soil & mulch producer news jan/feb 2012
DESCRIPTION
Jan/Feb 2012 issue of S&MPNTRANSCRIPT
Vol. VI No. 1 January / February 2012
Continued on page 3
immy Sharpe says he isn’t complaining when he says his business stinks. That’s just the way it is when you’re one of
the nation’s largest mushroom compost distributors. While some people may hold their nose at the odiferous product, others who have spread it on their gardens and landscaping swear by the results.
“People were apprehensive at first,” says Sharpe, who along with his wife Debra run Sharpe Landscape Supply in West Columbia, S.C. “Some were willing to try it. They would come back and, pardon the pun, it just started mushrooming.”
Today, Sharpe Landscape Supply is selling mushroom compost t o c o m p a n i e s f r o m Nebraska to Florida.
“We sell hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of tractor-trailer loads,” Sharpe says.
That’s a far cry from the days when Sharpe would load some bags of mushroom compost in the back of his car and travel around trying to convince centers and supply yards to purchase it in bulk.
“When I would open up the trunk, people would just back up and say, ‘My gosh, what is that odor?’” he says with a laugh. “I would say back then that my business stinks. But it smelled like money to me.”
The odor of the mushroom compost was
never a problem for Sharpe, who has a condition since birth called anosmia.
“My ability to market the product when I first started dealing with it was due to the
fact that I did not have a sense of smell,” he explains.
Sharpe admits he didn’t know anything about mushroom
compost until the manager of a hardware store in Atlanta, Ga., asked him about it. At the time, he was working for a fertilizer manufacturing company. He promised to look into it.
What he discovered wa s t h at mu s h ro o m
compost is a mixture of ingredients, including wheat
straw, peat moss, cottonseed meal, cottonseed hulls, corncobs,
cocoa bean shells, gypsum, lime, chicken litter and/or horse stable bedding. It is used in commercial mushroom growing farms.
After the material is composted for several weeks, it is sterilized and then placed into trays,
where commercial table mushrooms are grown. Sharpe notes that the compost he acquires
is only used for 18 to 20 days, although others say other compost may be used for three or four weeks before it is exhausted. The compost is then removed from the trays and the cycle begins again.
Sharpe’s initial research led him to order a truckload of mushroom compost from a Campbell’s Soup Company farm in Georgia. He applied it on half of a large pansy bed at the fertilizer company where he worked, and for “fairness,” put fertilizer on the other half of the bed.
“In a week to 10 days, there was an absolute dramatic difference in the size and appearance of the pansies where the mushroom compost had been applied,” he recalls. “It was dramatic.”
Although not completely enamored with the results, the fertilizer company gave Sharpe a go-ahead to test market the mushroom compost. While successful in his marketing efforts — one of the world’s largest retail stores eventually began selling the bagged material — the fertilizer company never fully embraced the product, he says.
J
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By p.j. heller
Sweet Smell of Success When Business Stinks
Retail Garden Center Owner Finds Niche Market as National Distributor of
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2 Soil & Mulch Producer News January / February 2012
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But Sharpe recognized its potential and talked frequently with his wife about opening a company to sell bulk materials — mushroom compost, topsoil and mulch — in South Carolina’s m i d l a n d s , b a s i c a l l y the center of the state.
Thus was born Dixie Landscape Supply on Feb. 1, 1997, which was run by Debra Sharpe while her husband continued working at the fertilizer company. By September of that year, Dixie Landscape was doing so well that Sharpe quit his job — he had spent 20-plus years in the corporate world — to devote full-time to Dixie Landscape.
I n i t i a l l y , t h e mushroom compost came f ro m t h e C a m p b e l l ’s far m in Georgia . When that fac i l i ty c losed, he sourced the material from mushroom growers in Pennsylvania — which he describes as the mushroom growing capital of the world — and also arranged to have the material trucked from there to distributors.
Mushroom compost is basically a waste product, often called Spent Mushroom Substrate, from the growing of mushrooms. And there is plenty of it to spread around.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, some 862 million pounds of mushroom crop were sold in 2010-2011, up 9 percent from the 2009-2010 season. Those sales totaled more than $1 billion.
In those early days, when the Sharpes were selling retail, they created Dixie Mix, which was a special blend of mushroom compost and other materials. The registered, patented and trademarked product was promoted for use in raised bed gardens and turned out to be one of the most popular materials in their operation.
“It took us several years to develop Dixie Mix as a weed-free soil, not a soil amendment,” Sharpe says. “You could plant whatever you wanted to plant in it without having to add any other fertilizer or any other amendments to it.”
Other products sold at the time, in addition to the mushroom compost and topsoil, included bulk hardwood mulch, pine bark nuggets, pine bark mulch and cypress mulch.
The Sharpes closed the retail part of their business in October 2011 and now sell strictly wholesale.
A key to the success of the business is the fact that Sharpe has built a 15-year relationship
with a trucking company to ship the compost nationwide.
“Mushroom compost is a very inexpensive material,” he notes. “The big problem is the
freight cost. Anybody who lives close to a mushroom farm could probably drive over in their pickup truck and pick it up for nothing because they want to get rid of it. It’s a waste product for the mushroom farm.”
Sharpe says several companies handling his mushroom compost also blend it with other materials for use in raised beds or for top dressing lawns.
“Mushroom compost is not topsoil, rather an excellent compost useful to improve soil health and plant growth,” notes a study
by two Penn State University researchers. “. . . Fresh mushroom compost applied
to soil or incorporated into soil has many benefits: improves soil structure, provides plant nutrients, increases plant nutrient availability, increases soil microbial populations, increases soil cation exchange capacity, increases plant root structure, increases soil aeration, improves soil water status, and reduces soil compaction,” they wrote in their study Plant Nutrients and Fresh Mushroom Compost.
“Fresh mushroom compost is a viable ‘green’ product as an organic soil amendment and fertilizer for crop production systems and other land management issues,” they wrote.
Another study, which we reported on in a previous issue of Soil & Mulch Producer News, found that blending mushroom compost with landscape mulch resulted in “a successful blend that can be applied in a commercial or residential setting.
“In this green market of environmental and cost-conscious consumers, blending fresh mushroom compost with landscape mulch offers many valuable benefits,” the report stated. “This economic and green solution to pesky artillery fungi simultaneously adds plant nutrients to landscaped beds, reducing the need to fertilize, and increases the health of the soil and landscape plants.”
Sharpe describes his mushroom compost as organic, although it is not certified as such. Having it certified as organic would not only be costly, but difficult in having to trace back the various components making up the compost, he says. He notes that the compost he sells is
Sweet Smell of Success When Business Stinks
“Mushroom compost is not topsoil, rather
an excellent compost useful
to improve soil health and plant growth.”
4 Soil & Mulch Producer News January / February 2012
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Info Request #164
shipped directly from the mushroom growers and never touches the ground.
“We do not alter the composition of this product in any way,” he adds.
He stresses that his mushroom compost is 100 percent weed free, noting that it is completely sterilized before being used in growing trays. He tries to educate users that after applying mushroom compost and tilling the soil, any weeds that might appear in their gardens or lawns were already in the soil.
Sharpe explains that his mushroom compost is so rich that it feeds not only the vegetable plants and flowers, but also any weeds that might be in the same location. Consequently, some people think the compost is full of weeds, when in fact it is not. It’s only providing nutrition for the weeds that were already there.
Sharpe also downplays concerns about high soluble salt content in the compost. His opinion in supported by Mike Fidanza of Penn State University, who was involved in the other studies mentioned.
“. . . Research at Penn State shows that good
Continued from page 3
quality mushroom compost does not contain soluble salt concentrations high enough to impede turf grass seed germination or cause damage to an existing turf stand,” he says in a report posted on the American Mushroom Institute’s web site. “Also, when mushroom compost is tilled or incorporated into the soil, the salt concentration is diluted greatly, and irrigation or natural rainfall will further reduce salt concentrations by leaching those salts from the root zone.”
Sharpe recommends applying at least a 3-inch layer of mushroom compost to soil, then tilling it in 5-6 inches deep.
“Then plant your plants and water them regularly,” he says. “You won’t need to add anything else to your beds for the entire growing season.”
He warns against planting directly into the compost, since it is too rich for new plants. Mushroom compost is considered non-burning when incorporated into the soil, or for top dressing existing plants that have an established root system.
Sharpe warns purchasers of bagged compost products to make sure they are getting the real thing.
“There is a tremendous difference in a variety of bagged products,” he says. “I have found over the years people will bag a product and call it manure or mushroom compost and it’s nothing more than a watered down material with a little bit of manure or mushroom compost in it. If it’s a true bag of mushroom compost, it will have a pretty offensive odor because it is still breaking down while inside the bag. By decomposing in the bag it creates a gas, which would be expelled and the odor is atrocious.”
Despite the smell, Sharpe remains an evangelist for mushroom compost.
“It’s my duty to introduce it to people across the country and let them provide it to their customers locally so they can have a feather in their cap as well,” he says.
He admits he still has a way to go. “It’s surprising to me, especially after having
been doing this for so many years, to see so many people who have never heard of mushroom compost. They don’t know what it is.
But, he adds quickly, “It does miraculous things for any kind of plant.”
(For more information, visit Sharpe Landscape Supply’s web site at www.mushroomcompost.com or call Sharpe at 800-996-9360.)
Sweet Smell of Success When Business Stinks
5January / February 2012 Soil & Mulch Producer News
In-Plant Training Program
The Mulch & Soil Council ventured into online distance education in December with the launch of an Internet webinar series. The objective was to provide an updated industry program to
conveniently train production plant personnel on key operational issues at minimum loss of time and productivity.
The program was a joint event between the Council and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Office of Weights & Measures (OWM) in Gaithersburg, MD. The webinar was divided into four, 90-minutes presentations given over 2 days including: Part 1: Product Labeling Regulations (NIST) Part 2: Package Fill Regulations (NIST) Part 3: Product Variability & Bulk Loads (MSC) Part 4: Quality Control (MSC)
Each session presented in the on-line program was captured via Fuze Meeting technology as a narrated slide presentation for later playback. The objective is to avoid costs and loss of productivity by eliminating travel and delivering educational programming directly to plant sites as follows:
Each plant location can purchase any program segment for a •fee.A broadband Internet connection must be provided by the •participating plant site to view the on-screen presentations.Each site can choose to provide audio speakers and large •computer monitors or projection screens to accommodate as many employees as they wish to participate. The number of participants does not increase the site cost for the program; so, the more people that can participate at each location, the better.Each site is provided an access code to sign-in to the recorded •training sessions.With segmented recordings, how many and who view EACH •presentation can be determined by the plant site to customize the training for those most in need of each segment’s content.Every plant location that purchases the sessions will have free •access to the recordings for 6 months for any additional site education and new employee training.
