest brewer (1,150 gallons) has been moved to a more convenient location. The tent is secured against wind and will be available to store raw materials, buckets and other packaged inventory and for some work processes that will take place there. End closures will be installed shortly.
The fungal bins are nearly done and have been filled with multiple strains of fast growing fungi, as well as spores from indigenous fungal strains. The corners will be re-anchored with heavy posts for greater stability.
About SymSoil
SymSoil Inc., a Benefit Corporation (B), is a leader in development of biological soil amendments for agriculture that restores the microbes that provide the right food to the plant roots, improving plant health, and making food more tasty and nutrient dense, the way nature intended. These indigenous crop and regional soil specific microbes regenerate the soil significantly increasing crop yields and nutrient density in food. For more information call 833-SYMSOIL (833-796-7645)