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May / June 2014

Vol. VIII No. 3

Serving Soil, Mulch, Compost, & Biofuel Professionals www.SoilandMulchProducerNews.com

Attention Readers !

NEWS

Blowing Mulch Streamlines Landscaping Operations While Increasing Profits

Are you looking for Products, Equipment or Services for your business? If so, please check out these leading companies advertised in this issue: Bagging Systems Amadas Industries – pg 6 Hamer LLC – pg 7 PremierTech Chronos – pg 12

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Buildings & Structures ClearSpan – pg 3

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Compost Equipment HCL Machine Works – pg 19

Mulch Coloring Equipment/Colorants AgriCoatings – pg 16 Colorbiotics – pg 15

Shredders, Grinders, Chippers & Screening Systems Allu Group Inc – pg 14 Bandit Industries – pg 9 Eastern Processing Equipment – pg 8 Komptech USA – pg 24 Morbark Inc. – pg 2 Peterson – pg 13 Premier Tech Chronos – pg 12 Rayco Mfg – pg 16 Rotochopper Inc. – pg 23 Screen Machine Inds – pg 11 Screen USA – pg 4 Sundance Grinders – pg 21 West Salem Machinery – pg 12

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By Todd Williams

T

he growth in the blower truck and trailer market business is instrumental in the expansion of the mulch industry with no apparent end in sight, experts say.

From simple residential projects, to large apartment complexes, to 20-story high green roofs, mulch blowing has taken a foothold in the landscaping business.

Once pretty much confined to highway hydro seeding, blower trucks and trailers can now be seen spreading mulch, soil amendments and compost at landscaping sites all over the US. And some of these behemoth machines are even being exported to Canada, Europe and Australia, despite the hefty shipping costs.

Although still considered serving a niche market, these relatively expensive blower machines are gaining steady acceptance in the landscaping industry due to their impressive workload capacities.

“We can spread 100 yards per truck per day of mulch with no problems. It’s perfectly applied

with less waste,” says Steve Scott, owner of Applied Organics, Seattle, Washington. He adds that it would take two employees with a pickup truck at least two days to spread that much dressing. This seems to be a typical scenario for blower truck owners.

Although there is no trade association representing the blower truck business and therefore no accurate compilation of industrywide sales, representatives of two of the major players in the industry report their sales are up from a dismal past several years.

Carla Severe, Marketing Manager at Express Blower, Inc., says her company’s sales are now about 10-12 trucks per year, up somewhat from a serious slump in sales during the last recession.

And at rival Peterson Pacific Corporation, Eugene, Oregon, James Whittenborn, blower truck sales manager, reports steady sales of three to four trucks and trailers per year over the Continued on page 3

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Soil

Blowing Mulch Streamlines Landscaping Operations While Increasing Profits Continued from page 1

past several years. Peterson also manufactures horizontal grinders and chippers. Whittenborn says Peterson got into the blower truck and trailer business back in 2001 as a “logical expansion” of the chipper and grinder business.

Express Blower began in 2002 when an Oregon-based company named Rexius Forest Byproducts, Inc. sold its blower truck technology to Finn Corporation which now makes the trucks in Cincinnati, Ohio under the Express moniker.

Although there are technical differences between the two major manufacturers of blower trucks and trailers, the equipment essentially works the same.

B a s i c a l ly, a c c o r d i n g t o c o m p a ny representatives and literature, the blower equipment comes in two configurations – an integrated box and chassis combination, and a trailer-mounted blower unit that’s pulled by a separate tractor. The truck unit operates its blower off a PTO while the trailer unit operates off its own diesel engine, usually a 250 or 335 horsepower unit.

Both varieties have either a reel hose, or a truck bed storage area for the hose. Trucks come with four-inch, five-inch or six-inch hoses, usually in lengths of 100 feet or more.

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PUBLICATION STAFF Publisher / Editor Rick Downing Contributing Editors / Writers Todd Williams • Sandy Woodthorpe Production & Layout Barb Fontanelle • Christine Pavelka Advertising Sales Rick Downing Subscription / Circulation Donna Downing Editorial, Circulation & Advertising Office 6075 Hopkins Road, Mentor, OH 44060 Ph: 440-257-6453 • Fax: 440-257-6459 Email: downassoc2@oh.rr.com Subscription information, call 440-257-6453.

Soil & Mulch Producer News is published bimonthly by Downing & Associates. Reproductions or transmission in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher, is prohibited.

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Capacities of the blower equipment are measured in cubic yards and are typically in 30, 45, 60, 70 and 90 -cubic yard configurations.

According to industry sales people, there are advantages to using either blower configuration.

Trailer mounted units have an advantage of directly linking the diesel engine to the blower unit, resulting in more power available to the system. Also, the trailer engine can operate on lower cost off-highway fuel. Additionally, tractors pulling the blower trailers can be used with other heavy equipment when not transporting the blower.

Blower trucks, company representatives point out, have one major advantage over trailers because of their smaller length; they are more maneuverable and easier to drive into restricted areas.

“Trucks are a little more versatile because of their length. At 36 feet, trucks can get into smaller areas to work. We find that trailers seem to be used by more of our landscapers who handle large commercial and municipal jobs because of their capacity,” Wittenborn adds.

Price-wise, blower trailers are less expensive, primarily due to the fact that they have to be paired with a tractor. However, when the price of a tractor is factored in, cost for the trailer is about the same for a truck unit. Generally, prices for trucks or trailers run in the $275,000$435,000 range, depending on options. Used equipment usually costs in the $120,00-$275,00 range.

Performance on all the trucks and trailers vary somewhat, but these large units are capable of blowing mulch, compost, soil and gravel.

All have the advantage of distributing these products in a uniform manner in a wide range of conditions. These units can function just fine in most weather conditions including rain and cold temperatures.

Express Blower’s Severe notes, “all blower units are capable of blowing any material, but the customer’s market will determine what size blower to purchase.” For instance, if the landscaper blows mulch on green roofs in the 10-story and up range, then a larger blower unit would be a good purchase.

She suggest that because of the hefty cost of blower equipment, companies will find it is to their advantage to use the blowers to mulch in the spring and then use the truck for other purposes such as green roofs and erosion control the rest of the year.

“We blow everything to keep our employees and equipment busy,” says Lupe Jimenez, owner of Red Bark, Inc., a major Portland, Oregonbased landscaper.

Jimenez, who owns seven trucks and a trailer, manufactured by Peterson, started with a single truck 10 years ago. He now has 20 employees who comprise five work crews.

Jimenez says his customer mix is about 65% Continued on page 4

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Blowing Mulch Streamlines Landscaping Operations

Continued from page 3

to 70% commercial and about 30% to 35% residential.