For further information on the In-Plant Training Program, contact the MSC at [email protected].
Spring Industry Promotion
In December, The MSC conducted a special, on-line media event hosting over 70 members of the Garden Writers Association. The purpose of the media webinar was to introduce garden
communicators representing newspapers, websites, boggers and other consumer information channels to the Mulch & Soil Council, MSC’s product certification program and the latest consumer information video on using premium mulch and soil products.
MSC Certification Spokesman Joe Lamp’l of Growing A Greener World on the American Public Television Network explained the Council resources and the benefits of using certified mulch & soil products. MSC Certification Director Dr. Bill Fonteno reviewed the development of the program and MSC certification and testing procedures. MSC Executive Director Bob LaGasse reviewed retailer participation and fielded questions in an interactive chat with the media. Four more media webinars are planned for 2012 focusing on educating garden communicators and Master Gardeners on product use and product certification.
Legislative News
The present administration isn’t expected to produce much legislation in the coming year. However, we cannot completely rule out the idea that a 2012 Farm Bill might emerge as a ploy to get the farm
vote. MSC is monitoring the progress of the Agriculture Committee to make sure the industry doesn’t get blind-sided by another energy provision that would shift existing wood fiber markets.
EPA is also continuing its drive to finalize the drastically increased health impact assessment for arsenic. Industry and agency opposition has slowed the process significantly, but it is still alive. If EPA gets its way, the new limit on health exposure to arsenic will be below the natural background levels in soils across the country. The negative impact on potting and landscape soils would be huge.
No one expects asbestos legislation to surface this year, but advocates for a ban are still very active. Current estimates suggest that 20% of natural soils contain non-asbestiform forms of asbestos that represent no health hazard. Unfortunately, the non-asbestiform minerals are often misclassified as asbestiform (unhealthful) minerals, and ban proponents want both forms banned, regardless of their health impact. That would present another challenge to the mulch and soil industry even though no health treat actually exists.
New BioStimulant Coalition Formed
Last August, the Biostimulant Coalition was formed as a non-profit organization of interested parties cooperating to proactively address regulatory and legislative issues involving biological or naturally-
derived additives and / or similar products, including but not limited to bacterial or microbial inoculants, biochemical materials, amino acids, humic acids, fulvic acid, seaweed extract and other similar materials. The Coalition proposes to offer a new definition of an overall biostimulant product category to state regulators at the February meeting of the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO) in San Antonio, TX.
Biostimulant (n.) – A material derived from biological origin that, when applied to a plant, soil or growing media, enhances plant nutritional utilization or reduces nutrient losses to the environment, but is not regulated as a fertilizer or a pesticide.
Subcategories of Biostimulants:
The Biostimulant Coalition’s working list of subcategories of the term biostimulant is below. These could include biostimulant products containing: Anti-oxidants•Amino acids materials•Enzymatic extracts •Fulvic acid materials•Humic acid materials•Microbial inoculants•Microbial soil amendments•Mycorrhizal fungi•Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR)•Phytohormones•Seaweed extract materials•
For more information on the Biostimulant Coalition, contact the MSC office at 703-257-0111 or [email protected].
MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Industry News from the
The 41st MSC Annual Meeting is scheduled for October 30-November 1 at the Sheraton Downtown Hotel in Atlanta, GA. Make plans to attend.
www.mulchandsoilcouncil.org
6 Soil & Mulch Producer News January / February 2012
Soil & Mulch ProducerNEWS
Info Request #142
Willows and Poplars Irrigated with Wastewater are Harvest as Fuel for Power Plant
Whitecourt, Alberta—Whitecourt has grown a biomass crop of willows and poplars on seven hectares of land next to the town sewage plant, with the idea of using the trees as fuel and as a way of using treated wastewater and sludge from the adjacent sewage
plant. Whitecourt offered the site to researchers in 2006, as well as an electric connection and unlimited supply of waste water for underground irrigation. Five varieties of willow and two of poplar were planted on irrigated and non-irrigated land. This will be the second harvest from this site, and the irrigated trees were 30% larger than the ones that weren’t irrigated. It is expected that they will be a good fuel source for the town’s wood-burning power plant.
Researchers are studying the effects of applying the waste products as a natural fertilizer. The wastewater is highly treated effluent that could be discharged into the river. Using soil moisture sensors, trees are only irrigated when they were so dry they needed extra water. The trees are processed through a chipper, and the chips are then dried in the yard of Edmonton’s Northern Forestry Centre, which is testing a new drying technique adopted from Ireland—pumping air through slotted pipes under the pile—that has been modified by a local grain-drying firm. The chips will be studied and graded at a national forestry research lab to determine their quality.
Part of a federally led research program, the province led the way with the Whitecourt test site, but now Alberta has four other locations where this is being done, with hopes that other provinces will follow suit. The Alberta Rural Organic Waste to Energy Network has been formed to exchange ideas and encourage others. There are now 24 municipalities, companies or government departments working on this project, including an irrigation firm, a nursery company and a laboratory.
An alternative way to treat wastewater is needed, as most areas with fewer than 5,000 residents still use lagoons and primary treatment systems. Larger cities like Whitecourt and Edmonton have sophisticated systems, but must still dispose of sludge. Edmonton is using sludge with trees on its test site. These trees produce biomass that can be burned for heating or to generate electricity, or in the future could be used in bio-products such as chemicals and drugs.
Keep America Beautiful and U.S. Composting Council Announce Partnership
National nonprofits Keep America Beautiful (KAB) and the U.S. Composting Council (USCC) have announced that the
organizations will join forces on efforts to increase waste reduction through composting education and activities nationwide.
Under the agreement, KAB and USCC will share educational resources and seek to identify collaborative opportunities that benefit their constituencies and the general public by promoting awareness of the important role composting plays in waste reduction, improved soil structure, improved water quality and reduced soil erosion.
“Our organization’s goal has long been to engage all people in reducing waste and recycling or reusing the products that touch their lives on a daily basis,” said Matthew M. McKenna, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful, Inc. “Composting organic residuals can significantly reduce landfill impacts while creating a healthier ecosystem. This partnership represents a win-win for communities and the environment.
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Forest Structure, Biodiversity and Function May Be Lost Even as Form Remains
According to a report in sciencedaily.com, a forest may look like a forest, have many of the same trees that used to live
there, but still lose the ecological, economic or cultural values that once made it what it was, researchers suggest in articles in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences.
One study outlines services and functions that are disappearing in mountain ash forests in Australia and a commentary in the journal pointed out that many of the same issues are in play in forests of the Pacific Northwest, the grasslands of the Great Basin, and other areas.
Beneath a veneer of forest health, dramatic reductions may be taking place in such functions as carbon sequestration, water yields, wildlife
protection and biodiversity of species, said scientists from Oregon State University and the University of Washington.
They called for more attention to natural processes, restoration of the broad range of forest structures needed to maintain the original ecosystem, and reassessments of policies and management practices as needed. In particular, the article questioned any continued harvest in old growth forests and salvage logging after wildfires or wind storms.
“If you just look at a forest, it may look about the same as it used to,” said K. Norman Johnson, a distinguished professor of forest ecosystems and society at OSU. “But we’re losing
them without really knowing it.“It’s late in the game, and there’s no easy
way out,” Johnson said. “We need to recognize this, help to better inform the public, and take the steps both with science and policy that may be required.”
Traditional practices in forest management for wood production, such as clear-cutting, site preparation and replanting, tend to produce young forests with uniform structures and low diversity. Large, old trees with cavities, essential to many wildlife species are often absent. And increasingly, even young but very diverse forest stages are becoming scarce.
“Because the young forests are dominated by the same tree species, how could there be a problem?” the scientists said in the report. “The problem is, of course, that critical forest structures and entire stages in forest development can be effectively eliminated from regional landscapes.”
The researchers in these journal articles call this a “landscape trap,” a complete shift to new ecological processes that bear little resemblance to those of the past. The dry forests of Eastern Oregon, Johnson said, are a perfect example. Where small fires would once burn frequently and clear out undergrowth but allow large trees to survive, the forests are now crowded, thick with undergrowth, prone to severe fire, re-growth and a repeat of that catastrophic pattern.
Allowing burned forests to recover naturally would be a positive contribution to development of both diverse understories and complex forest structures, the analysis said, even though the full process may take centuries to reach fruition. Recovery in some areas may be much faster than that, depending on the situation, Johnson said, but the conditions of many forests will be difficult from which to recover.
“If irreversible and socially undesirable long-term changes to regional landscapes and societies are potential consequences, major changes in policies and practices may be appropriate,” the scientists concluded.
Source : h t tp : / /www.sc i enceda i ly. com/releases/2011/10/111003151823.htm.
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Minnesota Study Finds Successful Approach to Using Recycled Manure Solids for Bovine Bedding
Many dairy producers are looking for alternatives such as sand and recycled manure solids to replace bovine stall bedding materials, which are increasingly expensive and hard to obtain.
But though sand is seen as ideal bedding, not all producers are able to convert to sand bedding as it may make manure-management more difficult. One answer may be found in an observational study on 38 dairy farms in Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa that were using recycled manure solids for bedding free-stalls. The researchers wanted to find out what management practices and bedding characteristics were associated with bulk tank somatic cell count (SCC) and evaluate animal welfare in these operations.
The University of Minnesota and University of Minnesota Extension researchers documented various aspects of herd management, including how solids were obtained and managed; their bedding practices and bedding; and how milk and feed samples were collected. The researchers found that excellent cow preparation at milking time, sanitation of milking equipment, cow hygiene, adequate dry cow housing and bedding/stall management were critical in maintaining a low SCC while successfully using manure solids for bedding. They also found the type of manure solids used—digested, raw or composted—had no association with SCC.
It is important to keep stall bedding as dry as possible to minimize exposure to environmental mastitis pathogens, and keeping stall bedding dry can be done with use of a blower, good ventilation, and adding equipment to remove moisture after separation. The study also found lameness prevalence was similar, hock lesion prevalence slightly higher and cow hygiene better than with herds using sand for bedding. More can be found at http://www1.extension.umn.edu/dairy/manure/manure-solids-for-bedding-does-it-work/index.html.
