Yesterday at 20:25
Three years ago, Vadym was a major in the Ukrainian border guard. After he stepped down, he became a farmer. Together with a partner, he looked for the most efficient way to utilize the byproducts of cattle farming. After investigating several options, they chose the optimal one — using manure as bio-fuel.
“We mostly use gas for heating the premises where we breed swine. Also to dry grain. We have plans for the future. We want to install a system that would generate around 300 kilowatts of energy,” director of the farm Vadym Krachkovsky said.
Vadym and his partner built this biogas generating machine from scratch.
“You don’t have to pay the Dutch or Germans 1.5-2 million euros for the construction of a biogas complex. Our people can do it by themselves. It is much cheaper than in Europe. At least 10 times cheaper,” Krachkovsky said.
Manure is delivered to the gas reactor through grids on the floor. The farmers say that the pigs live in very clean conditions. Access to the farm is restricted, and you can enter only with permission from security.
Piglets are fed ecologically clean food. Food and water are dispensed automatically.
“We have our own dryer that allows us to dry grain. We feed our pigs with natural products. Their menu consists of grain and minerals,” markets specialist of the farm Yulia Chernyk said.
Manure is used not only for biogas, but also as a fertilizer. Here they grow carrots and beets. Produce is stored in special storage rooms where the temperature and air humidity is regulated all year round.
“We have a competitive edge. First of all, we substitute fertilizers with our own, basically for free. It is generated by our cattle. We use it in our fields. Because our fertilizers are natural and organic, we ensure high-quality produce,” Krachkovsky said.
Right now this farm is supplying enough pork to feed the entire Vinnytsia region. They also plan to expand to international markets and are working on upgrading equipment to European standards.