Jimenez says his crews blow approximately 500 to 700 cubic yards of material every day.

“If we did that by hand, we could spread only about 50 cubic yards a day. The only time we do anything by hand now is when we spread a cubic yard of mulch on a flowerbed. It doesn’t pay to do hand work anymore. Blower trucks are my business now. It has been a great investment,” he adds.

D a n F u q u a y, o w n e r o f A c h i n g Acres Landscaping, Evansville, Indiana, wholeheartedly agrees with Jimenez.

Fuquay, who bought his first truck from Express Blower in 2003, now uses this blower and two more he’s purchased eight to ten months a year.

“Once you get used to having a blower truck, you find that you can’t get along without it. My trucks are a huge asset to this business and real labor savers,” Fuquay says.

He recounts that before purchasing blower trucks, a 40-cubic-yard mulching job would require three or four employees working all day to spread three to four dump trucks of material.

This same job using a blower truck takes a twoperson crew three to four hours to complete.

Fuquay says his truck-based operation is profitable beyond expectations, adding that at $75 per cubic yard, he can earn about $25,000

per week spreading mulch.

“The second year of owning our trucks, we doubled our sales. Now we’re up to about $2 million a year and we only have two salesmen and five installers,” the Evansville businessman says.

Whereas Aching Acres uses blower trucks and pursues high end residential landscaping jobs as well as some state contracted work, Brendan Immers owns three blower trailers and a small blower truck and services a customer mix of 85% commercial and 15% residential.

Located in Rocklin, California, Immers owns Applied Landscape Materials, which he started in 2006 as a result of an accident.

“I live on a hillside in Northern California.

I was putting bark on my property by hand and fell off the hill. I thought there had to be a better way of applying mulch on a steep terrain, so I got online and did some research,” Immers recalls.

His “accident” led Immers to quit his whitecollar job, buy a small blower truck and go into business blowing mulch on small residential properties. And he hasn’t looked back.

Immers says his business takes him all over northern California with an average daily workload of 500 to 600 cubic yards of material.

Although he still does an occasional house job with his original truck, Immers notes he has a 30-yard minimum order. He adds that most of his work involves municipal projects, including

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playgrounds and streetscapes. He counts the California Department of Transportation as one of his major clients.

He adds that his trailers consisting of a Peterson-built 90-cubic yard machine and two 70yard units are perfect for streetscape work because his driver can go slowly down the road while another member of the crew applies the mulch.

“The bulk of material we apply is mulch, but we are expanding into erosion control blankets utilizing compost. Anywhere there is disturbed earth is where we use that material,” he explains.

As with all company owners contacted for this article, Immers is a “hands on” type of owner.

“Even though I have 12 employees spreading 50,000 to 70,000 yards of material a year, I still go into the field all the time and shake my customer’s hands. I enjoy the work because it’s a challenge for me,” he says.

Immers, like many in the mulch application business, buys his product directly from the mills and stocks it in a dedicated yard, thus saving money on the middleman.

Applied Organics’ owner Scott also buys his mulch directly from the mills and stockpiles it in his yard to fill his Express Blower equipment - a 30-cubic yard trailer and two 60-cublic yard blower trucks.

Scott, who started in the landscape business back in 2003, with just two employees and a pickup truck, soon realized that spreading mulch with a blower instead of by hand, was the best way to grow his business.

In the beginning, Scott recalls, he pooled his landscaping jobs together and hired another company to blow the mulch. As his business grew, Scott realized that he needed to purchase his own blower unit to ease scheduling of jobs and to make more money. So he took the plunge, buying a 30-cubic yard trailer.

“At first it was hard to make the equipment payments, but we kept at it. I just knew that quality of service, a good work ethic and willingness to get your hands dirty would make us successful,” Scott recalls.

Now with eight employees plus himself, Scott says he stays very busy, blowing about 100 cubic yards of mulch per day per truck.

Although he does little sales himself, the jobs keep coming in. He explains that the key to his sales is the fact that he works for a diverse group of landscapers in the Seattle area. These people have their own sales force garnering work for Applied Organics.

Besides residential projects and commercial work including numerous office parks, Applied Organics also handles large projects for the Washington State Department of Transportation. These include road construction and compost-based erosion control projects, as well as storm water management. Scott also has been averaging one green roof project a week, having recently completed a seven-story roof.

“We are efficient and we can put down mulch perfectly, with less waste, using our blower units. And that’s what counts,” he notes.

Soil

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Mulch Producer NEWS

Western New York Food Waste Recycler Taps Animal Feed, Compost & Cattle Markets

B

By Todd Williams

ill Baskin not only preaches recycling; he’s made it his life’s work and in doing so developed a thriving business. This Massachusetts native discovered many years ago that necessity was indeed the mother of invention when he acquired about 70 acres of typical rocky New England pastureland in Rhode Island.

“The name of the farm was ‘High Rock Farm.’ But they should have named it ‘All Rock Farm,’ Baskin quips. With 700 head of cattle to feed and no tillable soil to grow feed, Baskin turned to bakery waste for a solution.

Locating a man with a small truck, Baskin purchased thrown away English muffins and hamburger rolls from a nearby baked goods factory.

Baskin explains that this food waste was from day-olds and mistakes at the bakery.

Recycling old baked goods that were going to end up in a landfill seemed like a good idea to him. After some basic testing, Baskin discovered the material, once shredded and dried, made a perfect and inexpensive cattle feed, something really needed to raise cows on a rocky New England farm. “We played around with different kinds of food to replace corn and hit on baked goods as a replacement. It was readily available and inexpensive,” he recalls.

After the contract trucker quit the business, Baskin bought his own truck and started hauling the rejected bakery products to feed his cows.

Pretty soon Baskin found a large bagel bakery that urgently needed to dispose of its food waste. Baskin stepped up to the plate.

Eventually, Baskin explains, the manager of that bagel factory was moved to the company’s West Seneca, NY plant, which also needed to have its food waste recycled. Baskin decided to follow the business and open a waste-to-feed operation and cattle ranch in New York that would be run by his friend’s brother.

When the brother backed out of the deal, Baskin and his veterinarian wife, Susan, moved to Genesee County in western New York. At first they rented a place, eventually buying an 846-acre farm in Batavia and setting up food waste recycling and cattle operations there in 1991 under the existing family farm name, Baskin Livestock.

Now that operation has grown by leaps and bounds. The farm has expanded to over 1,750 acres where in addition to his recycling business, Baskin and his wife graze and feed over 1,000 head of cattle. Additionally, he keeps over 5,000 head at other locations. Some cattle are raised for choice and prime beef, while the heifers are for sale as dairy replacement cows.