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11January / February 2012 Soil & Mulch Producer News
Bagging & Packaging SystemsAmadas IndustriesBig White BagConcept Products CorpCube MachineryHamer LLCLachenmeier ApSPremier Tech ChronosRethceif PackagingRotochopper Inc.Slootweg Machinefabriek B.V.Sparta Innovation Inc.
Biodegradable Plastics (Bags)Al-Pack Enterprises LtdBASF Corp / BiodegradablesBiogroup USA (BioBag)Cortec CorporationEcosafe Zero WasteFortune Plastics Inc.Heritage Bag Co.Nature Friendly Products
Northern Technologies Intl Corp- Natur-Tec®Pak-SherTelles / Mirel Plastics
Coloring Systems & ColorantsAmerimulchColorbioticsConcept Products CorpEarthShadesFlorida Coastal ColorsMulch Mfg, Inc. / Nature’s ReflectionsRotochopper Inc.T.H. Glennon Co. Inc.Universal Equip. Mfg
Compost Covers & Geosynthetic LinersCV CompostGore Cover SystemsManaged Organic Recycling Inc.Poly-Flex Inc.
Compost TurnersALLU Group Inc.Apollo EquipmentFarmer Automatic of AmericaHCL Machine WorksMidwest Bio-Systems, Inc.Resource Recovery Systems Intl.
SCARAB MfgWildcat Mfg / Vermeer Corp
Dust & Odor Control Equipment & ProductsAir Phaser Environmental LtdBuffalo TurbineDust Control TechnologyNCM Odor ControlOdotech Inc.OMI Industries
Fabric Structures & Storage SilosAccu-Steel, Inc.Calhoun Super Structures LtdClearSpan Fabric StructuresGuard-All Building SolutionsLegacy Building SolutionsNatural Light Fabric Structures, LLCNorseman StructuresSollenberger Silos, LLCSprung Instant Structures Inc.Summit StructuresXL Shelter
Food Waste ContainersBiobiN®™ North AmericaDurabac Inc.Ecosafe Zero WasteRehrig Pacific Co.Toter Inc.
Food Waste Recycling SystemsAdvanced Biotechnology Inc.EC All Ltd / Big HannaEnsol Waste Mgmt.Green Mountain TechnologiesSomat CompanyTotally Green
Grinders, Chippers & ShreddersApollo EquipmentBandit Industries Inc.Concept Products CorpContinental Biomass IndustriesCW Mill Equipment Co. / HogZilla GrindersDiamond Z MfgDoppstadt USDuraTech IndustriesFecon Inc.Komptech USA Inc.
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12 Soil & Mulch Producer News January / February 2012
Grinders, Chippers & ShreddersMorbark Inc.Peterson / An Astec Inds. Co.RAYCO ManufacturingRotochopper Inc.Screen USA Inc.Universal Refiner CorpVermeer CorporationWarren & Baerg MfgWest Salem Machinery
Loaders (Skid Steer & Wheel)Apollo EquipmentBobcat CompanyCaterpillar Inc.
Mixing & Spreading EquipmentBrodie Ag and Industrial Inc.Cube MachineryKuhn North America Inc.Patz CorporationRoto-Mix LLCSupreme International
Monitoring / Measuring Systems & SoftwareCube MachineryDemista InstrumentsGreen Mountain TechnologiesSage Metering Inc.
Spectrum Technologies, Inc.
Mulch Blower TrucksExpress Blower, Inc.Finn CorporationPeterson / An Astec Inds. Co.
New Equipment DistributorsBlanchard Machinery CompanyBrodie Ag and Industrial Inc.Pacific Rock & Recycle Equipment Co.Rock and Recycling Solutions
Packaging Products & ServicesBalcan Plastics / First Film ExtrudingGreif, Inc.Nature’s ChoicePeel Plastic Products Trinity Packaging Corp
Plastic Removal SystemsHawker Corp / Airlift Separator
Screening Equipment (Trommel & Vibrating)ALLU Group Inc.Amadas IndustriesApollo Equipment
Continental Biomass IndustriesDoppstadt US EZ-Screen / Argus Industrial CompanyFecon Inc.Hein, Lehmann US LLCMcCloskey Intl. LtdKomptech USA Inc.OMH ProScreen USAOrbit Screens, Inc.Powerscreen / TerexPremier Tech ChronosREMU USA Inc.Screen Machine Inds.Screen USA Inc.Terra Select Inc.Universal Equip. MfgWest Salem Machinery Wildcat Mfg / Vermeer Corp
Soil, Mulch, Compost & Peat Producers American Soil Amendment ProductsASB Greenworld, Inc.Buckeye Resources Inc.Cedar Grove CompostingFlorida Pine Straw Supply Co.Forestry Resources, Inc.Garden-VilleHammond Farms Landscape SupplyHarvest Garden ProKellogg Garden ProductsKurtz Brothers Inc. Lane Forest ProductsLiving Earth / The Letco Group LLC
Mulch ManufacturingNatural Earth Technology Inc.Nature’s Choice Inc.Ohio MulchOldcastle Inc.P. R. Russell Brentwood DistributionR.L. Shane CompanyRexius, Inc.SB Mulch Inc.SGP Mulch & Soils of AmericaSmith Bros Inc.Sun Gro HorticultureSuperior Cedar Products Inc.SureGreen MulchSuwannee River MulchSwanson Bark & Wood ProductsT.H. Blue Inc.Vision Recycling
Stacking ConveyorsContinental Biomass IndustriesEZ-Screen / Argus Industrial CompanyMcCloskey Intl. LtdPatz CorporationPremier Tech ChronosScotia MachineryScreen Machine Industries, Inc.Screen USA Inc.
Trade Associations & OrganizationsAssociation of Compost ProducersBiodegradable Products Institute
Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Assoc.Composting Council of CanadaMulch & Soil CouncilOrganics Materials Review InstituteU.S. Composting Council
Transport Trailers & Automatic Floor SystemsApollo EquipmentHallco Industries Inc.J&J Truck Bodies & TrailersKeith Mfg Co.SmithCo Side-Dump TrailersTravis Body & Trailer Inc.Trinity Trailer Mfg Inc.Western Trailers Co.
Used EquipmentApollo EquipmentEarthSaver EquipmentGrinderCrusherScreen. comPeninsula Equipment
Used & New Pallets Litco International
Wear Parts & Replacement ScreensCBT Wear Parts Inc.CW Mill Equipment Co. / ArmorHogGrinder Wear Parts Inc.
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BUYERS’ GUIDE2012
ATTENTION: READERS!Would you like more information about products and equipment advertised in this issue? If so,
please complete the Equipment Locator Service form located between pages 16 & 17 and fax to 440-257-6459.
13January / February 2012 Soil & Mulch Producer News
Info Request #129
SCreen. better.Grind It.Shred It. Screen It.
Screen Super-Wet Material (with no build-up. seriously.)Replace any SM 720 trommel drum with our star screen module, and maintain dry production rates through rain, winter or other high-moisture conditions. For even greater productivity, our Tri-Flex three-way standalone star screen can produce three end products. The unique elliptical star shape coupled with alternating shaft speeds keeps stars free of build-up, maximizing performance all day long. Ready to learn more? Visit www.DoppstadtStarScreens.com today.
www.DoppstadtStarScreens.com 440-937-3225
elliptical star shape
robust material action
feed auger
SM1200 Tri-Flex
14 Soil & Mulch Producer News January / February 2012
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Company IndexAAccu-Steel, Inc.Templeton, IA(877) 338-6936www.asicoverbuildings.com
Advanced Biotechnology Inc.Columbia, MD(800) 426-0764www.abionline.com
Air Phaser Environmental LtdSurrey, BC Canada(604) 308-7435www.airphaser.com
ALLU Group Inc.Teterboro, NJ (800) 939-2558www.allu.netALLU Finland Ltd. designs, manufactures and markets products with the ALLU trademark for environmental care, improving recycling methods and the processing of different materials. Our main products are Screener Crushers, Stabilisation Systems and compacting plates. See ad on pg 19
Al-Pack Enterprises LtdMoncton, NB Canada(800) 551-7225www.al-pack.com
Amadas Industries1100 Holland Rd.Suffolk, VA 23434(757) [email protected] Andrews, Inds. Sales Mgr.www.amadas.comAmadas Industries’ current product lines include pull-type and self-propelled peanut combines, peanut diggers, Reel Rain® irrigators, cotton stalk puller/choppers, round cotton module handlers and a line of industrial equipment for both the horticultural and recycling industries. See ad on pg 6
American Soil Amendment Products1450 Tierra Rejada Rd.Simi Valley, CA 93065(805) [email protected] Mikell, Ownerwww.americansoil.org
Amerimulch2055 Enterprise PkwyTwinsburg, OH 44087(888) [email protected] Hatfield, Inside Saleswww.amerimulch.comAmerimulch® has long had a spirit of innovation and thinking beyond the status quo. From our 50,000 square-foot headquarters in Twinsburg, Ohio, we’re continuously creating, testing and improving industry-leading equipment, Heartland® Enriched Colorants and mulch-business methods.
Apollo Equipment2062 – 20th Ave. SELargo, FL 33771(800) [email protected] Brown, Exec. VPwww.apolloequipment.net
ASB Greenworld, Inc.4236 Hickory Grove Rd. Val dosta, GA 31603(877) [email protected] Saxon, Sales Support Specialistwww.asbgreenworld.com
Association of Compost ProducersJulian, CA (619) 992-8389www.healthysoil.org
Balcan Plastics / First Film ExtrudingSaint Leonard, QC Canada(877) 422-5226www.balcan.com
Bandit Industries Inc.Remus, MI(800) 952-0178www.banditchippers.com
BASF Corp / BiodegradablesWyandotte, MIwww.bioplastics.basf.com
Big White Bag28 Aero Rd. NECalgary, AB T2E 8P6Canada (877) [email protected] Muddwww.bigwhitebag.comExtra Revenue is in the Bag! Delivering your materials direct to the customer in Super Totes is the future. Claim your area today in the BigWhiteBag.com network. No fees! We supply the Bags, Specialty Equipment, Marketing support and On-line store. Make 50-100% profit for more information.
