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Everything you need to set up an on-farm biofactory: what it is, what to make, how to build it, how to treat its wastewater, how to keep records and what its limits are. Based on the Anacafé technical guide (Guatemala, 2022), written in our own words.
What is a biofactory?
A dedicated building for making and storing fertilisers and inputs based on bacteria, fungi, plants and minerals: compost, ferments, rock-dust mixes, mineral broths, multiplied micro-organisms. It can range from small batches for the farm's own use to a commercial scale. Quality depends on control during production, transport and storage, so the people working there should be trained.
What to make?
Choose according to the crop management plan, the most urgent nutritional needs, the season, the soil analysis, raw materials available nearby (transport raises costs) and, if you sell, demand from neighbouring farms.
Fertilisers: compost, bokashi
Ferments based on mountain micro-organisms
Rock-dust mixes
Mineral broths
Multiplication of soil micro-organisms
Rearing of beneficial insects (according to national rules)
Location and construction
Easy access to bring in raw materials and take products out.
Clean water available.
Permits and environmental rules depending on project size.
A roof to limit light and keep rain out; mesh or block walls with windows, depending on climate, for good ventilation.
Lockable doors: products out of reach of children and animals.
Sloping (2%) cement floor for washing, to keep ants and insects out and stop spills soaking into the ground.
Hand basin, eyewash, drum stands and compost bays inside the building.
Size depends on annual output, budget and the number of products. The guide offers two designs, 24 m² (4 × 6 m) and 120 m². The 24 m² one takes about 3 days to build; labour costs, depending on the place, 50 to 200% of the price of materials.
Materials for a 24 m² biofactory (summary)
Strip footings, pads, ring beams and posts
about 20 bags of cement, sand and gravel, No. 2 to 4 rebar, tie wire
Walls
245 blocks of 14 × 19 × 39 cm
15 cm concrete floor (3.6 m³)
29 bags of cement, 2 welded meshes, finish with additive
Timber frame and roof
4 posts, 4 beams, purlins and rafters, bolts; about 55 m² of roof: insulated sheets and 4 clear sheets
Mesh and shade cloth
galvanised mesh 2 × 20 m, 27 m² of shade cloth
Plumbing
PVC drains 4" and 2", water 3/4" and 1/2", main valve, 4 taps, gutters
The full list (78 lines) and the drainage and water plans are in the annexes of the Anacafé guide.
The biological bed (ecological filter)
Surplus liquids from the biofactory can pollute soil and water. All of them go through a biological bed that holds and breaks them down by microbial action. Size: width × length × 0.60 m = twice the year's (or peak season's) water volume. Example: 600 L a year = 0.6 m³; width × length = 1.2 / 0.6 = 2 m², i.e. a 1 × 2 m bed.
Dig a pit 1 × 2 m and 0.60 m deep.
Lay a 5 cm layer of clay at the bottom.
Build a rim (blocks) so rainwater cannot get in.
Chop 3 sacks of maize stover (pieces of about 2.5 cm) and collect 3 sacks of forest litter, preferably with white mycelium.
Mix 50% stover and 50% litter and fill the pit.
Cover with soil, turf or small stones; keep moist but sheltered from heavy rain.
Compost: the essentials
Phases: mesophilic (up to 45 °C, 2 to 8 days), thermophilic (over 45 °C), cooling (40-45 °C, already usable) and maturing at ambient temperature.
Carbon/nitrogen ratio of 25 to 30: dry stalks (carbon) and manure or green leaves, especially legumes (nitrogen).
Moisture 50 to 60%: fist test, the material forms a sausage without dripping.
Target pH 6.5 to 7.5; if it drops below 5, add chopped banana waste or agricultural lime (1 ounce per gallon of water).
Turn every 2 or 3 days for the first two weeks, then at least once a week; cover with black plastic if there is no roof.
Example with coffee pulp: 3 quintals of straw or chopped stalks, 1 of fresh manure and 1 of chopped green grass.
Biofactory recipes on this site
The preparations in the Anacafé guide already have their own sheet, with their regulatory status:
Each finished product is packed with a control label. Records show costs, production times, shelf life, profitability and crop response. To observe field effects, the guide suggests a 5 × 2 m plot with marked plants.
Control label
Product name :
Date made :
Intended use :
Use-by date :
The four records
Production record
Production cost record
Storage record
Application record
Advantages and limits
✅ Advantages
Less dependence on outside inputs, which are expensive or hard to bring in.
Raw materials available in the community.
Biodegradable products, of low toxicity when handled properly.
⚠️ Limits
Several trials are needed to fine-tune each formula.
Some raw materials are not available all year: plan ahead.
Count production time in the costs.
Storage space: some materials are bulky or attract pests with their sugar.
Short shelf life (15 to 30 days) and sensitivity to sunlight.
Some raw materials are toxic: gloves and goggles during preparation and application.
Many formulas have not been scientifically validated (rates and timing): observe, record and check.
Before making or selling an input, check national rules: in many countries sale requires registration, and in the EU a homemade preparation presented for plant-protection use is not authorised.