Being the consummate recycler, Baskin uses the manure from his cattle business mixed with horse manure from local farms to create 3,000 yards per year of rich compost that is used on his fields and sold in bulk as well.

But the real heart of the Baskin business is animal feed – and lots of it.

As one of the largest waste-to-feed operations in the country, Baskin’s plant processes close to 100,000 tons of food waste annually. And although a small amount is sold directly to farmers, most is sold in bulk to commercial feed mills where it is further processed.

Stoking Baskin’s 40,000-square foot milling plant is food waste from approximately 50 manufacturers of pre-consumer waste including baked goods, candy and pasta.

Although declining to name his suppliers due to contractual obligations, Baskin says in addition to smaller bakeries, some represent “Fortune 500 companies in the food business.”

Servicing these companies on a daily basis, are almost 50 Baskin employees who retrieve and process the food waste using the company’s

Photos courtesy of Baskin Livestock

16 tractors and over 80 semi trailers.

Once unloaded at the Baskin operation – an area about twice the size of a football field - the wet raw material is thoroughly mixed, shredded, dried, and then finely screened for bulk shipping to approximately 12 to 15 feed mills. These mills are located in New England, Pennsylvania, New York and Canada. Once at the mill, Baskin’s product, considered a corn replacement material, is mixed with other ingredients for the final product.

He notes that about half of the feed is used for cattle and the other half for hogs.

All along the process, Baskin says he recycles, including all the packaging material. This plastic and paper material, including cardboard is shredded as well and mixed with sawdust from pallets to fuel the burner which provides heat for the massive food waste drier.

This burner and drier, designed and installed by Tyler Player of Player Design Inc., are an integral part of the operation, says Baskin. “By drying the materials, we cut moisture from about 25% to 8% as required by the feed mills,” he explains.

He further notes that after drying, most baked goods weigh about 65% of what they did prior to processing. Pasta, on the other hand weighs about 95% of its pre-processing weight.

Baskin says timing plays a very critical role in this day-to-day operation. He notes that his drivers have to show up on time for their raw material pick-up or “a full waste compactor, could potentially shut down a bakery plant with 300 or 400 employees.” Timeliness is also important to keep Baskin’s trucks running on schedule.

For instance, he notes, a typical scenario has a truck being sent to deliver material to a feed mill, then taking that now empty trailer to a bakery where it is dropped off to be filled, with the already full trailer brought back to the Baskin facility. “Efficiency is the key to this whole operation,” says Baskin.

Pricing the raw materials and the finished product is also very critical to Baskin’s operation. The entire business, he notes, is “hooked” to the price of corn, the main staple in his product and the main grain found in livestock feed. Pricing, according to Baskin, is done on a weekly basis to maximize sales and profits.

Having product on hand in important. To that end, Baskin says he normally stores 2,000 to 3,000 tons of raw material and finished feed onsite in case his supply is disrupted. And because the finished product is basically completely dry, it can be stored indefinitely without spoiling or developing mold.

Baskin prides himself on the quality of his product as well as his efficiency in operations, both he feels has attributed to the growth of his company. “Nothing could have been accomplished without our dedicated staff ” says Baskin.

“Well, five years ago we were shipping about 750 tons per week. Now we’re shipping 1,500 tons per week. And in the next five years I expect to see us grow by 50%,” Baskin notes.

Also important to Baskin is the recycling aspect of his business. “There are 100 billion pounds of food wasted in this country every year according to the EPA. If I can divert 1,500 tons out of the landfills, then I’m doing my part in the effort. That is like replacing 20,000 acres of corn per week.”

Baskin calls his operation “a steward of the land” and hopes his company’s contribution to recycling will make a difference.“If we go any greener,” he laughs, “I’d have to paint my barn green.”

May / June 2014 Soil & Mulch Producer News

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Largest US Anaerobic Biodigester Energizes University of CA

D

avis, CA — A campus anaerobic biodigester is converting University of California, Davis food and landscaping waste into energy, according to an Ecowatch. com report.

Formally unveiled on Earth Day, the Renewable Energy Anaerobic Digester (READ) was constructed in record time – it began operating in just six months. The $8.5 million cost of the project was roughly two-thirds less than other anaerobic digesters the university had researched. READ converts 50 tons of

organic waste to methane, which in turn fuels generators to create 12,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable electricity each day.

Being hailed as the nation’s largest anaerobic biodigester on a college campus, READ is the third commercial biodigester that its builder, CleanWorld, has launched. READ employs technology developed by UC Davis biological and agricultural Engineering professor, Ruihong Zhang, who serves as the chief technology advisor for CleanWorld.

Anaerobic digestion is an age-old process.

However, Zhang’s patented technology made it more efficient — capable of consuming a broader variety and bigger quantity of waste, turning it into clean energy faster and more consistently than other commercial anaerobic biodigesters.

The facility took unique advantage of its location at the now closed UC Davis landfill by blending landfill gases — primarily methane — with the biogas to create a total of 5.6 million kWh per year of clean electricity. Annually, the biodigester is expected to generate 5.6 million kWh of electricity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 13,500 tons and divert 20,000 tons of waste from local landfills.

The READ BioDigester is a closed loop system, moving waste from farm to fork to fuel and back to farm. Nearly half of the organic waste, or feedstock, needed to operate the biodigester to full benefit comes from UC Davis dining halls, animal facilities and campus grounds. CleanWorld is working with area food processing and distribution centers to supply the remaining amount of feedstock. Meanwhile, UC Davis will earn 100 percent of the project’s green energy and carbon credits and receive all of the electricity generated.

Whatever is not turned into biogas to generate renewable electricity can be used as fertilizer and soil amendments — four million gallons of it per year, which could provide natural fertilizers for an estimated 145 acres of farmlands each day.

The READ BioDigester encompasses several of the university’s goals: reducing campus waste in a way that makes both economic and environmental sense, generating renewable energy, and transferring technology developed at UC Davis to the commercial marketplace.

CleanWorld, a subsidiary of Synergex, financed the majority of the READ project with private equity and a commercial loan with First Northern Bank. Approximately $2 million in public funding came from the U.S. Department of Energy and the California Energy Commission.

CleanWorld built two other biodigesters in the Sacramento area. The Sacramento BioDigester, which opened in December 2012 can digest 25 tons per day. Construction is underway to expand its size to digest 100 tons per day and produce 700,000 gallons per year of renewable compressed natural gas, fueling both public and private fleets.

In Natomas, the American River Packaging BioDigester opened in April 2012. That facility can convert 10 tons of waste per day and generate roughly 1,300 kWh of energy daily.

:

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Would you like more information about products and equipment advertised in this issue? If so, complete the Equipment Locator Service form between pages 12 & 13 and fax to 440-257-6459.