BiobiN®™ North AmericaChester, PA (855) 874-2235www.biobin.us
Biodegradable Products InstituteNew York, NY(888) 274-5646www.bpiworld.org
BIOgroupUSA, Inc. / BioBagPalm Harbor, FL(727) 789-1646www.biobagusa.com
Blanchard Machinery Company / IronMart3151 Charleston HwyWest Columbia, SC 29172(803) 791-7100www.blanchardmachinery.comSee ad on pg 15
Bobcat CompanyWest Fargo, ND800-743-4340www.bobcat.com
Brodie Ag and Industrial Inc.Ayr, ON Canada(519) 632-1190www.brodieagandindustrial.ca
Buckeye Resources Inc.Springfield, OH(800) 443-8203www.buckeyeresources.com
Buffalo TurbineSpringville, NY(716) 592-2700www.buffaloturbine.com
Calhoun Super Structures LtdTara, ON Canada(800) 265-3994www.calhoun.ca
Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Assoc.St. Albert, AB Canada(780) 460-8280www.peatmoss.com
Caterpillar Inc.Peoria, IL(309) 675-1000www.caterpillar.com
CBT Wear Parts Inc.Richland Center, WI(888) 228-3625www.cbtwearparts.com
Cedar Grove CompostingMaple Valley, WA(877) 764-5748www.cedar-grove.com
ClearSpan Fabric StructuresSouth Windsor, CT (866) 643-1010www.clearspan.com
ColorbioticsAmes, Iowa (888) 663-6980www.colorbiotics.comColorbiotics is an independent business unit of Becker Underwood, an international developer of bioagronomic and specialty products founded in 1982. Colorbiotics is also an industry leader in the research, development, production, sale, and support of colorants and coloring systems for a variety of applications. See ad on pg 22
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BUYERS’ GUIDE2012
15January / February 2012 Soil & Mulch Producer News
www.ironmart.com
Composting Council of CanadaToronto, ON Canada(877) 571-4769www.compost.org
Concept Products CorpPaoli, PA(610) 722-0830www.conceptproducts.com
Continental Biomass IndustriesNewton, NH (603) 382-0556www.cbi-inc.comCBI manufactures grinding, chipping and shredding solutions that Fuel the Future™ of the businesses we serve and the environment we live in. This includes portable wood grinders and wood chippers that turn logs, forestry debris and wood waste into biofuel, mulch and other useable products. See ad on pg 24
Cortec CorporationSt. Paul, MN(800) 426-7832www.cortecvci.com
Cube Machinery2704-A Rue PrincipalIndustrial ParkTracadie-Sheila, NB E1X 1A1 Canada (506) [email protected] LeClair, Directorwww.cubemachinery.comCube Machinery supplies soil plant machinery and advanced productivity systems to factories across North America. From Florida to the Canadian Mid West, from the Pacific Coast to the heart of the peat industry in Eastern Canada, we have supplied engineering, machinery and complete production lines.
BUYERS’ GUIDE2012CV Compost245 Ten Stones CircleCharlotte, VT 05445(877) [email protected] Wisbaumwww.cvcompost.com
CW Mill Equipment Co / ArmorHog14 Commerce Dr.Sabetha, KS 66534(800) [email protected] Bergman, Parts Saleswww.armorhog.comArmorHog® is focused on providing top quality, high performance, custom made, long-life hammermill screens, tips, hammers, and other replacement parts for all brands and models of industrial grinders. Our tips are made using a unique blend of carbide called NitroGrit™, a proprietary blend of carbide found to best suit grinding applications.
CW Mill Equipment Co. / HogZilla Grinders14 Commerce Dr.Sabetha, KS 66534(800) [email protected] Wenger, President/Sales Managerwww.hogzilla.comDiesel or electric powered HogZilla® MONSTER Tub & Horizontal Grinders ranging from 565-2000HP. Options including self-propelled track drive and self-loading units available. HogZilla® MONSTER Grinders provide the highest production rates for solid waste reduction, wood recycling, land clearing, construction demolition, mulch production, tire processing, or any other tough grinding application.
Demista InstrumentsArlington Heights, IL(847) 439-6857www.demistainstruments.com
Diamond Z MfgCaldwell, ID(800) 949-2383www.diamondz.com
Doppstadt USAvon, OH (440) 937-3225 www.doppstadtus.comDoppstadtUS is committed to bringing the superior design, engineering and performance of Doppstadt brand recycling and processing equipment to the American marketplace. All Doppstadt manufactured products are built with precision German engineering, to provide the finest quality machinery available to the industry. See ad on pg 13
Durabac Inc.Granby, QC Canada(800) 565-1723www.durabac.ca
DuraTech IndustriesJamestown, ND(701) 252-4601www.duratechindustries.net
Dust Control TechnologyPeoria, IL(800) 707-2204www.dustboss.com
EarthSaver EquipmentP.O. Box 8898 Kalispell, MT 59904 (406) 752-6290sales@earthsaverequipment.comwww.earthsaverequipment.comSee ad on pg 27
EarthShadesCincinnati, OH (513) 271-3375www.mulchdye.com
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Info Request #174
ATTENTION Readers!Now is the time to schedule your 4-color logo/photo listing in next
year’s Buyers’ Guide Issue. For more information, please call
Rick at 440-257-6453.
16 Soil & Mulch Producer News January / February 2012
Info Request #168
BUYERS’ GUIDE2012
EC All Ltd / Big Hanna8656 Rockridge Ct.Macedonia, OH 44056(612) [email protected] Eriksson, CEOwww.bighanna.comBig Hanna is a Swedish, on-site, in-vessel, aerobic composting machine. The automated, continuous process produces pathogen free, ready compost from food wastes, including fish, meat and dairy solids. Big Hanna can operate in warm and cold climates, indoors and outdoors. Capacities range from 330 to 2,600 lbs. per week.
Ecosafe Zero WasteSurrey, BC Canada(604) 560-5133www.ecosafezerowaste.com
Ensol Waste MgmtMississauga, ON Canada(647) 977-1128www.ensolwm.com
Express Blower, IncEugene, OR (800) 285-7227www.expressblower.comExpress Blower, Inc. is a leading manufacturer and distributor of pneumatic blowing equipment. Invented over 50 years ago and refined through practical experience and innovation, Express Blower™ owners provide material delivery and installation to the erosion control, construction, landscape and agricultural industries. See ad on pg 8
EZ-Screen / Argus Industrial CompanyPontiac, MI(248) 745-5828www.ez-screen.com
Fecon Inc.Lebanon, OH(800) 528-3113www.fecon.com
Finn CorporationFairfield, OH(800) 543-7166www.finncorp.com
Florida Coastal ColorsW Melbourne, FL(321) 288 5856www.floridacoastalcolors.com
Florida Pine Straw Supply Co.Mayo, FL(800) 386-1514www.floridapinestraw.com
Forestry Resources, Inc.Fort Myers, FL866-GoMulchwww.gomulch.com
Fortune Plastics Inc.Old Saybrook, CT(800) 243-0306www.fortuneplastics.com
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Farmer Automatic of AmericaPO Box 39Register, GA 30452(916) [email protected] Leavell, Sales & Mktg Mgrwww.farmerautomatic.comFarmer Automatic’s CompostCat is proving to be a tremendous asset to farmers with numerous benefits. The most substantial benefits are the control of flies and rodents. Knowing that fly and rodent control is critical to a healthy, disease and salmonella free environment is making the CompostCat an excellent choice in this economy.
ATTENTION Readers!Now is the time to schedule your 4-color logo/photo listing in next year’s Buyers’ Guide Issue. For more information, please call Rick at 440-257-6453.
17January / February 2012 Soil & Mulch Producer News
Garden-VilleAustin, TX(888) 655-6115 www.garden-ville.com
Gore Cover SystemsNewark, DE(888) 914-4673www.gore.com
Green Mountain TechnologiesBainbridge Island, WA(802) 368-7291www.compostingtechnology.com
Greif, Inc.Delaware, OH(740) 549-6000 www.greif.com
Grinder Wear Parts Inc.2062 – 20th Ave. SELargo, FL 33771(800) [email protected] Brown, Executive VPwww.grinderwearparts.com
GrinderCrusherScreen.comWest Coast (971)-344-0001 East Coast (770) 433-2670
Guard-All Building SolutionsDallas, TX(877) 397-1594www.guard-all.com
Hallco Industries Inc.PO Box 505 Tillamook, OR 97141 (800) [email protected]
Hamer LLCPlymouth, MN(800) 927-4674www.hamerinc.comHamer products offer faster, more accurate packaging while keeping designs simple, robust and easy to maintain. From our first Hamer product launched in 1927 through our complete line of bagging products and systems, our greatest resource for product innovation has always been our customers. See ad on pg 7
BUYERS’ GUIDE2012Hammond Farms Landscape Supply5834 Michigan Rd.Dimondale, MI 48821(517) [email protected] Walkington, General Mgr.www.hammondfarms.com
Harvest Garden ProMilford, DE(800) 235-7645www.gardenpro.us
Hawker Corp / Airlift Separator2111 Prairie Rd.Eugene, OR 97402(888) [email protected] Smith, Mfr Repwww.airliftseparator.comInnovation from Airlift Separator - a system for reducing plastic and other lightweight materials from compost and urban organic waste. Airlift Separators are used by recycling centers, municipal organic waste facilities, and private compost and mulch manufacturers, reclaiming urban green waste and recycled wood as marketable compost and mulch.
