Open Standard file - Soil and Mulch Producer News

Transcription

March / April 2011
Vol. V No. 2
Serving Soil, Mulch, Compost, & Biofuel Professionals
NEWS
Attention
Readers !
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 12
Hamer LLC – pg 5
PremierTech Chronos – pg 18
Rethceif Packaging – pg 16
Compost Cover
Compostex – pg 4
ClearSpan – pg 7
Compost, Mulch
& Wood Waste For Sale
Giorgi Mushroom – pg 11
Litco International – pg 17
Compost Software
Aschl Management Systems – pg 15
Compost Turners
HCL Machine Works – pg 21
Midwest BioSystems – pg 16
Light Material Buckets
Hageman Earth Cycle – pg 21
Mulch Coloring Equipment/
Colorants
Colorbiotics – pg 9
Nature’s Reflections – pg 8
T.H. Glennon – pg 7
Plastic Removal System
Airlift Separator – pg 8
Shredders, Grinders, Chippers
& Screening Systems
Mulch Manufacturers See
Bright Colorful Future
By P.J. Heller
M
ulch manufacturers who are hoping to
make more “green” may want to look
at making more reds, browns, blacks
and lots of other colors as well.
That’s because, according to some mulch
industry experts, the demand for colored mulch
is a thriving and lucrative business in most parts
of the U.S., affecting everyone from mulch
manufacturers to lawn and garden supply stores
and big box outlets who resell their products to
individual landscapers and homeowners.
“Any company in the mulch production
business is either considering, or has considered,
or is going to make colored mulch,” says John
Spencer, chief executive officer of Mulch
Manufacturing in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, and a
pioneer in the colored mulch market. “They
about have to. It’s a broad enough business that
Allu Group Inc – pg 17
Doppstadt – pg 19
EarthSaver Equipment – pg 13
Morbark Inc. – pg 2
Orbit Screens – pg 13
Peterson – pg 10
REMU – pg 24 (back cover)
Screen Machine Industries – pg 22
Screen USA – pg 14
West Salem Machinery – pg 11
Wildcat/Vermeer – pg 23
Transport Trailers
Travis Trailers – pg 6
Photo courtesy of Mulch Manufacturing.
Photo courtesy of Colorbiotics.
if you’re not making colored products, then
you’re missing a big opportunity.”
About 25 percent of total mulch sales for
Mulch Manufacturing, one of the largest mulch
producers in the nation, are the colored variety,
according to Spencer.
The company also sells its Nature’s
Reflections colorant and its line of Cheetah
coloring systems.
At Foster Brothers Wood Products in
Auxvasse, Mo., company president and coowner Jay Foster says sales of colored mulches
have increased by at least 5 percent every
year over the last five or six years. That
amounts to about 3,100 tractor-trailer loads of
colored mulch this year, about 35 percent of all
materials sold“The first year we did it, we
probably only sold 200 loads of colored
material,” Foster says.
“The growth of the mulch industry has
been helped by colorant being added to the
mulch, making the mulch more attractive to the
consumer,” notes Kriem Michel, national sales
manager for T.H. Glennon Co. “Homeowners
trying to sell their home are using this colored
mulch to improve curb appeal.”
T.H. Glennon, a colorant and equipment
manufacturer based in Salisbury, Mass., reports
major increases each year in sales of its Colorfast
colorant. Some two dozen colors are offered,
including reds, browns and gold to black, blue
Continued on page 3
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Soil & Mulch Producer News March / April 2011
Soil
&
Mulch Producer NEWS
PUBLICATION STAFF
Publisher / Editor
Rick Downing
Contributing
Editors / Writers
P.J. Heller
Production & Layout
Barb Fontanelle
Christine Pavelka
Advertising Sales
Rick Downing
Subscription / Circulation
Donna Downing
Editorial, Circulation
& Advertising Office
6075 Hopkins Road
Mentor, OH 44060
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For subscription information,
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ontact our main office, or mail-in the
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Copyright 2011 by Downing & Associates
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Continued from page 1
and green. The company also manufacturers the
“Almost any colored mulch will exceed the
Color Jet compact coloring unit, which officials
longevity of hardwood,” Spencer says. “Colored
say makes it easy and affordable for mulch
mulch won’t fade as quickly ... We have colorants
producers to generate colored mulches.
that will last more than two years. We have
Michel says mulch manufacturers are
done accelerated testing where we can keep a
turning more and more to colored mulches to
colorant out in the rain for over three years.
improve their bottom line. “You make more
The colorants are getting better all the time. So
money,” she says. “You make
the product lasts longer in the
more money when you sell
environment.”
“Colored mulch won’t fade as
colored mulch than not.”
Foster agrees, saying that
“It is very lucrative and quickly ... We have colorants the longevity of the colored
definitely a viable business,” agrees
mulches is one of its biggest
that will last more than
Andrew Tuckman, marketing
selling points, even though it
two years. We have done
manager in charge of sales, accelerated testing where we may be 30 to 40 percent more
PR and outreach with Vision
expensive.
can keep a colorant out in
Recycling in Fremont, Calif.
“A lot of people in the
V i s i o n R e c y c l i n g the rain for over three years. urban areas hire someone to
The colorants are getting
manufactures and sells colored
spread the mulch in their yard
better
all the time. So the
mulch, along with nearly a
and the labor tends to be rather
dozen other products, at the
expensive to spread the mulch,”
product lasts longer in the
landfill in Santa Cruz County.
he notes. “It’s probably more
environment.”
“It’s become a thriving
expensive than the mulch itself.
business,” Tuckman says. “It
If you get two seasons out of
was a very smart move to start coloring the
colored mulch versus one season out of the
material. You can move the material faster and
natural materials and if you’re hiring somebody
create the circle of sustainability. It created
to do it, I think in the long run you’re saving
a market so we could move it off the landfill
money even though the colored mulch is more
quickly.”
expensive.”
He says the attraction of the colored mulch
Rotert of Colorbiotics says that while its
is its aesthetic appeal. Kent Rotert, director of
UV-treated colorants last longer than untreated
marketing and sales at Colorbiotics in Ames,
wood, there are other considerations that need
Iowa, one of the largest producers of colorant and
to be taken into account. Among them: the type
colorant systems equipment in the nation, agrees.
of wood source, type of colorant and how it is
According to Rotert, more people are
applied. The company maintains a full lab and
using colored mulch products today because
will do studies for customers to determine the
more people are reinvesting in their homes and
life of a colorant on a wood source.
properties today than they were in past years.
Foster, who operates one of the largest
This trend is driven by the slowdown in
wood byproducts companies in Missouri, started
home sales and plummeting home values,
selling colored mulches about 12 years ago.
resulting in people holding on to and fixing up
“Truthfully, we didn’t want to [get into the
their properties. Despite the economic slump,
colored mulch market] but a lot of our customers
consumers are still willing to spring for colored
started requesting it because their customers
mulch to spruce up their properties.
were requesting it,” he says.