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Researchers Study Compost as an Alternative to Methyl Bromide

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avis, CA — University of California scientists are bringing agriculture a step closer to phasing out Methyl Bromide, according to a post on the school’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Department blog, UCanr.edu.

Methyl Bromide is one of a class of chemical fumigants cited in the 1987 Montreal Protocol as a contributor to ozone depletion. Growers commonly apply fumigants to prevent a range of soil-borne diseases that can affect crops, such as strawberries.

UC Davis researchers have been looking at ways for strawberry growers to make an economically viable and effective transition away from the soil fumigant. Initial alternatives have included casting tarps over fields (to decrease oxygen), applying mustard seed meal amendment, and using steam disinfestation.

Now, they are looking at compost as an alternative to chemical and biological fumigants. Conventional and organic growers alike use compost to boost soil fertility and organic matter. But until now, little research has been done to explore compost’s potential to serve other purposes, including suppressing disease.

Ph.D. student Margaret Lloyd and Tom Gordon, professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at UC Davis are conducting the study, “Sustainable Strawberry Production in the Absence of Soil Fumigation.�

Support comes from the National Strawberry Sustainability Initiative, a program administered by University of Arkansas and funded by the WalMart Foundation. Additional funding comes from the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program.

The study evaluates the root health of strawberry plants in trial plots, and compares plant yield and disease suppression across a number of research sites and compost types. The big question is whether compost can suppress disease on a commercial scale and if so, how growers can best incorporate compost into their farm management to see its benefits. “In general, we talk about compost just as compost,� Lloyd says. “But it has drastically different qualities — soil fertility characteristics, physical properties, and microbial profiles. By focusing on different compost sources, the study will help growers better assess their available compost options to meet their farm needs.� Composts being compared in the study include worm compost, manure-based compost, spent mushroom compost, and municipal yard trimmings compost.

Alternatives to Methyl Bromide have been a long time coming, Lloyd adds. “The research suggests that it won’t be one technology replacing another, but a package of tools to help growers manage disease suppression in the soil.�

The research findings will be completed later this year, with results available for growers in 2015. !1

06/12/2013 11:13

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Legionella Bacteria Found in UK Composts

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lasgow, Scotland — Scientists say they have identified the presence of a disease-causing bacteria in 22 brands of compost sold here, according to a Sciencedaily. com article.

Although the bacteria, Legionella, are known to be commonly present in the environment, the University Strathclyde study has yielded the first comprehensive analysis of composts sold in the UK. The researchers tested a total of 24 different compost samples for Legionella bacteria. Twenty-two samples were taken from commercially available brands; two came from other sources - green-waste and home-made compost. Fourteen of the commercial brands contained some variety of Legionella species.

Legionella longbeachae, which causes the

human infection, Pontiac Fever, was found in four brands. Two isolates of Legionella pneumophila, the cause of Legionnaire’s Disease, also were identified. The scientists noted the latest incidence of contamination is higher than previously seen in Europe.

The study concluded that the occurrence of Legionella in over half of the samples tested poses a public health risk. The authors advised producers to add hygiene warnings to compost packages.

According to the study director, Dr. Tara K. Beattie, of the University of Strathclyde’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, there may be a link between the use of sawdust and bark in making compost and compost-related cases of Legionellosis in New Zealand and Australia.

In the UK and across Europe, composts traditionally have been composed of peat, but that is changing. Dr. Beattie theorizes that moving away from peat-based products could be resulting in Legionella longbeachae being present in compost. Further study is needed, she says.

“It should be emphasized though, that although Legionella seem to be common in compost, human infection is very rare, especially if you consider the volume of compost sold and used,” Dr. Beattie notes.

The study was conducted by researchers of the Scottish Haemophilus, Legionella, Meningococcus and Pneumococcus Reference Laboratory.

US Northeastern Forests Transformed Over Centuries

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a s h i n g t o n , D C — Fo re s t s i n nine northeastern US states were transformed radically over the last four centuries by human activity, but their composition is now much the same as what the first settlers encountered, reports a ScienceDaily. com article.

The scientists pored over colonial-era property records, finding references to more than 300,000 individual trees. Over time, they found, logging, agriculture and natural reforestation changed composition of forests from Maine to Pennsylvania. Though they say most of those varieties of trees persist, today’s forests are very different from those in colonial times.

Beech, oak, hemlock and spruce are less abundant, with the sharpest decrease seen in beech proportions in Vermont, western Massachusetts, and northern Pennsylvania.

Once forming an average of 22 percent of precolonial forests, only about 7 percent of forests now are composed of beech. Fir, cherry and maple trees increased in abundance, with maples experiencing the highest absolute change in proportions from 11 percent in the past to 31 percent in modern forests.

The scientists observed that, despite these changes and opportunities for species invasion or loss, the varieties of trees in modern forests are remarkably similar to pre-colonial forests.

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Portland Food Waste Composting Program Launched

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ortland, OR – Now that the Metro commercial composting program is underway, participating Portland businesses are encountering some challenges, according to an article on OregonLive.com.

Adapting to the new rules, which ban nonfood items from the food composting waste stream, requires staff training and mindfulness.

For instance one restaurant, Mother’s Bistro & Bar, has been using compostable butcher paper on its dining tables, but since only organic items are allowed in the composting program, the paper can’t be recycled as before.

Lisa Schroeder, the executive chef and owner, said the change is a “real bummer.”

“It’s hard enough to separate everything,” she said. Keeping the kitchen staff educated on composting rules is another task on top of running the business.

Good intentions, along with recyclable items that were “earth friendly” in the past, such as certain kinds of produce containers, utensils, cups, plates, napkins and the like, have to be rethought if food preparation or service waste is going to the city’s composting facility.

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Peterson blower trucks and trailers are some of the most robust and innovative in the industry. With the ability to deliver a variety of materials up to 600 feet, they are the premium choice for spreading mulch, and soil erosion control specialists.

Just one look at a Peterson blower truck or trailer can show you why we build the most innovative machines in the market.

Key features such as the IQAN operating system, a walking floor, and easy serviceability make our products the best in the business! www.petersoncorp.com Visit us a www.petersoncorp.com today and see why Peterson is the industry leader for disc and drum chippers, horizontal grinders, blower trucks, screens and stacking conveyors.

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Environmentalists, Policy Wonks Debate Biomass Emissions

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oston, MA — Wood-fed biomass plants have been getting a lot of heat as the debate over costs vs. clean continues, according to an article on CleanTechnica.com.

Currently, more than 9,600 facilities are operating in the US. Methane or algae energy generation, also biomass-based, are not at issue. Wood, however, has gained attention in the media as a shady alternative to fossil fuels. Because wood-burning technology has received the lion’s share of government subsidy money, critics have focused on its higher carbon emissions and related compliance issues.