HCL Machine Works15142 Merrill Ave.Dos Palos, CA 93620(209) [email protected] ad on pg 27
Hein, Lehmann US LLCAlpharetta, GA(678) 566-1987www.liwell.com
Heritage Bag Co.Carrollton, TX(800) 527-2247www.heritage-bag.com
J&J Truck Bodies & Trailers10558 Somerset PikeSomerset, PA 15501(800) [email protected] Hoffmanwww.jjbodies.com
Keith Mfg Co.Madras, OR(541) 475-3802www.keithwalkingfloor.com
Kellogg Garden ProductsCarson, CA(310) 830-2200www.kellogggarden.com
Komptech USA Inc.Lafayette, CO 720-890-9090www.komptechusa.com
Kuhn North America Inc.Brodhead, WI(608) 897-2131www.kuhnnorthamerica.com
Kurtz Brothers Inc. Independence, OH(216) 986-7000www.kurtz-bros.com
LachenmeierGlenview, IL (877) 859-7205www.lachenmeier.com
Lane Forest ProductsEugene, OR (888) 345-9085www.laneforestproducts.com
Legacy Building Solutions19500 County Rd. 142South Haven, MN 55382(320) 259-7126www.legacybuildingsolutions.comSee ad on pg 9
Litco InternationalOne Litco DriveVienna, OH 44473-0150(877) 504-7954www.litco.comLitco International is your premier source for cost-effective, environmentally friendly presswood pallets, plastic pallets, dunnage air bags, honeycomb void fill dunnage, ISPM 15 export approved pallets, and other related material handling products designed to protect your valuable products while in transit. See ad on pg 25
Living Earth / The Letco Group LLCDallas, TX(972) 869-4332www.livingearth.net
McCloskey Intl. LtdPeterborough, ON Canada(877) 876-6635www.mccloskeyinternational.comSince the company’s inception in 1986, McCloskey International has been a pioneer in trommel design and innovation. McCloskey also manufacturers a remote control 180 Degree Radial Stockpiling Conveyor system, as well as vibratory screeners. See ad on pg 21
Midwest Bio-Systems, Inc.Tampico, IL(800) 689-0714midwestbiosystems.com
Morbark Inc.Winn, MI(800) 831-0042www.morbark.comMorbark builds equipment that creates opportunities in the forestry, recycling, sawmill, bio-energy, and tree care markets. Morbark equipment helps customers harvest, process, and convert wood and other organic materials into valuable, useful, and environmentally sound products. See ad on pg 2
Mulch & Soil CouncilManassas, VA(703) 257-0111 www.mulchandsoilcouncil.org
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BUYERS’ GUIDE2012
Mulch ManufacturingReynoldsburg, OH (614) 864-4004www.mulchmfg.comMulch Manufacturing is a leading producer of packaged mulch products. Available products include Cypress Rose, Cypress All Bark, Cedar, two types of Hardwood, Seven Types of Pine Bark, and three types of colored mulches. We also produce our own line of environmentally safe mulch colorant called “Nature’s Reflections.” See ad on pg 16
Natural Earth Technology Inc.Rusk, TX(903) 683-2195
Natural Light Fabric Structures, LLCJordan, MN(888) 708-3272www.nlfabric.com
Nature Friendly ProductsBeachwood, OH (800) 321-4804www.nfpco.com
Nature’s Choice Inc.Glennville, GA(912) 645-3518www.barkwiththebest.com
Nature’s Reflections / Mulch ManufacturingReynoldsburg, OH(866) 466-9134www.natures-reflections.netSee ad on pg 16
NCM Odor ControlSouth River, NJ(800) 957-6543 www.ncmodorcontrol.com
Norseman StructuresSaskatoon, SK Canada(855) 385-2782www.norsemanstructures.com
Natur-Tec® – Northern Technologies Intl CorpCircle Pines, MN(763) 404-8700 www.natur-tec.com
Odotech Inc.Montreal, QC Canada(514) 340-5250www.odotech.com
Ohio MulchColumbus, OH(614) 863-0445www.ohiomulch.com
Oldcastle Inc.Atlanta, GA(800) 899-8455www.oldcastle.com
OMH ProScreen USAChattaroy, WA(877) 254-7903www.omhproscreen.com
OMI IndustriesLong Grove, IL(800) 662-6367www.odormanagement.com
Orbit Screens, Inc.Delhi, IA(563) 922-9230www.orbitscreens.com
Organics Materials Review InstituteEugene, OR(541) 343-7600www.omri.org
P. R. Russell Brentwood Distribution Brentwood, NH(603) 772-4060www.prmulch.com
Pacific Rock & Recycle Equipment Co.Gig Harbor, WA(877) 211-2699www.pacificrockandrecycle.com
Pak-SherKilgore, TX(800) 642-2295www.paksher.com
Patz CorporationPound, WI(920) 897-2251www.patzcorp.com
Peel Plastic Products Brampton, ON Canada(905) 456-3660www.peelplastics.com
Peninsula Equipment Lakeland, FL(888) 387-6500www.peninsulaequipment.com
Peterson / An Astec Inds. Co.Eugene OR (541) 689-6520www.petersoncorp.comPeterson manufactures a line of horizontal feed wood grinders, with production rates up to 150 tons per hour. With our line of blower trucks, Peterson has extended its reach into the soil erosion and landscape markets, building trucks designed for distributing bark, mulch, compost, and soil amendments. See ad on pg 6
Poly-Flex Inc.Grand Prairie, TX(888) 765-9359 www.poly-flex.com
Premier Tech ChronosRivière-du-Loup, QC Canada (418) 868-8324www.ptchronos.comPremier Tech Chronos is recognized worldwide for its innovative solutions and unique way of designing state-of-the-art packaging equipment: screening systems, hopper, volumetric feeder, manual bagger, FFS bagger, palletizers, and stretch wrappers/hooders. Our dynamic team is constantly aware of the soil and mulch industry growth, providing you with engineering excellence and solutions that will fit your specific needs. See ad on pg 25
R.L. Shane CompanyDayton, OH(800) 777-5299www.rlshane.com
RAYCO ManufacturingWooster, OH(800) 392-2686www.raycomfg.com
Rehrig Pacific Co.Los Angeles, CA(800) 421-6244www.rehrigpacific.com
REMU USA Inc.Old Orchard Beach, ME (888) 600-0018www.remu.fiREMU Ltd is a leading supplier of innovative screening and excavation systems in Europe, with more than 20 years experience of manufacturing screening products. We also have a sales network serving the USA and Canada, operating as REMU USA Inc. See ad on back cover (pg 32)
REOTEMP Instrument CorpSan Diego, CA(858) 784-0710www.reotemp.com
Resource Recovery Systems Intl.Sterling, CO(970) 522-0663www.rrskw.com
Rethceif PackagingOssian, IN (866) 298-1876www.rethceif.comR e t h ce i f Pa c ka g i n g d e ve l o p s a n d manufactures FFS packaging equipment in our 20,000 sq. ft. facility located in Northeast Indiana. As a company, we use the latest technology and innovation to help our customers move into the future. Our designs set the standard in reliability, serviceability, cost of ownership, and performance. See ad on pg 23
Rexius, Inc.Eugene, OR(888) 4-REXIUSwww.rexius.com
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19January / February 2012 Soil & Mulch Producer News
BUYERS’ GUIDE2012Rock and Recycling SolutionsHopkinton, MA(866) 622-3339www.rockandrecycling.net
Rotochopper Inc.St. Martin, MN (320) 548-3586www.rotochopper.comRotochopper designs, builds, and supports a complete line-up of horizontal grinders, wood chip processors, asphalt shingle grinders, and mobile bagging systems. Our commitment to “Perfect In One Pass” finished product quality has led to several innovations, including several industry firsts, patented features, and unique machines. See ad on pg 10
Roto-Mix LLC2205 East Wyatt Earp Blvd.Dodge City, KS 67801(620) [email protected] Smithwww.rotomix.comRoto-Mix Compost Mixers are designed with cost-efficiency in mind. Equipped with the staggered Rotor that combines gentle tumbling with quick complete mixing to save time with fewer revolutions for an even mix. Mixing wet and dry materials. Available as stationary trailer or trucks.
SB Mulch Inc.Galivants Ferry, SC(866) 334-6569www.sbturfandmulch.com
SCARAB Mfg1475 County Road WWhite Deer, TX 79097(806) [email protected] Reid, Marketing Managerwww.scarabmfg.comScarab Manufacturing is celebrating our 40th year! With machines in 19 countries, we are the world’s largest windrow turner manufacturer. The longevity of our machines speaks for itself, with some of the first machines still in use today. We will build a machine that fits your needs, featuring belt drive drums, efficient engines with over size components and dependability for your growing needs.
Scotia Machinery LLCIndianapolis, IN(317) 294-3923www.organicsrecycling.com
Screen Machine IndustriesEtna, OH(800) 837-3344www.screenmachine.comScreen Machine Industries is an American manufacturer of portable machinery dedicated to material crushing, screening, recycling and stockpiling. Founded in 1966, our headquarters and manufacturing facility is located in Columbus, Ohio, USA. Our product line consists of heavy-duty Trommels, Screening and Shredding Plants, Stacking Conveyors, Spyders, Scalpers and Jaw/Impact Crushers. See ad on pg 4
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Info Request #128
www.allu.net
Screen/Mix Soils & Compost
World’s Largest Windrow Turner
ALLU Group, Inc. | Info Call: 1-800-939-2558 | Email: [email protected]
ALLU Composting ToolsWindrow Turners & Screener Crushers
• Available to fi t EVERY machine• High production even with wet muddy materials• 5/8” & 1” Screening size with replaceable hammersscan for video
• Track driven straddle type windrow turner• Create 10’x26’ windrows with no fl ails or paddles• 6000 cu. yards/hour turning capacity
www.allu.net
ATTENTION Readers!
Schedule your 4-color logo/photo listing in our 2013 Buyers’ Guide Issue!
The cost is only $195.00, and your listing will reach more than 5500
industry businesses. To purchase your listing,
please call 440-257-6453.
