Pat Browne

Thorough and well presented!
Now sure if you follow the Hawaiian islands much, but the Puna community (along with others is entirely on catchment.  UHManoa has papers out:
https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/hawaiirain/guidelines.html
And in So Cal, Art Ludwig's books and https://oasisdesign.net/water/conservation/ guided me through my installations.  He had me as soon as he wrote on coliforms microbes.

i have really enjoyed this thread.
Currently I  have passed your 30,000lbs in the last 6 years total. Now I am doing about 500lbs in 4 pickup dates (or 20 'five' gallon buckets) from 2 restaurants making 1,400 meals weekly.
Questions:
1. how many meals are your restaurants doing?
2. Have you considered a hybridized or in tandem vermiculture system?
3. Are you doing both pre and post consumer compostables from the restaurant? and if so, are the consumers gleaning the trash out of it first?

i want to start a program in a local university restaurant that does 60,000 meals/weekly. They are paying a pretty penny to a service carting offsite over 8 miles away and have the space within 750yds.

LOVELY LIST of food, Not sure which ones will live in Southern California (or even get past the customs) which is Dry subtropical Mediterranean.

I would include Scott O'Bar's book Crops for dry lands as a primer for world desert food plants...our own local boy from Santa Barbara:

His website also give out extensive scholarly PDFs for multiple plants:
http://cropsfordrylands.com/

Last week a previously un-introduced neighbour approached me for a donation of worms and castings. It seems I am getting a reputation for sharing my little babies to good homes. I raise native earthworms that have travelled with me from house to house using the green pre-food choppings of a Thai restaurant. The neighbour told me that the cost is generally 37.00/ lb.
I think i am in the wrong business, at least in the summer when they are most plentiful.

Most of what I read on this forum is wonderful testimonials of critical thinking and tenacity in solving the problems. But at some point, when you are willing to sink cash in to the project , you want a little more certainty of the design because you don't want to have to redo it again and you are tired of 'playing' with the concepts.That is the choke point...At least in this county (Ventura,CA) it is really difficult to find that knowledge in someone who:
a. doesn't think you're nuts
b. isn't a flake
c. even knows what you are talking about when you want rain water harvesting system of more than 55 gal barrels

I'm not alone in this...after talking with a Master Gardener, a former mayor of Camarillo, and a resource/ environmental Professor at the local U...there is a real need for someone who can go to a site and
a. personalize the schematics and parts list to your locale
b. understands the So Calif water/weather pattern as well as the local muni and state codes.
c. can list the best tools for the job...whether it be the plans for a apt complex or a private residence.
d. and can figure out the actual labour/ hours needed to get the job done

Is there such a person?

I was listening to NPR radio this morning and struck with the deforestation in Afghanistan with only 2% land left in forest AND the population's use of wood stoves thru the winter.
Does anyone know of the feasibility for the use of dung? Specifically carnivore dung and perhaps omnivore. The herbivore dung is best returned to soil and composting.

3 points I am curious about:
a. rocket mass heaters burn very hot and once started and could burn almost anything...would they fussy about the carbon source if dried?
b. since the air flow is toward the flame...wouldn't that also take the odor with it?
c. what is the best delivery and shape of the item?...compressed 'poop' logs/sticks, loose or pelleted?

In an era of potable water scarcity and gigantic human waste disposal systems....hmmm...I have thoughts of generators/heat fueled with sewage vs landfill coming to mind as I figure a way to dispose of my dog's and cat's waste.

or has this topic been on other forums that I haven't found yet?

Excellent idea.the beauty is that you can plant them in the ground and the paper will rot.
I have added it on to my project of saving all those brown toilet paper cores and bundling them up with wire, filled with soil and placed on an old water heater tray bottom. My neighbor laughs every time she walks by.

One of the upscale nurseries here sells the red wrigglers for $14.00/Lb container...I am so tempted