“It’s certainly not the price point because
While there is little debate about the
it’s more expensive,” Tuckman says. “It just
marketability of colored mulches, there is
looks good.”
little consensus on what color sells best. Much
Utilizing equipment and colorant from
depends on where in the U.S. the colored mulch
Amerimulch, Vision Recycling offers its colored
is going to be used. “Every geographic region is
mulches to landscapers, do-it-yourselfers and to
very different across the United States,” Rotert
wholesale nurseries who then resell it.
says, noting that is the reason his company has
territory managers located throughout the nation.
One of those landscapers, Nikos Lynch of
“The markets are different and the needs
Terra Bella Landscaping in Santa Cruz, says it’s
are different from a geographical standpoint,”
usually an easy matter to sell clients on colored
he explains. “So what’s needed in the Northwest
mulch rather than non-colored.“When you see
is different than what’s needed in the Southeast,
the two together, nine out of 10 are going to pick
not only in the colorant but in the support
the colored mulch, even though it costs one-third
and the equipment and the knowledge of the
more,” he says.
industry and the consumer.”
That cost differential may be offset somewhat
Colorbiotics offers nearly 20 different
by the fact that the colored mulches last longer
colorants, ranging from reds, browns and black
than most natural materials, according to
manufacturers.
Continued on page 4
March / April 2011 Soil & Mulch Producer News
3
Soil
&
Mulch Producer NEWS
to orange, blue, green and yellow. The company recently launched an
iPhone app that helps customers select the best color mulch and the proper
quantity for their property.
Foster sells five different colors: red, a light and dark brown, black
and gold. The black and gold mulches don’t sell well, although Foster says
black is a top seller in the East. The two shades of brown are the big sellers,
accounting for about 70 percent of his colored mulch sales.
He recalls one customer’s request for blue colored mulch to match
a college team’s colors; that project was eventually scrapped due to the
prohibitive cost for just a limited amount of the mulch.
“If I had my druthers, we wouldn’t produce but one color of mulch
because you have to have more storage, more colorant . . .” Foster says
Even if a store carried five shades of red colored mulch, someone
would want a slight variation in the color, he says.
“For the consumer, the more choices there are the better,” he notes.
“Sometimes for the manufacturer that’s not the case.”
The colored mulches are produced by three Colorbiotics machines (a
Sahara 300, Sahara 200 and a Second Harvester) located at three of the
five yards around the state operated by Foster.
Mulch Manufacturing produces about 35 different colors, ranging from
various shades of red to browns and golden. Earth tones, such as dark red,
black and golden, have tended to be the biggest sellers, Spencer says.“The
most popular color is red,” he notes. “There are a variety of shades, from
real deep burgundy or maroon to lighter reds and more vivid reds. Black is
also a very popular color in some places. But in some places you can’t sell
a single bag of black. In other areas, black is the most popular. Overall,
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Colored mulch being produced at Mulch Manufacturing in Reynoldsburg,
OH. Photo courtesy of Mulch Manufacturing.
in all areas, red is the best seller.”
Spencer says that brown colored mulch has been gaining in popularity.
“Brown has never been a very popular color but it is coming on more
strongly now,” he reports. “We’ve seen more growth in brown in the last
year or two than anything else.”
Vision Recycling limits its offering to mahogany (brown), barnwood
(red) and black. “They’re all comparable [in sales],” Tuckman reports.
Michel of T.H. Glennon agrees that location will largely determine
the popularity of a color.
“In Florida, the number one color is red. The number two color is
red. And the number three color is red,” she says with a laugh. “It took
me years before I could get Floridians to make brown.”
Black and brown mulches are the preferred colors everywhere except
in Florida, she says.
In the Pacific Northwest, Vicki Leiber of Swanson Bark & Wood
Products says colored mulches have never caught on there. The Longview,
Wash., company, in business since 1928, produces mulch, custom soil mixes
and recycled wood products.
“We actually tried in different ways to get into this market, but in
the Pacific Northwest we use mainly fir bark,” says Leiber, who co-owns
Swanson with her husband John. “It’s already a red color, a very pretty
color. People in this area are not interested in red-colored wood. To them
that’s not a good substitute for the fir bark that we use.”
Leiber said Swanson made efforts in the past to produce and sell
colored mulches, purchasing equipment and colorants from two different
manufacturers.
“We tried it retail. We tried bagging it. We took it to shows. People
got all excited when they saw the big pile of bright color and they went
over and looked at it and then they went, ‘Oh wait, this is just colored
wood,’” Leiber says.
Spencer, however, says there is more to colored mulch than just
applying a colorant to the wood. “Depending on the colorant, it can wash
off if it’s not done properly,” he says. “It can stain sidewalks if it’s not
properly set or have the right binders in it. Part of our ongoing work in
improving our colorant product is to improve its longevity . . .”
Spencer also sees the possibility of expanding the use of colored
mulches. “I think possibly once you start putting colorant on wood fiber to
put out in your landscaping, there is the opportunity to put other attributes
into the mulch also.”
Those attributes might include such things as retardant chemicals
for insects and fertilizer and weed-killing attributes “so that it has other
applications other than just aesthetics. “We’re onboard with that already,”
Spencer says. “We’re doing a lot of work in that area.”
Michel notes that T.H. Glennon already adds a mold and fungus
protection for wood mulch to its colorant.“The additive protects the dried
colorant film against discoloration caused by microbial attack and thereby
improves color longevity and durability,” she explains. “Mulch makers can
make larger colored mulch piles without loss of color.”
Rotert says he expects the market for colored mulch to continue to
grow despite higher costs to manufacturers for everything from raw material
and diesel fuel to labor and plastics.
“Where the market will be at 10 years from now, I don’t know,” Foster
adds. “All mulch sales might be colored.”
Soil
&
Mulch Producer NEWS
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Soil
&
Mulch Producer NEWS
Waste Management, Inc. to Develop New
Organics Facility
W
aste Management, Inc. recently announced it is developing a new organics facility in
Okeechobee, Florida. The facility will process yard, food and clean wood waste to create
value added soil amendments as well as bagged lawn and garden products.
The facility, located adjacent to Waste Management’s existing Okeechobee Landfill operation,
is the company’s first dedicated organics composting site in Florida. The eight acre site will offer
organics recycling services to the South Florida region with operations expected to begin in the
spring of 2011.