20 Soil & Mulch Producer News January / February 2012
BUYERS’ GUIDE2012
Screen USA Inc.Smyrna, GA(770) 433-2440www.screenusa.netSCREEN USA manufacturers a full line of screening equipment, able to satisfy the diverse demands of the modern operation. In addition to our trommels, shakers and shredding equipment, SCREEN USA has perfected the screening of high moisture compost and organic materials with the TORNADO STAR SCREENERS, available in various sizes. See ad on pg 29
SGP Mulch & Soils of AmericaNewark, OH(740) 366-8807
Slootweg Machinefabriek B.V.Hoofddorp, Netherlands31 (0)23 5689070www.slootweg.com
Smith Bros Inc.Medina, OH(800) 729-5751www.smithbrosmulch.com
SmithCo Side-Dump TrailersLe Mars, IA (800) 779-8099www.sidedump.com
Sollenberger Silos, LLCChambersburg, PA(717) 264-9588www.sollenbergersilos.com
Somat CompanyLancaster, PA(800) 237-6628www.somatcompany.com
Sparta Innovation Inc.Notre-Dame, NB Canada(888) 586-6128www.spartaway.com
Spectrum Technologies, Inc.Plainfield, IL(800) 248-8873www.specmeters.com
Sprung Instant Structures Inc.West Jordan, UT(800) 528-9899www.sprung.com
Summit StructuresAllentown, PA(800) 615-4777www.summitstructures.com
Sun Gro HorticultureBellevue, WA(425) 641-7577www.sungro.com
Superior Cedar Products Inc. Carney, MI(906) 639-2104www.superiorcedar.com
Supreme International LtdWetaskiwin, AB Canada(800) 563-2038www.supremeinternational.com
SureGreen MulchRuston, LA(877) 255-0228www.louisianasoil.com
Suwannee River MulchCross City, FL(800) 985-9939www.suwanneelumber.com
Swanson Bark & Wood ProductsLongview, WA(800) 762-2319www.swansonbark.com
T.H. Blue Inc.Eagle Springs, NC(800) 382-2583www.thbluemulch.com
T.H. Glennon Co. Inc.26 Fanaras Drive Salisbury, MA 01952 (978) [email protected]
Telles / Mirel PlasticsLowell, MA(978) 513-1800www.mirelplastics.com
Terra Select Inc.Orem, UT(888) 540-6779www.terra-select-inc.com
Totally Green, Inc.Tulsa, OK(918) 619-9700www.totallygreen.com
Toter Inc.Statesville, NC(800) 424-0422www.toter.com
Travis Body & Trailer Inc.13955 FM529 Houston, TX 77041 (800) 535-4372www.travistrailers.com
Trinity Packaging CorpArmonk, NY(914) 273-4111www.trinitypackaging.com
Trinity Trailer Mfg Inc.8200 S. Eisenman Rd. Boise, ID 83716(800) [email protected]
U.S. Composting CouncilRonkonkoma, NY(631) 737-4931www.compostingcouncil.org
Universal Equipment Mfg2140 Advance Ave.Columbus, OH 43207(614) 586-1780info@universalequipmentmfg.comwww.universalequipmentmfg.comSee ad on pg 28
Universal Refiner CorporationMontesano, WA (800) 277-8068www.universalrefiner.comU n i ve r s a l R e f i n e r Co r p h a s b e e n manufacturing stationary grinders for the sawmill, pulp and mulch industries since 1980. Included in our product line is the Hypocyclonic Action Waste Grinder (H.A.W.G.), which can produce a finished product in just a single pass. Also, our R-MAG Models are our most powerful, productive and efficient machines yet. See ad on pg 23
Vermeer CorporationPella, IA(641) 628-3141www.vermeer.com
Vision RecyclingFremont, CA(510) 353-6030www.visionrecycling.com
Warren & Baerg Mfg39950 Road 108Dinuba, CA 93618(559) [email protected] Baerg, Presidentwww.warrenbaerg.com
West Salem Machinery Salem, OR(800) 722-3530www.westsalem.comWest Salem Machinery offers a broad range of screening and size reduction machinery. WSM delivers mill-duty machinery and systems, from small horizontal grinders, to massive wood/bark hogs, to high volume screening/grinding systems, that are built to perform and built to last. See ad on pg 9
Western Trailers Co.Boise, ID(888) 344-2539www.westerntrailer.com
Wildcat Mfg / Vermeer CorpPella, IA(641) 628-3141www.vermeer.comVermeer and Wildcat manufactures equipment that processes organic waste quickly and efficiently into a useful end product. Designed with innovations that help improve productivity, streamline maintenance and protect operators, Vermeer compost turners, horizontal grinders, tub grinders and Wildcat compost turners and trommel screens are built to last and fully supported with parts and service from your local dealer. See ad on pg 31
XL ShelterBeamsville, ON Canada(800) 282-1239www.xlshelter.com
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21January / February 2012 Soil & Mulch Producer News
Info Request #173
TROMMELS STACKERSSCREENERSCRUSHERS
McCloskey International Ltd. 1-888-693-6548mccloskey@mccloskeyinternational.comwww.mccloskeyinternational.com
Over 20 North American Distributors. Call for your closest.
Introducing the 2012 McCloskey 621: The world’s most productive trommel in its class
Ground Adjustable Brushes
6’ x 21’ High Lift Drum
22 Soil & Mulch Producer News January / February 2012
www.colorbiotics.com
Info Request #116
Colorbiotics and the Colorbiotics logo are trademarks of Becker Underwood in the U.S. and / or other countries. © 2012 Colorbiotics. All Rights Reserved.
It takes water to make color enhanced mulch. But using too much weighs down your bag — and your profi ts. The patented Sahara colorant and mixing process works effi ciently, consistently and fast. It uses less colorant and half the water — cutting unwanted water weight and hefty freight costs. That means reduced wash-off, more bags per pallet and increased profi ts.
The Complete Package — Colorbiotics is the mulch product development leader — helping you grow your business, increase your profi ts, and enhance your yield with unmatched customer support. Get The Complete Package with quality, innovation, durability, performance, consistency and service.
The Sahara® X Series: Less water. Faster drying. More mulch.
Shed the water weight. Save $$$ on freight.
888.663.6980 | Colorbiotics.com
23January / February 2012 Soil & Mulch Producer News
Soil & Mulch Producer NEWS
Info Request #154
420 Industrial Parkway, Ossian, IN 46777 I Phone: 260-622-7200 I Toll Free: 866-298-1876 I Fax: 260-622-7220 I www.rethceif.com I [email protected]
“A Rethceif design is complete when it accomplishes the finest final package with the least amount of waste, movement and wear items possible.”
1 year payback on your machine. Rethceif equipment is so reliable you can achieve a 1 year payback on your investment.
15 minutes to change bag sizes. And no tools required.
6 - 8 cents saved on every bag by switching to single flat roll film. Every Rethceif bagger utilizes Form, Fill, and Seal technology. This means every bag is made at the machine from a single roll of film.
100100 percent of commercially available components available from suppliers nationwide. Rethceif strives to make its equipment easy to own and maintain.
Talk to various film suppliers. Contact us via our web page or phone. Experience the Rethceif Difference.
University of Missouri Creating Closed-loop Food Waste to Fertilizer System
Columbia, MO—Tim Reinbott at the University of Missouri’s Bradford Research Center, the university’s research farm, is working with Eric Cartwright, head of the university’s dining system, to put
to use the plated food waste and post-preparation food scraps generated, about a million pounds a year, to recycle that waste into a closed-loop food system that will generate the fertilizer for growing new food. The new system, called the Zero Carbon Footprint Vegetable and Compost Production System, is designed to lower MU’s carbon footprint and more effectively manage waste materials. It will make use of 250 tons of food waste produced by campus dining halls every year. Reinbott is seeing the system as a first in American higher education and a model for other educational institution, as well as a classroom resource.
The composting system has been in the works for about two years. After initial problems with budgeting, work progressed quickly, and the new composting facility opened in November.
In the dining hall, large pulpers process food waste into a ground mash, using everything from bones to napkins. The pulp is then taken to their new composting station and dumped into a hopper, which feeds an auger system. Time and heat break down the matter until it becomes a dark, rich organic fertilizer. After about five months of processing, it is then mixed with old horse bedding, manure and sawdust.
The finished product is then mixed into vegetable beds to eliminate the need for nitrogen fertilizer. The veggies grown are sold to the dining system to cover the cost of composting, although they will still need to purchase additional food products from suppliers, in order to meet their overall demand. The school will also save on landfill and hauling costs, and it is hoped business students can come up with a way to sell the extra fertilizer to the community.
Info Request #115
UNIVERSAL REFINER CORPORATION
GRINd WOOd STUmPS up to 80 inches diameter x 5000 pounds
(It’s a H.A.W.G.)ThE RASCAL™
Hypocyclonic Action Waste Grinder• Makes finished product with one pass• Can be fed with a skidsteer or tractor loader• Unit is “street legal” - no permits needed
or visit our website at www.universalrefiner.comCall today (800) 277-8068
24 Soil & Mulch Producer News January / February 2012
Soil & Mulch Producer NEWS
Continental Biomass Industries, Inc. Newton, NH USA
Learn more about CBI grinders, chippers, and shredders by call-ing 603-382-0556 or visit us online at: www.cbi-inc.com.
There are many ways to process wood for mulch. CBI’s Magnum Force Grinders just happen to be the smartest! Engineered and built for highest throughput, lowest operating cost, maximum durability, and minimal downtime — CBI provides a better return on investment than any competitive system in the global market today. Now that’s smart!
The Smartest Way to Process Mulch
Features include:• Heavy-duty rotors and screens• Clamshell opening for access to hog box• Full radio remote control • Caterpillar diesel or electric motor
• PT Tech hydraulic clutch• CBI Intelligrind control system• Flexxaire Auto-reversing Fan • Portable, stationary, or track versions
Info Request #170
Cornell and Worm Power Join Forces on Biofertilizer Development
Ithaca, NY—Researchers at Cornell University have joined with a New York composting business, the Avon, NY-based
Worm Power, on research that shows worm compost is not only a great fertilizer, it may also organically protect seeds from the pathogen Pythium aphanidermatum, a pathogen whose mobile spores infect seedlings, causing them to wither shortly after germination. These microbes can protect a seed from infection by releasing a substance that interferes with the chemical signaling between the host and the pathogen, says the Cornell research.
Some composts have been proven to suppress diseases, but it is not known which microbes suppress which diseases. Compost is also seen as a variable substance, so it is hard to get uniform results. Cornell research worked with Worm Power, which produces 2.5 million pounds of vermicompost a year, according to owner Tom Herlihy. His compost is very consistent, because his dairy manure feedstock is regular and the process highly controlled.
The development of an organic biopesticide would lead to a very marketable product if it meets Environmental Protection Agency standards.
Cornell is also looking at three-year project, starting this spring, to study vermicompost’s organic fertilizing capability, supported by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, by exploring how organic growers can incorporate it into potting mixes for better nutrient management.
Wood-to-Waste Plant May Come to Yakima, WA Area
Yakima, WA—The White Swan area maybe getting an $80 million wood waste-to-energy plant that would use woody debris from Yakama Nation forest lands. The plant can handle 160,000 tons per year of ground-up woody debris and could be operating by the fall of
2013, says Tiin-Ma Logging owner Kip Ramsey, who created Simkwii Energy LLC to develop the 20-megawatt complex, which would be eligible for the county’s tax-exempt status, and thus lower-cost financing.
Simkwii Energy would build four 5-megawatt plants for $3.8 million on an 80-acre area, each with boilers and turbines to generate electricity from steam, costing a total $76.2 million. The Yakama Nation is backing the project and has a long-term agreement for the firm to obtain wood from logging operations on tribal lands. Slash piles are both a fire hazard and a breeding ground for pine bark beetles. Tribal forest lands contain more than 1 million tons of wood debris so the plant would be fueled for 20 years, not including future logging.
Pacificorp and Puget Sound Energy are prime customers for the power, but Pacificorp, the parent company of Pacific Power, which provides electrical power to 130,000 customers in Yakima and Walla Walla counties, says it has not been approached about purchasing the plant’s output.