An article in the Wall Street Journal tallied $700 million in federal and state green-energy subsidies since 2009 for the biomass industry, compared to annual fossil fuel subsidies of $14 to $52 billion. The article also cited the biomass industry’s history of lax compliance with emissions standards and the premium electrical rates it charges to consumers.

A 2010 study by Massachusetts state environmental officials found that biomass-fired electricity actually might cause a 3% greater increase in carbon emissions than equivalent power from coal by 2050.

In the UK, biomass, where it has taken off in a big way with strong government support, opposition from environmentalists has ensued.

Meanwhile, Dr. Mary S. Booth, a former Environmental Working Group scientist who now works for the Partnership for Policy Integrity, has released a highly critical study of the biomass industry. Booth has long been an opponent of wood as a feedstock.

Booth’s study, “Trees, Trash, and Toxics: How Biomass Energy Has Become the New Coal,” castigates the industry, using details and data from 88 air emissions permits issued to wood-burning plants. The wood burning plants, she asserts, spew twice as much nitrogen oxide, soot, carbon monoxide and volatile organic matter as coal plants, she writes.

“What emerges from our analysis is a picture of an industry that despite loudly and continually proclaiming itself clean and green, is in many respects still one of the dirtiest corners of the energy industry, an

industry where avoidance of pollution restrictions is tolerated, and even encouraged, by state and federal regulators,” Booth points out.

The Biomass Power Association of the US has criticized Booth’s report for not being peer-reviewed or supported by other environmental organizations. The BPA cites a 2011 published, peer-reviewed report in the Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association that provides evidence of emission reductions -- particulate emissions by 98%, NOX emissions by 54%, CO emissions by 97%, and CO2 emission by 17%.

A BPA rebuttal states: “Facilities that emit less than 250 tons [emphasized in the Booth report] are very minor contributors to overall air quality. The Prevention of Significant Deterioration permitting program is designed appropriately to focus on larger emitters given they are the source of the vast majority of emissions in this country.”

In terms of sustainability, arguments over wood as biomass center on forestry and logging practices and the availability of other feedstocks, such as switchgrass.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) estimated in its “Geographic Perspective” on the American biomass resource (2005) that less than 40% of American biomass feedstock came from wood. Lumber mills provided 19% of it; forest residues, 13%; and “urban wood,” 7%. Crop residues were the largest single contributor, and Conservation Reserve Program switchgrass came in next, just surpassing wood from lumber mills.

Paul Thompson, head of policy at the UK’s Renewable Energy Association says, “Even when we factor in the biomass supply chain, which includes shipping and processing, its carbon footprint is dwarfed by coal.”

The US Environmental Protection Agency is revisiting restrictions on wood-burning plants this summer. In addition, the EPA has implemented its “Burn Wise” public awareness and education program to emphasize burning the right wood, the right way, in the right wood-burning appliance.

Industry observers expect the EPA to apply the same kinds of regulatory policies to biomass plants.

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Yard Waste Recycling Resumes for Kitsap County, WA

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ingston, WA — The purchase of a bankrupt composting company by a longtime family business means yard waste recycling will resume here, reports KPBJ.com.

The closure of Emu Composting Topsoil left Kitsap County without a composting service until Jeff West, co-founder and president of New Day Recycling opened Olympic Organics.

Olympic Organics accepts grass, brush, manure, wood wastes for the composting venture and is the only place in Kitsap County that offers both residential and commercial composting services.

As part of the new venture, Olympic is partnering with Bainbridge Island-based Green Mountain Technologies. Green Mountain has been helping education and institutional customers with composting projects and providing services to a wide range of customers.

West says the partnership makes possible a new compost processing method that uses computercontrolled fans to aerate the compost piles. This will speed up the processing time, he adds.

West said that by taking over Emu Composting & Topsoil, Olympic Organics will make a difference to the community. “We can’t force people to compost,” he said, “but we can provide a place for people to do so if they choose.”

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E

arth & Turf Products, LLC, recently introduced its Model 60SP, an economical, very maneuverable, self-propelled topdresser, ideal for spreading dry or wet compost and sand, plus a variety of other materials. It features easy loading into its 6.7 cu. ft. hopper. Maximum load weight is 650 Lbs (296 kg). Optional loading chutes will increase capacity for lighter materials such as compost. A wide-spread beater produces an even spread pattern up to 42 inches wide.

The 60SP is powered by a 190 cc Briggs & Stratton, 875 series, 6.5 HP engine. Drive is by CV belt, forward and reverse.

This extremely economical self-propelled topdresser is the latest example of Simple, Well-built Products from Earth & Turf Products, LLC. For more information contact Earth & Turf Products, LLC at 888-693-2638 or visit www.earthandturf.com

Warren & Baerg Introduces the Model G2100-26-400 Horizontal Grinder

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he Model G2100-26400 Grinder is the largest and the latest generation of Warren & Baerg’s high production, virtually dust free, square bale grinders. The G2100-26-400 Grinder model is designed specifically to feed two (2) 4’ x 4’ x 8’ bales, side-by-side, allowing customers to have the ability to blend two different types of material at the same time.

The Warren & Baerg Grinding Systems consists of a bale feed conveyor with dust hood, Grinder, Screens, and either an air discharge chute or takeaway conveyor, depending on customer specific needs and grind size. The Bale Feed Systems are mechanically loaded, or can be semi-automatic to fit application needs. The grinder is electrically powered with two 200 horsepower motors. However, for lower tonnage applications, the grinder can be sized with lower horsepower motors.

For more information contact Warren & Baerg at 559-591-6790 or info@warrenbaerg.com or visit our website at www.warrenbaerg.com. Please visit the following link to see the Model G2100-26-400 operating: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s15iaSd7jAY&list=U Uh64sp4T9ZocNLiAZQp6NvQ.

Bandit Offers Stump Grinding Attachment for Skid Steers

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andit Industries now offers the Stump Gun, a stump grinding attachment designed for use with skid steers. The Stump Gun’s innovative-yet-simple design allows it to easily grind stumps of virtually any shape or size. It attaches to skid-steer loaders in seconds, and it’s powered by the skid steer’s hydraulic system.

The Stump Gun connects to any skid steer with a quick attach plate. Once attached, the operator simply connects the hydraulic lines and removes the Stump Gun from its stand cradle. Because it operates vertically, the Stump Gun can be used to grind stumps of virtually any size. Operators simply drive to the stump, raise the Stump Gun into position, and grind the stump from left to right. The vertical design helps to aid chip containment while also being very effective on odd-shaped stumps and rootballs.

Maintaining the Stump Gun is as easy as operating it.