The Okeechobee facility is part of Waste Management’s expansion of its organics recycling
solutions and key to developing new, high value-added end markets for organic materials and
accelerating the growth of organics recycling across North America. Waste Management recently
acquired a majority equity interest in Garick LLC, a leading manufacturer, marketer and distributor
of organic lawn and garden products, which has served to expand Waste Management’s organics
recycling capabilities to over 1 million tons. The company has also invested in new and emerging
technologies to convert organic energy into transportation fuels, and ultimately, petrochemicals
and chemicals.
www.travistrailers.com
City is Divided over
Anaerobic Digester on
Park Land
P
alo Alto, CA-Those proposing to build
a new anaerobic digester composting
facility in the Baylands, by rezoning part
of the city’s landfill, are fighting complaints
filed with the state of California to cancel the
project, reports mercurynews.com. Walter Hays,
of the Palo Alto Green Energy and Compost
Initiative group, rebutted the California State
Lands Commission and requested that the
agency deny requests by former Palo Alto
council members Enid Pearson and Emily
Renzel, and lawyer Tom Jordan to end the
project. Hays represents former Palo Alto
mayor Peter Drekmeier, Robert Wenzlau and
other supporters of the initiative. When the
landfill reaches capacity, it is to be covered and
added to the park. Hays claims an anaerobic
digester would support the commission’s
mission and that it would produce enough
clean energy to power 1,400 homes and reduce
the city’s greenhouse gas emissions by about
20,000 tons per year. Opponents maintain
that an industrial facility doesn’t belong on
dedicated park land.
Palo Alto and the state commission disagree
over who owns the Baylands, with the city
entering a 48-year rent-free lease with the state
in 1989 to avoid a legal battle. The city says it
has complied with its lease but Pearson, Renzel
and Jordan allege that Palo Alto violated its
lease by changing property lines and keeping
covered parts of the landfill closed to the public.
A divided city council wants a feasibility study
and more discussion. It is expected that there
will be a vote on the matter in November.
Maine Offers
Municipalities Help
with Recycling Funding
A
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Info Request #162
6
ugusta,
ME—The
Maine
State
Planning Office’s Waste Management
& Recycling Program is offering
competitive grants to help start or increase
municipal recycling and composting efforts,
reports new.bangordailynews.com. Designed
to help municipal recycling programs capture
more materials, with a focus on corrugated
cardboard, it will also develop or expand yard
debris composting. Eligibility for the grants
includes municipalities or publicly supported
solid waste programs, and regional programs
have priority. Some $300,000 is available, and
individual awards are limited to $25,000. A
local match of at least 15% of the total is also
needed, but certain in-kind contributions can
be used as well as cash. Applications must be
postmarked April 14 or delivered to the State
Planning Office by 4 p.m. on April 15.
Soil
&
Mulch Producer NEWS
Research Identifies Eight Issues for
Soil Health and a Four-way Strategy
to Achieve it
M
fabric structures
adison, WI-A team of soil researchers representing the 2008
Emerging Issues in Soil Science Committee of the Soil Science
Society of America has identified the eight vital issues that will
challenge future generations who must deal with the changes over time
in soil structure. The changes that are affecting our planet such a climate
change, sprawl and environmental degradation will also mean a negative
impact on soil, much as the Dust Bowl of the 1930s showed how bad soil
management and farming practices damaged millions of acres of land
and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
The issues included demands for food, water, nutrients, and energy,
as well as climate change, biodiversity loss, biological waste recycling,
and global resource equity. Researchers say that avoiding environmental
damage will take a four-step approach: refocusing research to the most
urgent problems, expanding the view from only soil to encompass entire
ecosystems, attracting young scientists to the field of soil science, and
improving soil science’s image problem by identifying past successes and
future prospects.
SSSA has also identified research priority areas and knowledge gaps
to guide interdisciplinary soil science research for the next few decades.
For more information, visit the Grand Challenges online, at https://www.
soils.org/about-society/grand-challenges. The full study is available in the
January/ February 2011 issue of Soil Science Society of America Journal. Increase Your Market Exposure
Advertise in Soil & Mulch Producer News.
For more information call 440-257-6453.
Solutions
Sustainable Design-Build
Compost
buildings
Compost covers
Waste storage
liners & covers
Non-woven
geo-textile
underliners
Call one of our ClearSpan™ specialists at 1.866.643.1010 or
visit us at www.ClearSpan.com. Mention code ADSMPN.
Info Request #166
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For more info, go to the WHEN Advertisers' Directory at www.wastehandling.com
Info Request #150
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Soil
&
Mulch Producer NEWS
Xylose May Hold Key to Increased
Ethanol Production
E
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thanol production could be significantly increased — by more than
20 percent — through the use of xylose, a wood sugar found in
fast-growing plant species such as straw and willow, according to a
report on lu.se.
Ethanol is produced by fermenting sugars from plant material. Xylose
is not currently used despite it being the second most common type of
sugar found in nature.
“Succeeding with xylose requires good, quick enzymes that can get the
yeast to also ferment the less appetizing xylose,” according to the report.
Research conducted by Nadia Skorupa Parachin at Lund University in
Sweden indicated that her enzymes — extracted from garden soil — bind
xylose more efficiently than those that have been tested previously. Research
is continuing into the technique, which has the potential to substantially
increase ethanol production.
St. Louis Composting Acquires ORMI
S
t. Louis, MO-St. Louis Composting Inc. has purchased Organic
Resource Management Inc., a commercial composting facility for
undisclosed terms, reports stltoday.com. ORMI will continue to
operate under its original name. The move will give St. Louis Composting
a physical presence in North St. Louis County and a way to more
efficiently provide products and services to its regional customer base. St.
Louis Composting is headquartered at a 26-acre facility in Valley Park
and maintains a four-acre transfer station in Maryland Heights and a 10acre composting and retail facility in St. Louis.
Info Request #102
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www.natures-reflections.net
Info Request #168
8
Take our new red and black for a run.
(It’ll be intense.)
As if Colorbiotics mulch colorants weren’t already the world’s most popular, we’re making our red and black
versions even more desirable. We’ve enhanced these super-concentrated, highly popular colors to be even
redder and blacker, with greater intensity and the same outstanding durability and longevity as before.
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At Colorbiotics, we take pride in being the leader of new product development for the mulch industry. These
new technologies help you grow your business, increase your profits, and enhance your yield. We support
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Check out the difference — contact us and schedule a red or black color run today!
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Colorbiotics.com
Colorbiotics and the Colorbiotics logo are trademarks of Becker Underwood in the U.S. and / or other countries.
© 2011 Colorbiotics. All Rights Reserved.
Info Request #116
9
www.petersoncorp.com
Info Request #127
10 Soil & Mulch Producer News March / April 2011
Soil
&
Mulch Producer NEWS
Southern Soils Fertilized by Swine
Manure Show Some Higher Bacteria,
No Health Effect
M
ississippi State, MS—A new study by the USDA-ARS Crop
Science Research Laboratory at Mississippi State looks at the
levels of nutrients and bacteria in soils of fields that have been
sprayed with manure for 15 years or more as a nutrient to see if swine
manure is adding harmful bacteria as well as nutrients.
Manure sprayed fields were found to contain higher concentrations
of several types of bacteria. Measurements included total bacteria, fecal
bacteria, Staphylococcus and Clostridium. Two other types of bacteria that
are potential pathogens, E.coli and Enterococcus, showed no differences in
between sprayed or non-sprayed fields. One type of bacteria, Listeria, was
found in higher concentrations outside, rather than inside, the fields. Two
gastrointestinal pathogens, Campylobacter and Salmonella, could not be
cultured in any significant amount from the fields.