Missouri Composter Shut Down for Contaminated Water Emissions
Jefferson City, MO—The Missouri State Attorney General’s Office is shutting down an unauthorized composting facility in
southwest Missouri that composts food and other waste and then sells the resulting mulch. Attorney General Chris Koster said his office has obtained a preliminary injunction to shut down a facility in Lawrence County owned by Black Oak Organics and HP Environmental, Inc. The action is being taken because the court has found evidence that the companies and their owners have violated Missouri’s Clean Water and Solid Waste Management Laws. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources found that contaminated storm water at the facility was being discharged into a tributary of Honey Creek, where it could seep into the groundwater table.
25January / February 2012 Soil & Mulch Producer News
Soil & Mulch Producer NEWS
www.litco.com
Info Request #155
Iowa State Has Success with Mortality Recycling on Swine Teaching Farm
Ames, IA—The Iowa State University swine breeding farm began composting mortalities eight years ago to increase biosecurity practices. Swine farms manager Jay Lampe calls the move a good
one, and says that the process has changed both management style and lowered biosecurity risks while providing a sustainable way of managing mortalities by eliminating potential sources of disease outbreaks inherent in rendering and decreasing incoming fuel trucks.
The size and cost of building a composting facility varies depending on available land, kind of materials and number mortalities to be composted. This farm facility is completely roofed with eight bays, each about 10 feet square with four foot high concrete walls to allow adequate space for all carcass sizes. A foot-deep layer of dry cover material, like wood shavings or chopped corn stalk is put in the bottom to absorb moisture from decaying carcasses, with alternating layers of cover material and carcasses filling the bay. Then the compost undergoes the first heating cycle of 60 to 90 days and partially composted carcasses are moved to a secondary bin to break up the materials in the pile, redistribute excess moisture and introduce a new oxygen supply.
At the ISU swine farm, a nitrogen source and a carbon source (typically corn stalks or woodchips) are the primary materials used in composting and the material is then applied to cropland for return to the soil without odor or other problems. The long term success of the project has meant that ISU facilities, including the poultry and beef teaching farms, are using the practice. Deciding to compost means initial costs of construction, says the school, but saves money that might be spent on a disease outbreak from rendering services or fuel trucks for an incinerator.
Info Request #119
www.ptchronos.com/mulchsoilpackaging
26 Soil & Mulch Producer News January / February 2012
Info Request #127
www.petersoncorp.com
2710C 4700B 4800E 5000H 5710C 6750B BTR
800-269-6520 • www.petersoncorp.com • PO BOX 40490 • Eugene, OR 97404
Make Mountains of MulchHigh volume mulch producers know that when they have taken care of the logistics of a mulching operation, they need the power, reliability, and quality that only a Peterson horizontal grinder can provide.
• Caterpillar power from 475 to 1200hp • Over 500 yards per hour output capacity • Lowest cost per ton output
No matter what your grinding application, Peterson’s horizontal grinders can get you the volume and productivity that you demand. For more information about Peterson products, call Peterson at 800.269.6520 or visit us at www.petersoncorp.com today!
27January / February 2012 Soil & Mulch Producer News
Soil & Mulch ProducerNEWS
Info Request #106
Pull-Type, PTO Driven, Heavy Duty
compost turner- fOr winDrOw -
Manufactured and sold by
Dos Palos, CA 93620 • 209-392-6103www.hclmachineworks.com
email: [email protected]
Info Request #163
Buy w Sell w ConsignUsed - Wood & Greenwaste
Recycling Equipment
(866) 227-2244Sales Office in Kalispell, MT—Machines Nationwide
Call or visit us online for our complete listings of Grinders, Wood/Soil Screening Machines,
Mulch Coloring Machines, Bark Blower Trucks, Chippers, Compost Turners & More!
www.earthsaverequipment.com
Tub Grinders1999 Morbark 1300NCL, 800 HP (7800 hr) .......$50,0001997 Toro 5000, 650 HP (4000 hr) .....................$85,0002003 Vermeer TG525L, 525 HP (4000 hr) .........$95,0001998 Morbark 1300, 800 HP (1600R hr) ..........$123,000HorizonTal Grinders2004 Rotochopper MC266, 460 HP (3300 hr) .$169,9002004 Bandit 3680, 645 HP (2650 hr) ................$170,0002004 Peterson 4710, 630 HP (5100 hr) .............$185,0002007 Morbark 3800, 600 HP (1500 hr) ............$260,0002004 Morbark 6600T, 1000 HP (4600 hr) ........$295,0002008 Morbark 3800, 630 HP (920 hr) ..............$313,0002005 Doppstadt DW3060K, 430 HP (1050 hr) $415,000TroMMel sCreens1998 Retech Eliminator III, 6’x27’ (2600 hr) ..$87,5001994 Earthsaver 622ABH, 6’x22’ .....................$45,000
2001 CBI 4000 Mag. Force, 900HP (1500R hr) .....$179,000
Manitoba Peat Mine in Jeopardy for Threats to Peat Bog in Parkland
Manitoba—Sun Gro Horticulture, a U.S. company that is the largest producer of peat moss in North America, is seeking an environmental license to operate a peat mine at Hay Point bog,
in Hecla-Grindstone Provincial Park north of Gimli. Sun Gro is hoping Winnipeg engineering firm KGS Group can submit the application. The firm is facing opposition from residents, environmentalists and First Nations people, and a moratorium is in place on peat mines. Manitoba Finance Minister Stan Struthers said Sun Gro already had a lease for a peat mine before the NDP moratorium was put in place.
The association that represents peat moss developers in the dominion says the industry is environmentally responsible. “Our policy is to restore peat lands after we finish harvesting them,” said Paul Short of the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association, based in Edmonton. The industry group has been working with researchers at Laval University in Quebec for more than a decade to ensure harvested bogs are rehabilitated. “We can bring these ecosystems back within human lifetimes. The science is there,” said Short.
Restoration could threaten bog status for the site, and it would no longer be able to prevent harmful algae blooms on Lake Winnipeg, say environmentalists. If the bog is mined, it would release tons of greenhouse gases.
Gaile Whelan Enns, director of the conservation group Manitoba Wildlands, said the project breaks the spirit of the Save Lake Winnipeg Act, which imposes a moratorium on peat mining.
Making Composting Safer, More Environmental Friendly
Washington, DC—Job related deaths have occurred in all industries despite safety procedures set in place, and this is true in composting as well. Three workers died from inhaling
toxic fumes at a Vancouver plant, which went bankrupt from lawsuits, and two brothers who worked for a compost company in California died from inhaling hydrogen sulfide. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration warns never to attempt a rescue in an area that may contain hydrogen sulfide without using appropriate respiratory protection and without being trained to perform such a rescue. Continuing to enforce safety procedures, implement practice drills, and general education on hazardous materials may prevent or at least decrease such tragedies in the future.
There are also some environmental concerns regarding composting, with state and local authorities working to make composting procedures more environmentally friendly. Though some techniques are higher in cost, these may become more viable with technological innovation. Anaerobic digestion, which confines compost material in oxygen-free containers where the bacteria can break it down and create energy, is one such example. Another is aerating compost rows to reduce air and water emissions by covering the materials with a membrane that will also reduce odors and rain runoff.
In addition, compost companies are subject to changing regulatory practices, including tighter ruling for issuing permits. These practices should help enhance the safety of workers and reduce environmental concerns.
EQUIPMENT / PRODUCT SHOWCASE
2006 HogZilla TCII-1564P, 1000hp CAT with Platinum extended engine warranty until 7-27-13 or 6000hrs. Approx. 3000hrs. VERY NICE CLEAN GRINDER! $295,000.
Contact Tim Wenger at 800-743-3491 or 785-285-1061
FOR SALE
2008 Doppstadt SM 720, 2,252 hours, 1/2” screen, Trommel Screen. $185,000
2003 Duratech 4012, 2,346 hours, Cat 3412 engine, 650 hp, Tub Grinder with Loader. $170,000
For more information call Denise Dunn at 803-791-7100
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
2007 Vermeer TG 7000, 2,400 hours, Cat 3412E engine, 1,000 hp, Tub Grinder with Coloring System. $280,000
28 Soil & Mulch Producer News January / February 2012
Soil & Mulch ProducerNEWS
www.kdheks.gov/waste
—for sale—used Mulch Bagging line
Call Billy Holmes614-586-1780 office
614-595-7933 cell
Universal Equipment Mfg.2140 Advance Ave., Columbus, OH 43207 Ph: 614-586-1780 • Fax: 614-586-1781
Complete with: • Fully Automated Palletizer
• In Feed Hopper
• Manual Bagger
• All Electrical Controls
• Ready to Work!
Only $139,500
Green Gasoline Plant Planned for Louisiana by Sundrop Fuels
Longmont, CO—Sundrop Fuels Inc is planning to build its first gasification plant to produce gasoline from forest waste on 1,200 acres in Rapides Parish, LA, near Alexandria. The advanced
fuels plant will convert cellulosic feedstock into synthesis gas to use in combustion engines but will use the nation’s existing fuels distribution infrastructure. It will cost from $450 million to $500 million and produce up to 50 million gallons annually as what Sundrop Fuels calls the world’s first ready-to-use, renewable ‘green gasoline.’ The new biofuel is expected to cost as much or less than petroleum-based transportation fuels.
The state is giving Sundrop Fuels performance-based incentives for the facility, and it hopes the project will help grow the local economy. By 2020, Sundrop Fuels said it expects to produce more than 1 billion gallons of fuel annually and meet almost 10% of federal government’s stated goal for fuels refined from cellulosic material and other alternatives to crude oil.
In related news, there has been a decision by the federal government to shut down and auction the assets of Range Fuels wood-to-ethanol plant in Soperton, GA, at a loss of more than $500 million in loans and venture capital funds.
Smaller AD Biogas Plants Seen for Urban Areas, Campuses in England
London, England—The Creative Health Lab, a social enterprise based in North London, is working to develop a small scale, community Anaerobic Digestion (AD) project to be replicated across the
country. AD is a process where plant and animal material, such as food waste, manure, sewage and green waste, is degraded by natural organisms in the absence of air to produce a biogas made up of carbon dioxide and methane that can be used to generate heat and electricity and a digestate that can be used as a fertilizer. AD projects in the UK are generally large, industrial scale technologies, but Creative Health Lab is hoping the technology can be reduced to a local level for an urban environment or a university.
The Local Energy Adventure Partnership is examining two North London sites to begin trials of the small-scale technology, which is used widely in the developing world now. The technology is not the problem, but rather the cost effectiveness, as it works better with cheap labor. In London, LEAP will be look at a community enterprise to give local people employment opportunities, using a team of apprentices who will get help from AD experts and engineering students from Imperial College.