Two grease points, nine grinding teeth and an end-cap on the shaft are the extent of the maintenance. Keep the Stump Gun greased and monitor the teeth and end-cap for wear—that’s it.

The powerful hydraulic motor requires no routine maintenance, and the steel grinding shaft is built to easily withstand regular grinding operation.

To learn more about the Stump Gun, contact your local authorized Bandit dealer, or contact Bandit Industries directly at 800-952-0178.

Rayco Introduces RCT60 Field Service Truck

T

he new RCT60 Field Service Truck from Rayco is the solution for carrying tools, supplies, fuel, and service personnel over difficult terrain on off-road jobsites. The RCT60 Field Service Truck combines a custom built JOMAC Service Body with the RCT60 rubber track Crawler Truck to provide in-field service capability, eliminating the need to bring machines to a landing or roadway. The RCT60 is powered by a 67hp Kubota diesel engine and rides on 17.7” rubber tracks.

Its service body can be outfitted to meet your individual needs with cranes, welders, air compressors, fuel tanks, and more.

For more information, visit www.raycomfg.com or call 800-392-2686.

Product/Equipment Profiles

Earth & Turf Products, LLC Introduces Self-Propelled Topdresser

May / June 2014 Soil & Mulch Producer News 17

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aste Conversion Technology Conference & Trade Show provides a forum for informing the public & private sectors of the economic & environmental significance of converting waste materials to alternative fuels such as biodiesel & ethanol as well as renewable electric energy.

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May / June 2014

Soil

Arsenic in Ohio Soils Pose a Regulatory Conundrum

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olumbus, OH — Arsenic levels in Ohio soils have been found to exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency limits, reports an article on ScienceDaily.com.

The findings of a new study published in the Journal of Environmental Quality are not cause for public alarm, however. The authors say Ohio’s naturally-occurring arsenic results from geologic and soil processes that have occurred over the course of hundreds of millions of years. They also note that the US EPA levels typically are set far below those thought to be harmful to humans.

The study, entitled, “Modeling Spatial Patterns in Soil Arsenic to Estimate Natural Baseline Concentrations,” provides regulators a start for determining what levels should trigger action when natural arsenic levels everywhere are above suggested screening standards.

Scientists from the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Ohio State University, Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the US Department of Geological Survey conducted the study, to date the largest of its type (842 samples collected).

The team collected soil samples from areas with minimal human activity across the nearly 45,000 square miles of land that make up the state of Ohio. Soil samples taken by the US Geological Survey as part of the National Geochemical Survey, and those collected for a previous study (related to uranium exploration) were tested, also. The analysis included two soil samples each from 348 sites throughout Ohio (one sample taken from 6-12 inches below the surface and another from 12-24 inches deep) and 144 stream sediment samples.

Overall, arsenic in samples ranged from 2 to 45.6 parts per million by weight, with an average of 9.69 parts per million. The US EPA’s screening standard is 0.39 parts per million. Very few samples had less arsenic than 3 parts per million; samples more than 10 parts per million were very common; and levels of more than 20 parts per million were common for central Ohio.

The team found no correlation between industrial activity and arsenic levels. Soils from some industrial areas in regions with high baseline arsenic levels, such as Columbus, Cleveland and Youngstown, had higher levels, for instance, but soils near other industrial areas like Cincinnati, Dayton and Toledo in the southwestern or northwestern parts of the state had lower levels.

Levels from soil samples 18 to 24 inches below the surface were on average almost 50 percent higher than levels in the topsoil -- more evidence that high levels are due to geological conditions and not human activity, the study authors say.

Exposure to high arsenic levels has been linked to cancer, neuromuscular damage, skin diseases, and death. Most exposures occur via drinking water, foods, and even through minute amounts of dirt that people unknowingly ingest every day. But as with many compounds, the element -- abundant in Earth’s crust -- does little or no measurable harm at very low levels.

Phoenix Energy Signs Agreement to Build California’s First Forest Biomass Gasification Plant near Lake Tahoe

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an Francisco, CA — Phoenix Energy recently announced that it has signed agreements to build and operate a biomass gasification plant near Lake Tahoe, California. The 2-megawatt plant will utilize forest biomass from Placer County’s fire threat reduction activities to make electricity, heat and biochar.

The plant will be the first to use forest-based fuel in California. The Lake Tahoe project is Phoenix Energy’s third biomass gasification plant in state and when fully operational it will be the company’s largest plant.

In an effort to reduce forest fire risk and improve air quality, Placer County has been seeking to develop an alternative to open burning of large biomass piles. The recent massive Rim Fire in California’s high sierras gave renewed emphasis to finding a better solution to managing that risk. “The piling and burning forest biomass in the open is a complete waste of a resource and bad for air quality – but it is often the only economic option for local communities. This plant will serve as a path towards a more sustainable outcome while providing local jobs and local energy,” said Stangl.

Brett Storey, Placer County’s biomass coordinator said, “After years of effort we are delighted to have an environmentally superior way of managing forest health and fire risk than what has been the norm. To reduce fire risk in an economical way while creating jobs and bringing investment in the County is a great bonus.”

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EQUIPMENT PRODUCT SHOWCASE

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Globalization Increases Risks to Forest Health

S

outhampton, England — Research conducted by three universities in the United Kingdom spells out the implications of increased foreign trade’s impact on trees and forests across the world, according to a ScienceDaily. com article.

A study led by scientists from the University of Southampton concludes that world trade may increase the spread of disease and pests, as well as provide opportunities for genetic reassortment which can enhance pathogenicity (the ability of an organism to cause disease). Based on the study findings, the authors advise adopting more effective and science-based controls to prevent trouble.

The researchers looked beyond the UK to observe that widespread death of trees, similar to that seen from Dutch elm disease and the decimation of ash caused by the fungal disease, Chalara fraxinea, is happening throughout the world.

As world trade increases in its reach and volume, the researchers urge policymakers to incorporate new approaches to pest and disease management.

It’s important, they say, to take forest ecosystems into account and to consider the multiple services that trees provide, including carbon sequester and storage, reducing flood risk and leisure use.

Identifying all species that may become pests will be impossible, the researchers admit. But they stress risk management at “pathways of introduction,” especially where modern trade practices provide potential new routes of entry for pests and pathogens. This is why the paper argues for science-based policy and prevention practices. Stopping the introduction of new diseases before they can do damage while at the same time improving recovery through ongoing management of affected forests also are key strategies, the authors say. They also suggest breeding resistant trees and developing effective bio-control systems.

The review, “The consequences of Tree Pests and Diseases for Ecosystem Services” was conducted by scientists from the universities of Southampton, Cambridge, Oxford and St Andrews and published in the journal Science.