The researchers then looked at public health data from three public
health districts with similar land areas, populations and agricultural
bases, but with varying numbers of swine confined animal feeding
operations (CAFO). Their analysis of illnesses caused by Campylobacter
and Salmonella from 1993 through 2008 showed no relationship between
reported cases of these human illnesses and swine CAFO numbers.
The research team also tested soils for nutrient levels and found higher
pH and higher levels of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sodium,
copper, and zinc inside spray fields compared to outside, as expected for
spray fields after long-term use. Finding differences between the same
soil types inside and outside confirmed that outside soils had not been
contaminated with manure and would provide good comparisons of
bacteria. This first report on spray field bacteria in the region suggests
manure nutrient management plans have been effective for nutrients and for
bacterial pathogens. The extensive results are reported in the SeptemberOctober 2010 Journal of Environmental Quality.
Study: Mixed Results Seen in Switch
to Organic Farming
A
four-year study into the feasibility of converting farmland to
organic feed grain production — aimed at meeting the growing
demand for organic milk — has had mixed results and further
study is needed, agronomy.org reports.
Researchers from Penn State University and the University of New
Hampshire conducted the study in central Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2007.
They looked at if and how tillage can be successfully reduced and at how
different management strategies might affect weed populations, crop yields
and profitability during the transition.
The study included two cropping systems in which cover crops grown
during the first year of a three-year cover crop–soybean–corn rotation and
tillage (full or reduced) were manipulated.
The results showed that from a weed management perspective, reduced
tillage for organic production could be problematic for some farmers.
“Weed populations dramatically increased in reduced tillage systems,”
researchers said, describing it as a “troubling result.”
From an economic perspective, the study says that growers who want
to move to organic production while minimizing tillage may see variable
economic success depending on how they begin their rotation. Costs
associated with manure and compost, which was purchased off-farm,
also strongly influenced the economics of the systems. Integrated systems
that include field crop and dairy production, where manure sources are
available on-site or locally, would improve the economics of these systems,
researchers said.
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Info Request #151
Mushroom
Compost
A formulated, composted
material that is excellent for
gardening and landscaping.
Shown to Suppress Artillery
Fungus in Mulch Products.
Available from...
prices per cubic yard:
Fresh Material
$1.50/yard from growing rooms
$2.00/yard from stockpile
($25.00 minimum loading fee)
Aged Material
$8.00/yard from stockpile
Giorgi Mushroom Co. Temple, PA
Dew Fresh, Inc. Lenhartsville, PA ( off Route 78 )
Call 610-926-8811
ext. 8118
for more information
Info Request #108
March / April 2011 Soil & Mulch Producer News 11
Soil
&
Mulch Producer NEWS
Trees, Shrubs, Studied as Landfill Caps
A
pilot study capping or sealing landfills using trees and shrubs planted in a mix of compost
and topsoil is being carried out on part of an abandoned 30-acre municipal landfill in
Beltsville, Md., usda.gov reports.
Utilizing the vegetation — rather than traditional clay caps — is more environmentally sound
and economical, according to officials. The vegetative caps will reduce methane emissions and prevent
rainfall from getting into the municipal waste and then leaching into groundwater.
Those involved in the study include Pat Millner, a scientist with the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, USDA safety manager David Prevar, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and
private consultants.
EPA officials say the project could serve as a model. Maryland officials say that numerous
landfills statewide could benefit from the alternative cap plan.
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Soil Products • Bark Mulch • Wood Chips • Compost
The Amadas Soils & Bark Bagger is the
bagger of choice for serious bark, soil and
compost bagging operations.
Amadas Industries established
the standard in the bark and soils
industry and now with over
30 years and millions of bags
of experience, we are setting
a new benchmark with
innovative, modern design
technology coupled with
improved reliability and
increased production
capacity.
Call Today...
757-539-0231
So, whether you’re just
starting out and want a
bagging system to
establish the foundation
of your growing business,
or if you already operate a
number of high production
plants and are thinking of
upgrading or automating
with Form Fill and Seal
equipment, let us put
our experience to work
for you!
Amadas Industries
1100 Holland Rd.
Suffolk, VA 23434
http://www.amadas.com
Info Request #142
Agricultural Land Finds
Faster Nutrient Recovery
if Grazed
A
study funded by the Agriculture
Research Service tested cattle grazing on
soil degraded by years of field plowing
to see if it would help restore depleted nutrients.
Over the course of 12 years, different land
management practices were used on 18 different
paddocks to monitor the soils’ response, and it
was found that paddocks with medium to heavy
grazing were best at sequestering nitrogen and
carbon in the soil to improve fertility and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. The findings will
help land owners determine whether keeping
land unused restores degraded soils better than
allowing cattle to graze it.
Alan Franzluebbers, an ecologist with
the USDA-Agricultural Research Service at
the J. Phil Campbell Sr. Natural Resource
Conservation Center in Watkinsville, GA,
and his team used four different management
techniques: moderately grazed, heavily grazed,
not grazed but harvested for hay; or not grazed
or harvested. Land that was unused and not
harvested had high surface residue accumulation
that prevented erosion, but it did not sequester
carbon and nitrogen as well as grazing. Land not
grazed but harvested for hay had little nutrient
retention plus problems with erosion. The study
is available in the November/December 2010
issue of Soil Science Society of America Journal.
Researchers Working to
Develop ‘Designer Soils’
for Degraded Lands
“D
esigner soils” which can turn
degraded lands into sports fields,
rain gardens, lawns or other uses,
are being developed by researchers with the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, reports usda.gov.
The constructed soil research project,
now in its fourth year, is being carried out at
the USDA’s Appalachian Farming Systems
Research Center in Beaver, WV. It is being done
in cooperation with the National Turfgrass
Research Initiative.
Researchers are looking at mixing readily
available rural, urban and industrial byproducts
from Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia,
Virginia and southern Pennsylvania with
local soils. The aim is to reduce rain runoff
and erosion as well as eliminate or neutralize
pollutants before they hit storm drains.
Quarry byproducts and composted chicken
litter provide the most promising mixture thus
far, they report. Other materials being looked
at include biochar, mine spoils and coalcombustion byproducts.
Soil
Study: Biochar Reduces
Emissions of Nitrous
Oxide, Nitrogen
E
missions of nitrous oxide and nitrogen
leaching from agriculture soil were
reduced with the use of biochar, according
to a five-month research study. The results,
reported in agronomy.org, could be used to help
limit greenhouse gases and reduce nitrogen
losses from soil.
Scientists from Industry and Investment
New South Wales and the University of Sydney
reported that the benefits of biochar on soil
may occur over time. Biochar applications to
soil samples subjected to three wetting-drying
cycles initially produced greater nitrous oxide
emissions and nitrate leaching.
