We started in our backyard. Now we're building something bigger.
Blue Grub Farms is a one-person insect farm in Aurora, Colorado — raising Black Soldier Fly Larvae and building the tools to help others do the same.
We breed Black Soldier Fly larvae and propagate their frass, two of the most underrated tools for a sustainable backyard. We design 3D-printed gear to make raising them simple. And we do it from one converted garage in Aurora, Colorado.
It started with dog poop.
I have three decent-sized dogs, and as any dog owner can tell you, they make a lot of poop. I was looking for a way to dispose of it without sending it to a landfill, because it felt so silly to send a completely organic substance to be preserved in a plastic bag buried under tons of other plastic bags.
I tried so many different methods. I tried composting it, takes way too long. I tried earthworms, they didn't touch the stuff. I thought about just trying to spray the piles with the hose to break them down, but that's pretty gross.
Then I heard about Black Soldier Fly Larvae from a homesteading creator on TikTok. I started doing research into this amazing creature and I was floored by all the benefits they could provide.
I decided to give them a try. I started with an old black-and-yellow 27-gallon bin and I ordered 1,000 BSFL from a company called Symton (great place for BSFL!). I scooped a bunch of poop into the bin, tossed the BSFL in there, and didn't expect much.
When I checked on it two days later, I was floored. All the turds were gone. All that was left was the BSFL and what I would later find out was some stuff called frass. So I started adding all the waste I could find and the larvae handled it. From there I kept researching how I could improve and expand, and now here I am, trying to make the world aware of this incredible, amazing creature.
- Travis Berryhill, Founder, Blue Grub Farms, Aurora, CO
Small fly. Huge appetite.
Hermetia illucens, the black soldier fly, is a saprophyte. It eats decomposing organic matter and converts it into protein, fat, and frass. It doesn't infest your kitchen. It doesn't bite. Most adults don't even have functional mouths.
What's remarkable isn't just what these larvae eat. It's what they leave behind: themselves (one of the most nutrient-dense protein sources available to backyard chicken-keepers), and frass (a soil amendment that puts commercial fertilizers to shame).
We don't just raise larvae. We try to close a loop in our backyard, and yours. - The Blue Grub Farms thesis
Four things you'll always get from us.
We're a small farm, not a venture-backed startup. Every order is packed by hand. Every email gets a real reply. And these four ideas are the ones we'd rather close the business than walk away from.
- Nutrient-rich products - Our Black Soldier Fly larvae and frass are cultivated under optimal conditions to ensure maximum nutrition for your pets and plants. Whether you're feeding reptiles, birds, or enriching your garden, our products deliver.
- Commitment to sustainability - Sustainability isn't a buzzword here, it's the foundation. We use insect farming techniques that recycle organic waste, reduce environmental impact, and support a circular economy.
- Expertise you can trust - With a deep understanding of insect farming and sustainable practices, we offer not just products but expert advice. Our consulting services help you start your own farm or optimize an existing one.
- Local and conscious - Located in Aurora, Colorado, we take pride in supporting our local community and the environment. By choosing us, you're supporting a small, eco-friendly business making a real impact.
Come visit. Or just write.
We don't have a storefront yet, but we're real people in a real garage in Aurora. The fastest way to reach us is through our contact form. The next-fastest is the comments on whichever video you found first.