Farm Bill Review Draws Montana Foresters and Environmentalists

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issoula, MT — Conservationists and foresters came together in April to discuss their thoughts and concerns about the 2014 Farm Bill, an article on Missoulian.com

reports.

The meeting was hosted by Senator John Walsh, who sits on the US Senate’s Agriculture Committee. Walsh listened carefully to comments from the attendees and noted the importance of balancing economy, jobs and environment in the state. Agriculture, of which forestry is a part, is Montana’s largest industry.

Ken Williams, owner of Triple W Equipment, the company which hosted the meeting, is a board member of the Montana Wood Products Association. Williams emphasized the common stake that foresters and conservationists hold in caring for the state’s woodlands.

“Wood products people are also conservationists. They want to have healthy, sustainable forests,” Williams said.

Bob Harrington, forestry division administrator of the state’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, told the group that nearly seven million acres of Montana’s forested land has been affected by pine beetles and other forest health issues.

The Farm Bill allocates funds to combat the pine beetle infestations before they spread, but the money also may be used to pay for work in areas hit by the pests.

“We know there’s not enough money in the Treasury to pay for all of these projects,” Harrington said, adding that Governor Steve Bullock wants to see projects that are eventually funded by the wood product market in Montana.

ADVERTISER NEWS Premier Tech Chronos Equipment Sells 300th Bagging Machine

P

remier Tech Chronos, a business unit of Premier Tech’s Industrial Equipment Group, recently celebrated the sale of the 300th FFS Series Form Fill and Seal bagging machine to Transfobec Mauricie. The company purchased a Premier Tech Chronos FFS-200 bagging machine, a reserve supply and a VF-2300 volumetric feeder to meet its bagging needs for the production of a new type of specialized mulch.

The machine purchased by Transfobec Mauricie is the 300th bagging machine in this series manufactured by Premier Tech Chronos.

New Peterson Distributor in Ohio

P

eterson Pacific Corp recently announced that AGGCORP Equipment has been appointed the new Peterson distributor for the state of Ohio. “Peterson is excited to have AggCorp on board as the new distributor for Ohio. Sean’s personal dedication and excitement to the product line is a giant step towards long term success for our collective partnership.” said Brian Gray, Eastern Sales Manager for Peterson.

“AGGCORP’s commitment to service will be a huge benefit for both new and existing Peterson customers in Ohio”, said Charlie Bagnall, NE Region Sales Manager for Peterson.

Peterson specializes in developing delivery and processing equipment that turns lowgrade organic materials into high value products. Since 1981 Peterson has manufactured equipment for customers in over 25 countries.

20 Soil & Mulch Producer News

May / June 2014

Morbark Expands Dealer Network

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orbark, Inc., recently expanded its dealer network domestically and internationally, signing contracts to establish nine new dealers and expand the equipment offerings of three existing dealers over the past year.

New dealers Bobcat of Buffalo, Bobcat of Fort Wayne, Cubex, Ltd., Encon Equipment, Equipment Seekers, Goodfellow Corporation and Greenman Machinery Company, as well as existing Morbark industrial equipment dealer James River Equipment, became authorized dealers of Morbark tree care equipment, selling the company’s heavy-duty Beever™ line of brush chippers, as well as Morbark stump grinders.

New dealers Suffolk County Brake Service, Goodfellow Corporation and AfrEquip, as well as existing Morbark tree care dealers Alexander Equipment Company and Ness Turf Equipment, are now official industrial equipment dealers, handling Morbark’s complete line of recycling and forestry machines, including biomass chippers, Chiparvestors®, flails and tub and horizontal grinders.

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Food Waste Fuels Cars in California

L

os Angeles, CA — California’s strict clean air regulations have spurred much invention and entrepreneurialism throughout the state, according to LosAngeles.CBSlocal.com and NBSLosAngeles. com articles.

CBS reports that the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has plans to turn trash from hotels, supermarkets and county facilities into fuel to power cars. Responding to state regulations intended to reduce carbon emissions by the year 2020, L.A. county is working on a sustainable waste management system to meet state recycling targets. Currently, more than 62 percent of the county’s waste is being diverted from landfills and about 30 percent of that comes from food waste, according to Department of Public Works’ Pat Proano.

SB 498, approved by the Senate Environmental Quality Committee on January 15 clarifies language of a previous waste conversion bill that was enacted in 2013.

Proano says, “We’re hopeful that this conversion technology bill will provide jurisdictions with another tool to help with the management of organics, especially given the state’s focus on organics recycling. We’re now starting to remove the barriers that we had in the past to put facilities in place. We’ve got a lot of people interested in building anaerobic digestion facilities, organic management facilities in the county, and they just want to have the certainty that their facilities will be permitted and that all the hurdles are going to be removed.”

In 2012, Environ Strategy Consultants, Inc. received $1,211,370 in state funding to design and install a new system to pre-process solid food waste for use in two existing anaerobic digesters at a solid waste facility in Chino. The digesters, which have been operating since 2002, take in food waste and cow manure. The idea is to use the waste to produce biomethane to be converted into renewable compressed natural gas fuel.

According to the company’s proposal, enough compressed natural gas will be generated to displace 750 to 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel, and to power heavy-duty garbage collection trucks and an on-site generator producing renewable electricity for the facility. The methane-derived fuel has 88% lower carbon intensity than ultra-low-sulfur diesel.

In the northern part of the state, a facility now operated by the city of San Jose uses an anaerobic digester to produce renewable fuel for fleets of vehicles.

Meanwhile, a Southern California company has come up with a way to capture methane that escapes from landfills and farms.

Harrison Clay, President and CEO of Clean Energy Renewable Fuels, explains the process: “At landfills we drill holes and wells into the landfill, we drop in slotted pipes and we vacuum and we pull the gas that’s being produced within that landfill,” Clay explains. “We pull that gas out and then we process it until its pipeline quality, which means it’s the same as what comes out of your stovetop and what you cook your food with probably every night.”

Clay says his company’s product, named “Redeem,” burns 90 percent cleaner than conventional gasoline that powers regular cars and trucks – and it will be valuable to transport companies of all sorts. Clay says the fuel can power 18-wheelers and any natural gas vehicle. Redeem saves truckers a great deal of money because it is priced at about a dollar less per gallon than diesel fuel, thanks to state and federal clean air incentives.

Redeem is now being sold at some 35 clean energy stations in California – thousands of cars, shuttles and commercial fleets are running on the fuel today. Last year, 15 million gallons were sold, which in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, is equivalent to taking 30,000 passenger cars off the road, according to Clay.

“The largest biomethane fueling operation in the world -- and something that we expect to double, triple, quadruple in terms of volume in the coming years,” Clay said.