Four months later, however, the biochar
reduced nitrous oxide emissions by up to 73 percent
and ammonium leaching by up to 94 percent.
“This research highlights that impacts of
biochar on nitrogen transformations in soil
may change over time and hence stresses the
need for long-term studies to assess biochar’s
potential to reduce nitrogen losses from soil,”
notes researcher Bhupinder Pat Singh.
Biochar is similar to charcoal and is
produced from agricultural, farm or animal
waste through gasification or pyrolysis, a form of
incineration that chemically decomposes organic
materials by heat in the absence of oxygen.
Researchers: Switchgrass
Can Reduce Nitrogen,
Nitrates Leaching into Soil
R
educing the amount of nitrogen and nitrates
that leach into soil can be significantly
reduced by planting switchgrass and using
certain agronomic practices.
“One of the biggest things we found is that
when alternative biomass sources like switchgrass
are grown, even when they use fertilizer, we see
dramatically lower nitrate concentrations (in
the drainage water),” reports Matt Helmers,
associate professor of agriculture and biosystems
engineering at Iowa State University.
The report on iastate.edu notes that fields
planted with switchgrass and treated with
fertilizer or manure had the least amount of
nitrates leach through the soil. Fields planted in
continuous corn and treated with fertilizer had the
most amount of nitrates leach into the tile system.
Helmers and Antonio Mallarino, professor of
agronomy, have been studying the amount of
nitrates that pass through soil into tiling systems
from several different types of crops and fertilizer
treatments for the past three summers.
Researchers say there currently is no
economic benefit to the crop. “If there is enough
societal benefit and water quality benefit from
growing switchgrass on these soils, there may
be potential incentives for producers to grow
(switchgrass),” Helmers says.
&
Mulch Producer NEWS
Buy w Sell w Consign
Used - Wood & Greenwaste
Recycling Equipment
(866) 227-2244
www.earthsaverequipment.com
Sales Office in Kalispell, MT—Machines Nationwide
2006 Extec E7 Screener (1900hr)................$118,000
Tub Grinders
1996 Morbark 1000, 350HP.......................... $49,500
2005 Lane 5211, 590HP (400hr)......................73,000
2006 Rotochopper CP-118, 120HP (850hr)....77,000
1993 Morbark 1200, 650HP (9500hr).............87,500
2002 Vermeer TG525L, 525HP (1000hr)..... 140,000
Horizontal Grinders
1998 Peterson HC4400B, 800HP (2100hr)... $90,000
2003 Peterson 2400B, 450HP (2400hr)........ 113,000
2000 Morbark 5600, 860HP (5500hr).......... 150,000
2004 Peterson 4700, 630HP (3900hr).......... 160,000
2004 Bandit 3680, 650HP (3300hr).............. 197,500
2005 Peterson 4710B, 765HP (5000hr)........ 235,000
Screening Equipment
2005 Wildcat 516, (1000hr)..................... .....$97,500
2004 McCloskey 621RE, (3000hr)................ 135,000
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!
Info Request #163
www.orbitscreens.com
Info Request #117
Soil
&
Mulch Producer NEWS
UMW Research Shows
Soil-Borne Pathogens
Help Tree Diversity
M
[email protected]
ilwaukee, WI-University of WisconsinMilwaukee researchers have found
that soil-borne pathogens are one
important mechanism to keep species diversity
and explain tree abundance in a forest. It is
known that tree seedlings do not grow well under
adult trees of the same species. Tropical tree
populations are seen as more diverse because
adult trees harbor diseases that harm seedlings
of their own species. UWM experiments show
that underground organisms are key to the
maintenance of this species diversity and
patterns of tree-species’ relative abundance.
The detrimental effects of soil organisms from
adult trees also show these effects are much
more severe for seedlings of rare species than
for seedlings of common species. The ability of
seedlings of a species to survive when grown in
soil from the same species actually predicted
how common or rare they are as adults.
The findings contradict the Neutral Theory
of Biodiversity, which maintains that all species
are the same by positing that there are stabilizing
mechanisms that maintain diversity. This study
received funding from the Smithsonian Tropical
Research Institute, the University of WisconsinMilwaukee and the U.S. National Science
Foundation.
www.screenusa.net
[email protected]
Vancouver Rolls Out
Ambitious Recycling
Effort
V
ancouver, BC-The City of Vancouver,
BC, plans to reduce household and
business waste by recycling 70% of it by
2015 and 80% by 2020, reports theepochtimes.
com. The proposed Zero Waste Challenge
Strategy will start with kitchen scraps from
single-family homes by the end of next year.
By 2015 the ban will include all residences and
businesses. It will focus on recycling organic
waste, estimated at 40% of trash volumes, but
removing all wood waste and increasing the list
of banned substances is also planned. Organic
waste will be re-routed through compost bins
picked up weekly, and regular garbage collection
will be reduced to every other week pickups.
Metro Vancouver now recycles 55% of their
waste, among the highest in the country, while
the national average is 22%. But an expanding
population and increase in per capita waste
has generated a more aggressive stance. Rule
violators will be fined and disposal inspections
increased. However, the approach will be
one of teamwork rather than punishment.
Each municipality will be responsible for its
own enforcement and education, with Metro
Vancouver, providing information to the
residents, institutions, and business.
Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers
will take responsibility for the lifecycle of their
products, according to the Zero Waste report. The
guidelines for the new strategy were introduced
at a conference March 11 in Burnaby.
Grassed Waterways
Reduce Soil Erosion
and Herbicide
Concentrations C
Info Request #105
oshocton, OH - Water runoff from
cropped farm fields can contain large
amounts of eroded soil as well as
fertilizer and herbicide. A team of USDA-ARS
and Ohio State University scientists has, in a
two-year field study, explored whether compost
filter socks in grassed waterways reduced
sediment flow and retain dissolved chemicals in
runoff. The researchers found reduced sediment
and reduced concentrations of two herbicides,
as the study found that filter socks reduced
sediment concentration by 49% in runoff
from a tilled field, but had no effect for a notill field, where sediment concentrations were
already 1/5 of that from the tilled field. The
filter socks also reduced the concentrations of
the herbicide alachlor by 18% and the herbicide
glyphosate by 5% in runoff from the tilled
field. The filter socks had a negligible effect on
nutrient concentrations in the runoff. A report
was published in the May-June 2010 issue of
the Journal of Environmental Quality.
www.compostsoftware.com
Info Request #167
Soil
&
Mulch Producer NEWS
U.S. Composting Council Helps
Fight Landfill Ban Repeals
YOU CAN PRODUCE
T
FOR ANY SIZE OPERATION
Midwest Bio-Systems • 28933–35 E St., Tampico, IL 61283 • 800-689-0714
[email protected] • www.midwestbiosystems.com
he U.S. Composting Council (USCC) and its membership are
working hard to fight attempts by state legislatures to repeal longstanding bans on the disposal of leaves and other yard debris in
landfills in Georgia and Michigan. Both states have seen similar efforts in
the past few years turned back by recycling supporters with help from the
USCC and local composters.
