New Processes Turn Manure Into Gold

New Processes Turn Manure Into Gold 33-1-8 If you thought composting was the best way to increase the value of manure, just wait until you see what "processing" does. Two companies that have developed patented processes that use heat and pressure to change the molecular structure of manure are Perfect Blend, Royal, Wash. and Organic Growing Systems, Inc. (OGSI), Alpharetta, Georgia. While the techniques used by the two companies differ, both claim similar results. The finished products they sell feed soil microbes, reduce the need for water, and produce healthy crops. And if they don't turn manure into gold, they come close, given the price of commercial fertilizer and the exploding demand for their products. "We can help improve the biological life of your soil to produce healthier crops," says John Marler, Perfect Blend. "Our process makes Perfect Blend an ideal slow release food source for microbes, which in turn makes the minerals in the soil more valuable to plants." The company produces a dry, stable fertilizer with a uniform nutrient level. The process captures a high percentage of contained nutrients compared to compost or even raw manure. Perfect Blend claims one ton of its processed chicken litter is equal to 12 tons of raw chicken litter based on primary, secondary and trace mineral content. Repeat and rapidly expanding sales appear to back up company claims. Sales have doubled the past two years and are attracting not only organic, but also conventional producers. One dealer reported going from sales of 75 tons in 2007 to sales of more than 14,000 in 2008. Perfect Blend plans to license their technology. The goal is to build regional plants to use local supplies of manure. The company is also adapting its process to cattle and hog manure. John Strickland, OGSI, says their company's carbonized, granulated and pelletized product won't leach or suffer atmospheric loss. He says the stable form of the 6-4-3 blend makes it equal to a non-organic commercial 15-15-15 blend in nutrient availability. OGSI also seeks to enrich the soil and feed the microbe population. Like Perfect Blend, OGSI is seeing sales skyrocket as traditional non-organic growers adopt the product. Initial sales were to golf courses, large sod farms and municipalities. This past year OGSI reports interest from row crop producers across the country. OGSI has tripled production capacity at its Mississippi plant and is seeking additional raw product to process. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Perfect Blend, 188 106th Ave. N.E., Suite 401, Bellevue, Wash. 98004 (ph 425 456-8890 or 866 456-8890; fax 425 456.8889; info@perfect-blend.com; www.perfect-blend.com) or Organic Growing Systems, Inc., 3050 Royal Blvd. South, Suite 135, Alpharetta, Georgia 30022 (ph 800 979-6474; www.organicgrowingsystems.com).

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