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May / June 2014 Soil & Mulch Producer News 21

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Under-filled Bags of

Mulch Recalled in Ohio and Georgia

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eynoldsburg, OH — Bags of mulch produced by an Ohio company were recalled for being filled with less product than stated on the packaging, according to articles on SwantonEnterprise.com and ValdostaToday.com.

Mulch sold in two states – Ohio and Georgia – in March and the beginning of April was recalled.

The distributor, Ohio Mulch, is offering customers refunds and coupons.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) made the first discovery after following up on a customer complaint. The ODA’s Division of Weights and Measures inspectors found that the 1.5 cubic foot bags of Ohio Mulch products produced by the Ohio Mulch Company before April 6 were “short.”

The mulch had been sold at Speedway, Thornton’s and Certified gas stations.

On March 31, ODA inspectors randomly selected six bags each from three different product lines - Absolute Black, Absolute Red and Premium Cypress. Every bag fell short of the stated amount of 1.5 cubic feet or the maximum allowable variation of five percent.

When ODA inspectors visited the Ohio Mulch manufacturing facility in April, the company had already corrected the problem by replacing a faulty bagging machine. Inspectors randomly tested bags of mulch at the manufacturing facility and found that they either contained the correct amount of product, or were within maximum allowable variation.

ODA inspectors subsequently made a sweep of retail locations in several Ohio counties, finding the problem existed with Ohio Mulch products and those from other companies. The inspectors placed a stop sale on 819 bags of 2 cubic feet mulch. The ODA division says it will continue conducting random sampling of mulch bags and responding to complaints.

Georgia’s Department of Agriculture also issued a sales stop order when that agency’s Fuel and Measures Division found some of the mulch bags distributed by Ohio Mulch Supply of Homerville, Georgia and UMS of Columbus, Ohio contained less mulch than the amount indicated on the packaging.

The Georgia order applies to Ace and Pro’s Choice Golden Trophy brands of Mulch Pine Bark, Ace brand Cypress Mulch, Pro’s Choice Golden Trophy brand Absolute Red #1922 and Pro’s Choice Golden Trophy brand Red Mulch.

The Georgia ODA stop sale order applies to all bags packaged before April 17, 2014.

Ohio Mulch is offering 50 cent-per-bag refunds, plus 50 cents for postage for every customer who purchased these products, along with discounts for future purchases. The company is asking customers to mail proof of purchase to Ohio Mulch, P.O. Box 650, Blacklick, OH 43004. For more information, customers may call 614-592-2793.

22 Soil & Mulch Producer News

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UK Wood Shortage Affects Garden Timber Products

B

irmingham, England — The increased need for replacement fencing as a result of late winter storms in the UK is expected to put a crimp on other garden timber products just as seasonal demand picks up, reports DIYWeek.net.

The news comes from the British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA), which says that softwood materials will continue to be in short supply through part of this summer.

BSW, the UK’s largest sawmilling company, is feeling the pinch. According to BSW Timber group marketing manager Eve Johnson, softwood consumption has shrunk from 11 million cubic meters in 2011 to 8.3 million cubic meters last year, due to the overall economic downturn.”

“In the UK market, softwood timber supply is 60% sourced overseas and 40% home grown. The overseas sourcing options are changing as our overseas competitors find other more lucrative markets elsewhere. Now with the upturn in the UK economy and the increase in construction requirements for timber - our own sales are up 20% - the UK softwood supply chain finds itself trying to catch up, with production at maximum levels at all mills, something not helped by log prices rising by 20% since the beginning of the year,” Johnson explains.

Ohio Mulch Stop Sales Order Expanded

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olumbus, OH — Ohio Department of Agriculture officials expanded the stop sales order on certain bags of mulch produced by Ohio Mulch, reports the Columbus Dispatch.

In additional inspections since April, the ODA’s Weights and Measures found that the company’s 2-and 3-cubic food bags contained less mulch than the label said. The initial order affected mulch products packaged in the 1.5-cubic-foot bags.

Meanwhile, Ohio Mulch obtained a temporary restraining order in Franklin County Common Pleas court allowing it to sell at least one bag size (2-cubic foot size), as long as certain conditions are met. The halt on the sale of 3-cubic-foot bags remains in effect, and the parties are scheduled to meet again in court. The state does not have an estimate of the number of bags that might have been affected by the order.

Ohio Mulch has faced similar allegations in Michigan, though the company says the allegations of impropriety are unfounded.

ODA officials said the company has not been proactive in complying with a previous agreement to post point of sale signage instructing customers about the amount of product in the bags (40 percent less than stated on the 1.5 cubic-foot bags) and the coupons and refunds being offered for the shorted bags of mulch.

Composting as Rx for PED Virus

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mes, IA — The Iowa State University Extension is offering a unique solution for disposing baby pigs killed by the porcine epidemic virus (PEDV), according to IowaFarmerToday.com.

Extension ag engineer Kris Kohl, suggests farmers compost the mortalities on site.

Kohl, Iowa State Extension agricultural engineer, says this is feasible by carefully employing common composting principles.

A covered bin with adequate walls and ground cornstalks, straw or hay as composing materials will work, he says. But it is important to attain core temperatures of 160 to 180 degrees to kill disease and make sure the compost stays more on the dry side.

“A good roof is going to help with keeping it [the compost] dry, but if you do have some runoff, I would suggest building a secondary containment system close by, such as an earthen berm,” he says.

“Pigs are 80 percent water, so you need enough of a base on the bottom to soak that up, along with a good blanket over the top of the pigs,” he says. “You want the layers to be one to 1½ times the thickness of the mortality, and then the final cover should be 1.5 to 2 feet of clean material.”

Also, it’s important to use equipment for removing the dead animals and for composting only and not for any other purpose on the farm unless it can be thoroughly disinfected, Kohl cautions.

Retired IA State Extension ag engineer, Tom Glanville, says producers in an emergency situation with many mortalities can consider using windrow composting, but they should use the container method otherwise.

According to the National Pork Board, Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus is a productionrelated disease, not a new virus, nor a regulatory/reportable disease. The sickness is, in fact, is widespread in many countries. Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus is a virus similar to transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE), another disease only affecting pigs. It is not zoonotic, so therefore it poses no risk to other animals or humans. Also, it poses no risk to food safety.

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Inside This Issue Blowing Mulch Streamlines Landscaping Operations While Increasing Profits PAGE 1

Western New York Food Waste Recycler Taps Animal Feed, Compost & Cattle Markets PAGE 5 Researchers Study Compost as an Alternative to Methyl Bromide PAGE 8 Environmentalists, Policy Wonks Debate Biomass Emissions PAGE 14 Food Waste Fuels Cars in California PAGE 21 Composting as Rx for PED Virus PAGE 22

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