According to the USCC, the combination of the economic downturn
and increased environmental awareness has reduced the amount of material
going into landfills, and the repeal of these bans would provide ready cash
in the form of “tipping fees” to the landfill industry. “It’s a classic ‘lose-lose’
situation,” explained Frank Franciosi, President of the USCC. “You fill up
the landfill faster, which means you have to site a new landfill sooner, and
you take one of the easiest materials to recycle away from the processors,
so it no longer gets manufactured into valuable soil products.”
To fight these repeals, the USCC is taking a two-pronged approach.
First and foremost it is working with groups within the affected states to
lobby the legislatures and rally their supporters. “We provide matching
funds to help the local groups hire lobbyists and get organized,” Franciosi
continued, “because each state’s needs are unique and the issues and
strategies are different.”
In addition to working with the state groups, the USCC will be working
to gain support from allied organizations and other supporters across
the country. “We are putting a ‘member alert’ system in place to make it
easy for friends of composting to send letters to the appropriate policy
makers,” explained Dr. Stuart Buckner, Executive Director of the USCC.
“We are also building a library of resources to help people advocate for
more sensible policies such as composting and recycling”.
Info Request #125
“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.
100 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.
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]
Info Request #154
Soil
&
Mulch Producer NEWS
Travis Body & Trailer, Inc. Acquires
Everlite Alumatech Assets
T
ravis Body & Trailer, Inc., of Houston, Texas recently completed the
acquisition of the assets of Everlite, Inc., the former manufacturer
of the Alumatech Trailer product line. The transaction did not
include the real property located in Longview Texas. The purchase
includes all of the manufacturing assets, intellectual property, drawings,
extrusion dies, and all production and sales records.
The assets will be immediately relocated to Travis’ 17 acre, 100,000
square foot manufacturing facilities in Houston, Texas, where trailer
and body production will begin as soon as the equipment is in place and
aluminum sheet and extrusions are procured.
The product line will be called Alumatech, and will bear a Travis VIN
plate. The new Travis Alumatech product line will begin building virtually
the same trailers and bodies as were produced by Everlite, and the offering
will include aluminum end dumps in frameless, quarter-frame, and frametype configurations, and the all-aluminum Alumatech Dump body. Distribution of the Travis Alumatech model will be achieved through
a combination of the existing Travis Independent Dealer network,
and by adding dealer relationships with several of the former Everlite,
Inc. dealers.
Replacement parts and service for Alumatech trailers will be available
immediately from Travis Body & Trailer, in Houston Texas.
Current Alumatech owners, interested dealers, and other interested
parties should register their contact and email information at www.
travistrailers.com.
[email protected]
www.litco.com
To subscribe to Soil & Mulch Producer News,
call 440-257-6453 today.
Info Request #155
new allu d-series models
Fine Screener Model
5/8” or 1” Screen Size
Disc in Disc drum design
• Over 70 models available to fit EVERY machine
• High production even with wet muddy materials
• 5/8” & 1” Screening size
• Stronger outer shell for longer wear and less maintenance
Screener Crusher Model
1” or 4” Screen Size
Changeable blades
Screen Soils
Mix Compost
Pipeline Padding
ALLU Group Inc.
Info Call: 1-800-939-2558 | Email: [email protected]
www.allu.net
Info Request #128
Soil
&
Mulch Producer NEWS
Scientists: Plants Manage to Adapt,
Thrive in Soil Contaminated with
Radiation
P
lants have the ability to adapt and thrive in radiation-contaminated
soil, according to scientists who conducted a study near the
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
The study, reported in acs.org, could have implications for the land
around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in Japan, which was
severely damaged March 11 by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and resulting
tsunami.
The Chernobyl study found that plants had an unexpected and unique
ability to shrug off the effects of radiation in the soil left by the 1986 nuclear
disaster in the Ukraine. Flax seed grown in the area, for example, showed
little protein change compared to seed grown in non-radioactive soil. Only
about 5 percent of the proteins were altered.
“Based on the observed changes, the proteome of seeds from plants
grown in radio-contaminated soil display minor adjustments to multiple
signaling pathways,” the study says.
Previous research indicated that soybeans adapted to the contaminated
soil with some changes in their proteins. The broader range of biochemical
changes in plants that allow them to thrive in such a s harsh environment
remained unclear.
Wood Waste Heats BC Campus;
First in Bioenergy
P
rince George, BC-The University of Northern B.C., which uses
wood waste to heat its buildings, is the first university in Canada
to use a bioenergy plant to generate heat for the campus, reports
winnipegfreepress.com. Wood waste comes from nearby mills, and the
effort is hoped to reduce air pollution by up to 4,000 tons a year. The plant
is expected to use 8,000 tons of wood waste a year, replacing 85% of the
university’s natural gas usage and to save more than $500,000 a year. The
project was given $20.7 million from the federal and provincial governments.
It will also be used for research and education on bioenergy.
The plant used Vancouver-based Nexterra Systems Corp.’s biomass
gasification technology to convert wood waste products into a synthetic
gas – syngas – which burns as clean as natural gas for one-third the cost,
according to Nexterra president and CEO Jonathan Rhone. Nexterra
has also sold its systems to the University of South Carolina, the
U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. healthcare facilities as it targets
universities, hospitals, municipalities and industrial facilities – a market
worth $20 billion. Rhone says communities don’t need to have mills and
forestry activity, as all urban areas have a lot of wood that has often gone
to landfills, so it’s not just for areas that have a forest industry,” he said.
“We’re selling into municipalities and cities across North America.
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 12 & 13 and fax to 440-257-6459.
HTTP://PTCHRONOS.COM
Info Request #119
SCreen. better.
Shred It.
Screen It.
Grind It.
elliptical star shape
Screen Super-Wet Material
(with no build-up. seriously.)
robust material action
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.
feed auger
SM1200 Tri-Flex
www.DoppstadtStarScreens.com
440-937-3225
Info Request #129
Product/Equipment Profiles
Big Hanna Composter Expands into
North American Market
Colorbiotics® Introduces Mobile App for
Calculating Landscape Mulch Needs
wedish company Susteco AB has
entered the North American market
with their on-site, in-vessel, aerobic
composting machine Big Hanna (www.
bighanna.com).
This automated, all stainless steel
composter has twenty years of history with
installations in 16 countries. Durable and reliable, the first Big Hanna, installed
in 1991, is still in use. Big Hanna can operate in both warm and cold climates,
indoors as well as outdoors. Capacities for the four models available to the
North American market range from 330 to 2,600 lbs. per week.
