2007 Annual Report for FNC05-570
Phase II: Ethanol from Waste Fruit
Summary
OBJECTIVE: To develop a machine to gather waste fruit from the orchard floor and process it into juice, which will be converted into alcohol (ethanol) by the equipment or still developed in the first phase of the project. Another problem that this project will address will be the Plum curculio issue that all orchard owners face. We are a low spray orchard and also have limited funds and time to gather by hand all of the waste fruit which is where the problem of Plum curculio actually begins.
WORK ACTIVITIES
I have purchased some of the needed equipment to build the machine to pick up waste fruit from the orchard floor. I have done some design work for the initial pre-building phase.
RESULTS
Results are minimal at this point. This project will be quite an undertaking and will take more design work. We are looking forward to next year to try this machine.
WORK PLAN FOR 2008
Plans are to build the machine, to pick up the waste fruit and make adjustments to the machine in order for it to work properly. Also to complete this grant project.
OUTREACH
I have by word of mouth talked to many individuals about this project. Our orchard is not open this year [2007] due to having a late freeze in April and not having any fruit to sell. So the information sharing has been limited.