Tacoma to Try Out Food Waste Recycling and Fewer Pickups
Tacoma, WA—The City of Tacoma is allowing food scraps to be accepted in the yard waste bin starting this spring as part of regular every-other-week yard waste collection after a successful six-month
pilot project. Bread, meat, bones, eggs, and kitchen scraps are included, and the city is starting a public awareness campaign that explains how the program works and its launch dates. Customers will get gallon-sized pails to collect daily kitchen scraps and put the contents into yard waste containers for pickup.
It is all part of a bigger program to see if the city should go to biweekly garbage collection from its current weekly service. A final report is not yet out, but it seems that citizens like biweekly pickup, which leads to increased recycling and lower costs for the city.
Because it is closing its landfill by 2013, Tacoma must reduce its waste stream and increase recycling when it begins using the Pierce County landfill. City officials hope some of the compost can be returned to the city from the compost factory near Graham, allowing the city to sell it.
29January / February 2012 Soil & Mulch Producer News
Soil & Mulch ProducerNEWS
www.screenusa.net [email protected]
Info Request #105
Study Suggests That Production of Biofuel from Forests Will Increase Greenhouse Gas Emissions
According to a report in sciencedaily.com, the largest and most comprehensive study yet done on the effect of biofuel
production from West Coast forests has concluded that an emphasis on bioenergy would increase carbon dioxide emissions from these forests at least 14 percent, if the efficiency of such operations is optimal.
The findings are contrary to assumptions and some previous studies that suggest biofuels from this source would be carbon-neutral or even reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In this research, that wasn’t true in any scenario.
The study was published in Nature Climate Change, by scientists from the College of Forestry at Oregon State University and other institutions in Germany and France. It was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy.
During the past four years, the study examined 80 forest types in 19 eco-regions in Oregon, Washington and California, ranging from temperate rainforests to semi-arid woodlands. It included both public and private lands and different forest management approaches.
“On the West Coast, we found that projected forest biomass removal and use for bioenergy in any form will release more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than current forest management practices,” said Tara Hudiburg, a doctoral candidate at OSU and lead author on the study.
“Most people assume that wood bioenergy will be carbon-neutral, because the forest re-grows and there’s also the chance of protecting forests from carbon emissions due to wildfire,” Hudiburg said. “However, our research showed that the emissions from these activities proved to be more than the savings.”
The only exception to this, the researchers said, was if forests in high fire-risk zones become weakened due to insect outbreaks or drought, which impairs their growth and carbon sequestration, as well as setting the stage for major fires. It’s possible some thinning for bioenergy production might result in lower emissions in such cases if several specific criteria are met, they said.
“Until now there have been a lot of misconceptions about impacts of forest thinning, fire prevention and biofuels production as it relates to carbon emissions from forests,” said Beverly Law, a professor in the OSU Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society and co-author of this study.
“If our ultimate goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, producing bioenergy from forests will be counterproductive,” Law said. “Some of these forest management practices may also have negative impacts on soils, biodiversity and habitat. These issues have not been thought out very fully.”
The study examined thousands of forest plots with detailed data and observations,
considering 27 parameters, including the role of forest fire, emissions savings from bioenergy use, wood product substitution, insect infestations, forest thinning, energy and processes needed to produce biofuels, and many others.
It looked at four basic scenarios: “business as usual”; forest management primarily for fire prevention purposes; additional levels of harvest to prevent fire but also make such operations more economically feasible; and significant bioenergy production while contributing to fire reduction.
Compared to “business as usual” or current forest management approaches, all of the other approaches increased carbon emissions, the study found. Under the most optimal levels of efficiency, management just for fire prevention increased it 2 percent; for better economic return, 6 percent; and for higher bioenergy production, 14 percent.
“However, we don’t believe that an optimal efficiency of production is actually possible in real-world conditions,” Hudiburg said. “With levels of efficiency that are more realistic, we project that the use of these forests for high bioenergy production would increase carbon emissions 17 percent from their current level.”
About 98 percent of the forests in this region are now estimated to be a carbon sink, meaning that even with existing management approaches they sequester more carbon than they release to the atmosphere.
Plans for greenhouse gas reduction call for up to 10 percent lower emissions by 2020, and forest-derived fuels are now seen as a carbon-neutral solution to reducing energy emissions, the researchers note. However, this study suggests that increases in harvest volume on the West Coast, for any reason, will instead result in average increases in emissions above current levels.
Forests capture a large portion of the carbon emitted worldwide, and some of this carbon is stored in pools such as wood and soil that can last hundreds to thousands of years, the scientists said.
“Energy policy implemented without full carbon accounting and an understanding of the underlying processes risks increasing rather than decreasing emissions,” the researchers wrote in their report.
Source : h t tp : / /www.sc i enceda i ly. com/releases/2011/10/111023135657.htm.
30 Soil & Mulch Producer News January / February 2012
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SCREEN USA Celebrates New Year with Introduction of 6090 Trommel Screen
SCREEN USA Inc. recent ly l a u n c h e d
t h e S C R E E N USA TROM6090. According to owner Rick Cohen, “ the SCREEN USA 6090 was designed to fill a gap in our trommel screening line. We offer a smaller TROM406HM and a TROM406HMSL which are small trommel screens that target the skid steer market. Many of our customers have out grown the smaller machines and need a medium sized trommel, without the large price tag.”
The SCREEN USA TROM6090 is equipped with a stout 5 yard hopper, hydraulic tipping grizzly (remote control), 36” wide drag chain feeder (variable speed), optional shredder / pulverizer, trommel screen (easy change), and a 30” wide built-on, high-speed slinger conveyor. This machine is unique to the market as it can not only be pulled by a 1-1/2 ton pick-up truck via military pintle, but it can be equipped with a shredder / pulverizer, which will break up the clump soil / compost before screening. As the name suggest, the 6090 will screen approximately 60-90 yards per hour. In dry material it has exceeded 120 yards per hour.
for more information contact SCrEEn USA at 770-433-2440 or visit www.screenusa.net.
REMU Introduces Big Float 800 Excavator
RE M U ’ s Big Float product
line has a new member. The Big Float 800 excavator was d e v e l o p e d to meet the c u s t o m e r ’ s d e m a n d t o work on marshlands and coast lines without fear of getting stuck or sinking. The Big Float 800 is a cost-effective alternative to bigger machines, for job sites where digging depth is less than 4 meters.
REMU Big Float 800 is an amphibious excavator with 8 tons of base machine. Total weight is only 12, 500 kg and it can be transported even with 3-axel trucks. The length of the boom is 7.7 meters, which gives a 4.1 meter digging depth. Like the other Big Float models, it is totally floating and can be brought to the job site by driving it, or it can be towed or driven with propellers along water ways.
Extra equipment is also available with this new model. With extra pontoons and anchoring legs it can be operated in open water. Propellers can be added to extra pontoons for easy moving along water ways.
for more information please contact via email: [email protected] or visit www.remu.fi.
Robotic Palletizing Cell from Premier Tech
Premier Tech’s Robotic Palletizing Cell is a flexible palletizing
system, offering one of the best solutions to any palletizing need. Several grippers are available for palletizing bags, boxes, bundles, cases, cans, pails, drums, trays, totes, etc. This heavy-duty robotic cell can simultaneously gather from up to four different incoming product lines. At speeds of up to 28 units per minute (single robot) and up to 40 units per minute (dual robots in the same space area), they are custom programmed for each unique layout to achieve optimum performance. It also offers an option that eliminates manual adjustments for bag size changeover. This feature allows the robot to automatically adjust gripper opening when changing bag size.
note: Premier Tech Chronos is proud to introduce the new version of its website ptchronos.com, which has recently been completely redesigned and thus greatly improved. Visit ptchronos.com and learn more about us and our innovative packaging systems.
for more information, contact Premier Tech Chronos at 418-868-8324, [email protected]
or visit www.ptchronos.com.
Peterson Introduces the 5700C Horizontal Grinder
The 5700C is Peterson’s latest generation of high production grinders. Powered by a Caterpillar C27 engine making 1050hp (783 kW), the 5700C has the
power to handle the toughest jobs. At 78,000 pounds (35380 kg) the 5700C was designed for operations that require frequent moves between jobs without a special permit. With a feed opening of 60 x 40 inches (152 x 102 mm) combined with Peterson’s high lift feed roll; the 5700C can readily reduce a wide range of material including stumps.
The 5700C’s new generation of controls includes Peterson’s high production Adaptive Control System and a fully adjustable feed system that can be optimized for a wide range of materials.
The 5700C features a large grate area that enables the 5700C to produce materials to exact specifications. Our quick-change multiple grate system makes it easy to customize grate configurations to produce a wide variety of finished materials.
for more information contact Peterson at 541-689-6520 or visit www.petersoncorp.com.
31January / February 2012 Soil & Mulch Producer News
The WILDCAT LOGO is a trademark of Wildcat Mfg. Co, Inc. VERMEER is a trademark of Vermeer Manufacturing Company in the United States and/or other countries.
© 2012 Vermeer Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
WE’RE WILDLY CONSISTENT.
Wildcat trommel screens and compost turners can help you produce a consistent end product.For nearly 40 years, Wildcat Manufacturing has been helping operators exceed their wildest expectations. Our products are powerful, productive, and backed by an industry-leading dealer network committed to your satisfaction.
From trommel screens to compost turners, we design and build equipment you can count on day after day. It’s easy to operate, easy to service, and the easy choice when you need high performance and consistent end product.
Call your nearest dealer or visit www.vermeer.com today!
Info Request #141
PRSRT STDU.S. Postage
PAIDMentor, OH
PErMIt No. 2
6075 Hopkins Road • Mentor, OH 44060
Ph: 440-257-6453 • Fax: 440-257-6459Email: [email protected]
VOL. VI NO. 1 JAN / FEB 2012
Info Request #130
Contact the REMU Screening specialist with all questions!
• bolt on mounting for all machines• e�ective construction with cleaning scrapers• higher capacity with moist material
Now available
Evolution ProScreening Buckets
REMU USA Inc. Toll-free 1-888-600-0018 [email protected] www.remu.fi
InsIde ThIs Issue
SPECIAL BUYERS’ GUIDEPAGES 11-20
Sweet Smell of Success When Business StinksPAGE 1
Industry News from the Mulch & Soil CouncilPAGE 5
University of Missouri Creating ClosedloopFood Waste to Fertilizer System
PAGE 23
Making Composting Safer, MoreEnvironmental Friendly
PAGE 27
Study Suggests That Production of Biofuel from Forests Will Increase Greenhouse Gas Emissions
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