Big Hanna is designed for local composting of food waste from multiresidential, institutional and commercial sectors. Big Hanna produces pathogen
free, ready-to-use compost from all food wastes, including fish, meat and
dairy solids. The fully enclosed design provides for odorless composting. Big
Hanna offers easy loading and automatic discharge. Thanks to various design
features, very little maintenance is required.
andscapers and do-it-yourselfers with an
iPhone now have an innovative mobile
app to assist in calculating the amount of
landscape mulch needed to complete a specific
job. Mulch Tools, developed by Colorbiotics®, has
an additional feature that allows users to preview
various colored mulch options to determine those
they feel would work best with specific home
façades and colors.
In addition to the mulch calculator, Mulch Tools also includes a handy
interactive feature that allows users to visualize the possibilities available
with colored mulch. The user can choose the exterior façade / fabrication of
their home and then apply various colored mulch options to the landscaped
surroundings. This provides a visual representation of how the finished
landscape will appear.
Mulch Tools also helps users preview various colored mulch options.
S
For more information visit www.vertal.ca.
L
The Mulch Tools app is available as a free download from the iTunes
store or by visiting the Colorbiotics website at www.colorbiotics.com.
Fuccillo Design Introduces The Freezer
Compost Bin
Morbark Introduces 3800XL Horizontal
Grinder
he Freezer
Compost Bin is
a modern, easyto-use container for
collecting organic scraps
for composting.
It makes collecting
scraps indoors easy by
eliminating the three
most commonly faced
challenges: odors, fruit flies, and leftover mess. The bin is specifically made
to be kept in your freezer, where your scraps won’t decompose, therefore
eliminating odor and fruit flies completely.
It’s also a breeze to empty. It’s made of silicone, a non-petroleum based,
recyclable, natural material made from silica, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and
water. The Freezer Compost Bin is produced in Los Angeles, California, and
comes with a lifetime guarantee.
o r b a r k
recently
released its
new 3800XL Horizontal
Grinder to the market. This new grinder contains significant changes and
improvements in feeding technology which dramatically increases production
capacity and operating efficiency.
The primary difference between this unit and all others is its redesigned
reverse-pivot feed system which minimizes space between the feed wheel
and the hammermill. There is no place for material to hide in this unit, which
keeps debris moving forward with uninterrupted, steady production.
“It’s like our old Morbark 4600 on steroids! We’re getting substantially more
production with better fuel efficiency, and the new remote makes it very easy
to dial in exactly the speed we need to keep the belt full all the time,” said
Gord Edwards of Windsor Disposal Services. “It’s so user friendly and easy
to adjust, we can focus on keeping it full and filling trailers,” he added.
The Morbark 3800XL is available with a variety of engine choices up to 800.
T
M
For more information visit www.fuccillodesign.com.
For more information visit www.morbark.com.
Premier Tech Chronos Introduces FormFill-Seal Baggers
Litco’s Inca Presswood Pallets Free of
TBP, Mold and Ready for Export
he FFS Series Horizontal Form-FillSeal Baggers are fully automatic
systems, which make their own
bags from rolls of polyethylene pre-printed
center-folded film (U film). They are
intended to package a wide range
of loose fill materials such as soils,
mulch, compost, bark and peat moss
in bags ranging from 4.5 to 100 quarts
(5 to 110 liters) at up to 33 bags per minute.
These FFS can be integrated upstream to either a weighing or a volumetric
feeding system, and downstream to conveying and palletizing systems. With
more than 275 FFS sold worldwide, we have developed the widest range of
options: top patch handle, bottom patch handle, die cut handle, bag top trimmer,
size-adjustable filling chute, pneumatic film roll support, etc. These options
improve the quality of the bags and help to achieve higher productivity.
ightweight, space-saving, water
resistant and affordable, Inca
presswood pallets are precision
molded under high heat and pressure
in a chemical-free process similar to the
production of particleboard.
The finished pallet has a moisture
content of less than 9% and is free of any
resident pests, insects, molds or fungi. Inca
pallets are I P P C ISPM 15 compliant for export wooden packaging regulations and are free of
chemicals and chemical treatments.
With prices as low as $6.75 US (F.O.B. Ohio or Mississippi), Inca pallets
are available in a variety of in-stock standard sizes, including 48” by 40”
and Euro pallet sizes, and designs to handle dynamic loads ranging from
1,000 – to – 2,500 lbs.
T
For more information, contact Huguette at 418-868-8324,
[email protected] or visit www.ptchronos.com
L
For more information contact Gary Sharon, Vice President,
Litco International at 330-539-5433 x117, [email protected]
or visit www.litco.com
Soil
&
Mulch Producer NEWS
Experts Offer Down to Earth Advice
About How to Market Compost
O
BY P.J. Heller
Johnson, whose grandfather H. Clay
rganic products producers, who
Kellogg started the company in 1925, agreed that
want to be successful, need to
“it’s not really about the product.”
educate their customers about
Instead, she insisted, successful marketing
the benefits of their products
involves convincing people that compost is
and better train their sales force
essential for their soil.
in selling techniques … That was the gist of
“If people just understood that the soil
a nearly two hour marketing seminar held
beneath their feet was in dire need of fixing and
as part of the U.S. Composting Council’s
feeding, you know people are going to need
19th annual conference and trade show held
your product to feed the soil,” said Johnson, the
recently in Santa Clara, Calif. More than 1,100
chief sustainability officer for Kellogg Garden
composting and organics recycling professionals
Products headquartered in Carson, Calif.
and 130 exhibitors attended the conference and
The best way of imparting that message,
exhibition.
she advised, was through word of mouth.
“There are a lot of competent producers who
One method was for compost company sales
are frankly very good at producing compost,”
representatives to offer
s a i d D av i d H i l l ,
“Marketing programs are
ideas to nurseries and
head of CycleLogic
influenced by many factors . . .
then check back with
Environmental
M a r k e t i n g a n d However, miss product quality and them about their level
of success.
Consultation in
you miss the key. It’s very, very
“ We f e e l i t i s
Sarasota, Fla. “There
simple. It’s not rocket science.”
Kellogg’s responsibility
are not so many of us
to be the wind beneath
who are very good at
the wings of people that are actually selling the
selling compost, because they’re very different
product to our customer,” she explained.
disciplines.”
Johnson also practices that philosophy
Hill was one of four speakers at the
through her involvement with Plant with
marketing workshop. Others who spoke were
Purpose, which helps educate impoverished and
Kathy Kellogg Johnson of Kellogg Garden
subsistence farmers in third world countries
Products in California, Tom Kelley of Harvest
on how restoring their soil can improve their
Power in Massachusetts and Ron Alexander of
quality of life.
R. Alexander Associates in North Carolina.
She also recommended to workshop
Hill’s approach was less about the actual
attendees that they market through third-party
product and more about knowing everything
endorsements and utilize the latest in technology
there is to know about the potential customer
— including web and social media sites such as
base. He described it as “customer profiling.”
