Technical advisory & applied research
Technical advice, research, and pilot design
If you’re deciding whether to buy equipment, try a new process, or apply for funding, I can help you figure out what you need to know first.
I work on questions about composting, organics recovery, cultivation, and small-scale production. Sometimes a few calls and a review of the available information are enough. Other questions need a prototype or a trial.
Talk through a technical questionExplore the experience behind the work →When an outside specialist is useful
Is this worth trying?
I’ll look at what the idea depends on and what you’d need to learn from a pilot.
Which option fits?
I can compare methods or equipment against the space, staff time, and money you actually have.
What should we test?
I’ll help pick a question you can answer with a small trial and decide what to measure.
Who can dig into the details?
I can take on the research, talk through what I found with your staff, and put it in writing.
What an assignment can include
Background research
I look at research, extension publications, equipment manuals, and vendor claims to see which approaches fit your situation and where the evidence is thin.
Possible deliverable: a concise research brief with options, evidence gaps, and questions that need testing.
Concept & feasibility review
I sketch how material moves through the process, estimate how much staff time it might take, and flag steps that need a closer look.
Possible deliverable: an options comparison, process map, preliminary resource estimate, and list of critical assumptions.
Prototype & pilot development
I can sketch a prototype, work out how to assemble and operate it, and plan what to change after the first run.
Possible deliverable: a prototype concept, materials list, assembly approach, operating notes, and pilot work plan.
Experiment design & measurement
I help decide what to vary, what to keep steady, how many times to repeat the test, and what to record each time.
Possible deliverable: a test protocol, data sheets, sampling schedule, and criteria for continuing, revising, or stopping.
Process documentation & training
I write instructions people can use while doing the work, including what to check and what to do if something goes wrong.
Possible deliverable: draft operating procedures, troubleshooting guides, training materials, or a clear project handoff.
Findings & next steps
I can pull trial records together, explain what the results show, and lay out what another round of testing would take.
Possible deliverable: a pilot report with findings, unresolved questions, and a recommended next stage.
Example from the black soldier fly project
How well do larvae grow on spent grain?
Start by choosing what to compare the spent grain with. Decide how much feed goes in each bin, how many larvae to start with, and how you’ll keep moisture comparable.
Weigh what goes in and what comes out. Record how many larvae survive, when they’re ready to harvest, and how much time it takes to feed and sort each bin.
Those results can help decide whether a larger trial is worth the time and expense. Product safety and commercial performance take separate work to establish.
Read about the developing BSFL project →Where I can help
I’ve planned municipal food-scrap collection, administered state grants, run a mushroom farm, and raised black soldier fly larvae on a small scale. Those jobs have made me pay attention to the parts of a plan somebody has to carry out every day.
I take on assignments in composting, organics recovery, mushroom production, and early cultivation trials. For lab testing, engineering, or formal regulatory opinions, I can help identify where a qualified specialist is needed.
Tell me what you’re trying to figure out
Send me the question, what you’ve already tried, and any deadline or budget you’re working with.
Email MattSee all services →