Composting lets nature help provide the answer

Poultry litter and other byproducts of poultry production are rich in nutrients – nitrogen, phosphorus and potash. Since these nutrients are the key components in fertilizer, it makes sense – most of the time – to apply these byproducts to crops and fields. That’s fine, unless the soil – like some parts of Delmarva – doesn’t need any more nutrients.

When that happens, the excess nutrients run off into waterways, leading to such problems as algae blooms that upset the natural ecosystem. 

We’ve looked at dozens and dozens of technologies to handle these byproducts. The answer, however, was right under our feet: composting. For eons, nature has been managing waste from living things, and things that have ceased living, through composting. It’s the natural decomposition process that creates the loamy soil of forests, and lets soil support the circle of life.

At AgriSoil, we recycle nutrient-rich byproducts through composting. We just give nature a little help. We mix the byproducts with recycled forestry waste, and cover with a special micro-pore fabric that keeps odors in but less oxygen molecules pass through. In a few days, nature takes over, breaking down the mixture and generating pasteurizing heat.

After a second round of composting, we end up with a clean soil addendum that supplies nutrients, improves soil quality, supports healthy root growth, increases water retention and reduces run-off.