Facebook, My Space and YouTube, and devices
Knowing the demographics of customers
such as iPhones and smart phones — to reach
“have very distinct implications in how we
current and potential customers.
promote our product, how we package it, what
“Gen X and Gen Y are where we’re going to
we say about it and where we’re going with our
have sales for the next 85 years,” she said, adding
product,” said Hill, who has more than 25 years
that when it comes to the newest technology,
experience in composting organic materials
Gen Xers and Yers are “checking it, living it and
and in selling and using compost and compostthey’re on it all the time.”
amended topsoils.
A key component was to maintain a
“I’ve always said ‘start with the end,’” he
web site, she said.“We do believe with all this
added. “‘Figure out what your goals are and
messaging that the way to reach your consumer
work backward to get there.’”
Hill’s company works with firms that
. . . is your web site,” she said. “They might go
generate, process, use, purchase or sell recyclable
out on Twitter. They might go out on Facebook.
materials. The primary focus, CycleLogic web site
They might go out and see YouTube. But they
notes, is on the economical and ecological benefits
need to be able to come back to browse your
inherent with the reuse of organic materials.
content on your web site. So go after these other
ways of getting your content out to people but
it all comes back to your web site.”
Kellogg markets more than 400 products to
the lawn and garden industry in the western U.S.
Kelley of Harvest Power took a different
approach, insisting that the key to marketing
success was product quality.
“Marketing programs are influenced by
many factors,” he noted. “However, miss product
quality and you miss the key. It’s very, very
simple. It’s not rocket science.
“If you do not have product quality, you
Continued on page 22
compost turner
- for windrow -
Pull-Type, PTO Driven, Heavy Duty
Manufactured and sold by
Dos Palos, CA 93620 • 209-392-6103
www.hclmachineworks.com
email: [email protected]
Info Request #106
(6) Rylind
Light Material Buckets
(6) Rylind Light Material Buckets
Light Material,
Tilt-Out
Buckets,
10 to 12 CY,
Good Condition,
Buckets are
Pinned to Fit
JD 744 &
Cat 966 or can
be retrofit to
other loaders
$12,900
$10,900
HAGEMAN EARTH CYCLE
Light Material,
Tilt-Out Roger
Buckets,
10 to 12 CY,
970-221-7173
970-566-1918
Good Condition, Buckets are Pinned to Fit,
JD 744 & Cat 966 or can be retrofit to other loaders.
HAGEMAN EARTH CYCLE
970-221-7173
Roger 970-566-1918
Info Request #169
Soil
&
Mulch Producer NEWS
will not be able to keep your customers,” he said.
“You will not retain customers. They will go
somewhere else where they can get quality.”
Although Kelley admitted that most
manufacturers would agree that they offered
a quality compost, he stressed that testing and
dissecting the material might result in an even
better product.
“We need to raise the bar . . .” he said,
adding that the public needed to know how
important compost was for soil.
“We need to make the highest quality
products so we can be successful and everybody
wins,” said Kelley, a 25-year veteran in the
organics and horticulture industry, specializing
in compost sales and marketing.
“The value of something is that which
somebody is willing to pay for,” he said. “They
have to understand the value. It has to be
conveyed to them, and if they do, they will want
to purchase your product.”
Alexander also talked about improvements,
but his focus was not on the product but rather
on the sales force. Alexander is the author of
The Practical Guide to Composting Marketing
and Sales.
“Several outstanding publications have
been written over the years to assist composters
in the production and use of compost, and
much research has been completed on these
subjects,” he notes in his book. “However, little
truly practical information has been available
www.ScreenMachine.com
Info Request #164
pertaining to compost marketing, especially as it
pertains to actual sales . . . approaching specific
market segments and training new sales staff.
“It is important for anyone managing
compost sales staff to understand that to be
successful over the long-term, there is ‘a lot
to learn and master,’” he says in describing his
book. “A technically competent sales person
must possess knowledge in diverse subject
manner, as well as skill in the area of sales.”
He stressed that approach in his talk at
the compost council session, keying in on the
importance of being able to deal with customers.
“It’s all about people,” said Alexander,
who has more than 25 years experience in the
compost, biosolids and organic recycled product
industry. “If you’re going to do a sales call, you
have to be mentally and physically prepared.”
He also stressed the importance of the sale
force getting to know their buyers, nurturing
and empathizing with them and showing them
that they care. The sales force also needs to
study and learn about the technical aspects of
using the product to help buyers address their
problems, he added.
“Learning to deal with common objections
is one of the most important skills a compost
sales person must master,” he notes in his book.
“Unfortunately, many sales people also see it
as the most intimidating aspect of sales. Some
of the common objections deal with why a
prospect should use compost as a replacement
for what they are currently using, whether it is
a different producer’s compost or another soil
amendment. In this scenario, it is imperative for
compost salespeople to understand both their
own product and their competitors so they can
point out the differences.”
“There’s going to be a wall,” he explained
to conference attendees. “You say something
stupid and the wall gets bigger. The mind-set
is be a Marine. You’re going over it, around it,
through it. You have to break down the wall.
If you’re good at understanding the technical
benefits and understanding how those benefits
relate to them, to the end user and their money
and their success, you get over that wall.
“The goal,” he added, “is to work with the
end user, psychologically, and bond with them.
We want them to love us and trust us. We want
to demonstrate competence in all things.
“Come in on the white pony. Tell them how
you’re going to save them . . . Remove their pain,”
he advised. And, he added, “Never stop trying
to improve.”
For more information about Johnson, visit
the Kellogg Garden products web site at www.
kellogggarden.com. Information about Hill and
CycleLogic is available at www.mycyclelogic.
com. Details about Harvest Power can be found at
www.harvestpower.com. More about R. Alexander
Associates and the book The Practical Guide to
Composting Marketing and Sales is available at
www.alexassoc.net.
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!
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.
© 2011 Vermeer Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Info Request #141
6075 Hopkins Road • Mentor, OH 44060
Ph: 440-257-6453 • Fax: 440-257-6459
Email: [email protected]
VOL. V NO. 2
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
PAID
Mentor, OH
Permit No. 2
MAR / APR 2011
Inside This Issue
PAGE 1
Research Identifies Eight Issues for Soil Health
and a Four-way Strategy to Achieve it
PAGE 7
Study: Mixed Results Seen in Switch
to Organic Farming
PAGE 11
Scientists: Plants Manage to Adapt, Thrive in
Soil Contaminated with Radiation
PAGE 18
About How to Market Compost
PAGE 21
When material
gets moist
and sticky
you know the
difference.
REMU screening buckets and plants
• Screen without crushing (no sharp particles in the screened material)
• Particle size starts from 5/8” minus (0-15 mm)
• Models for nearly every size and type of base unit
• Bucket volumes form 0,1 to 8 cupic yards
• Lowest fuel and maintain costs
Info Request #130
REMU
REMU USA Inc.
Toll Free: 1-888-600-0018
email: usa@remu.fi
www.remu.fi

Open Standard file - Soil and Mulch Producer News

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