Abbie and Katie go Trick or Treating -- Kinda

Saturday, October 26, we participated in the Dunellen Halloween Parade.

We invited our food waste recycling pilot participants' children to come to the plant, help "gore up" Abbie and Katie, and come on the wagon in the Halloween Parade.  Some children came to the plant, others met us at the parade start up location.

The kids were given fake "vampire blood" and painted the girls to make them look bloody.



Christopher Mata got "hands on"



Katie checking Christopher out

After the girls were decorated, they met outside and loaded up in the wagon and headed to Dunellen for the parade.

At the parade start area, we met the rest of the children and the Parade Grand Marshall joined in on the wagon.  We put hay bales for the kids to sit on. 

Everyone in place for the parade start

 

Marc chatting with the Grand Marshall

It was a gorgeous fall day, and a lot of people were at the event.

Parents walked along side during the wagon

Walking down Front Street

It was a lot of fun for us and the kids had a blast.

A Typical Horsepowered Food Waste Pickup Day

Monday I followed the crew as they did their route.  I took pictures and some videos.

The girls get harnessed inside the plant.  Marc or Carley drive them via a ramp to an area behind the plant where our wagon is.  Below you can see the clean, green buckets loaded on the wagon.  Carley here is attaching the "horse diaper" that catches the manure.

Getting the girls read to go

Marc drives the girls through the tunnel out to Rt 28 or West Front Street.  Carley or Sean close the gate, and then they head to Dunellen.  In the video, the crew is waiting for Carley.  Starting the Route

Waiting to start the route

In this video I'm following them up Rt 28.  Heading towards Dunellen

Here the crew has passed Rock Avenue and is heading to Washington Avenue in Dunellen.  This is near the ice rink.  Girls trotting up West Front Street

The crew goes to the houses first south of West Front Street.  They head down South Washington Avenue towards those neighborhoods.  In the picture below the World Gym is to the right, the railroad tracks are in the back.

After they cover the homes on our route south of Rt 28, the crew heads back to the homes North of West Front Street.  Right now most of the people signed up for the pilot are on First Avenue through Fourth Avenue in Dunellen.

A number of the streets the horses have to turn around.  Marc does this by driving the team into a driveway, then asking the girls to back, then turn.

Video One - turning.  Backing out a driveway - 1
Video Two - another turn.  This has glare from my car windshield, but good shot of the girls sidestepping.  Backing and Sidestepping
Video Three - on a dead-end street, backing and turning around.  Backing and turning

People often stop in their cars, asking about the horses.  We often sign people up on the spot and give them a bucket!  We've been averaging 4-6 new people on the route a week.

 

This video, the crew is stopping at several homes where people have buckets out.  Towards the end of the video, you'll see a young resident holding her family's bucket.  Neighborhood pickup

Here I'm following the crew down a residential street.  Local children (on the left) watch and comment on the horses going by.  Going down a residential Dunellen street

Along the route, our pilot participants and neighbors come out to give us their bucket and chat.

Dunellen Harvest Festival

Sunday, October 13, was the first Dunellen Harvest Festival.  It was held on the Dunellen Library Grounds and had 100 vendors. 

We were there giving carrage rides and we had Ben and Jerry set up so people could pet and brush them.

We brought Ben and Jerry to the location by "ponying" them along side the wagon.  Ponying the Boys to the Festival

 

At the Festival we gave carriage rides.  The boys were petted and brushed.  It was a beautiful day.

 

Posing with the Girls

 

First Horse Encounter -- a Future Horseman?



Jerry getting brushed

Saying hi to the girls

 

Ben and Jerry were popular

 

 

 







Monday October 7 Pickup

Today because of the threat of bad weather later in the day, the crew did pickups with the horses in Dunellen only this morning.

Greenbrook, North Plainfield and Plainfield will be picked up by truck this afternoon.

Everyone stay safe and dry!

Abbie and Katie Go to Woodbridge

Wednesday, October 2, was the start of our Woodbridge residential food waste recycling pilot. 

GWT's involvement with Woodbridge came about in 2012, when Woodbridge Township and the Green Technology Center ran a business green plan competition.  The prize was $7500 and consulting to the winner.  Woodbridge Business Plan Competition Link

The competition involved presenting a powerpoint slide show and 10-minute presentation to a panel of sustainable expert judges. 

Out of a field of seven presenters, GWT was honored and excited to be named the winner of the competition.  Business Plan Winner Link

Part of the condition of accepting the competition prize, was to do business in the town of Woodbridge.

We proposed a residential food waste recycling pilot in the town, using horses as the method of pickup.  After the Mayor John McCorman appoved the project, I met with Caroline Ehrlich, Woodbridge Chief of Staff, Deputy Police Director Joseph Nisky, and Dennis Henry of Public Works to discuss the details.  The neighborhood picked for the pilot is in the Iselin area around the Iselin Middle School and JFK High School.  We would store the wagon and bring the horses to the Indiana Elentary School #18 parking lot. 

The target neighborhood for the Woodbridge Residential Food Waste Recycling Pilot

Since yesterday was our first trip with the horses and the neighborhood, the township assigned Detective Joelle Slossberg, from the Community Affairs Division, to go out with us.

Officer Slossberg met us at the school parking lot.  We unloaded the girls, got them harnessed.



Abbie and Katie gettng ready with Officer Slossberg looking on

Next the girls get hitched to the wagon.

Marc hitching the girls

We gave out 100+ postcards to residents, talked to a lot of people.



Working the Streets of Woodbridge

Meeting new people

 

Saying hello to Woodbridge residents

We'll be doing food waste pickups on Wednesdays and Sundays in Woodbridge.  Our first official pickup will be next Wednesday, October 9.  We already have signups, and will deliver buckets over the weekend.

We also are discussing doing a Food Recycle Day at the Indiana Elementary School #18, as well as a presentation to the elementary school students on horses and our project, with the School Principal Sharon McGreevey.