By P.J. Heller Phil Mueller admits it hasn’t always been easy to find green wood for mulch manufacturing in eastern South Dakota. “We’re still in a strike-a-match-and light-up kind of 1800s state,” he says. “We’re kind of behind the curve and always have been It’s a big challenge for us. Our number one competitor is a match.” Despite that, Mueller …
Improving Accuracy Of Bulk Pile Inventory Using Image/Laser Based Technology
By Ken McEntee Taking inventory at Atlanta-based Oldcastle Lawn & Garden’s 30-plus mulch and soil yards used to require hours of manual measuring with a walking wheel and yard stick, then counting and recounting the collected data. After switching to an image-based measurement system, “They are now able to walk around a stockpile with an iPhone in two to three …
Driving Hour Restrictions Cost Industry $1 Billion Per Year
By Ken McEntee Federal Hours of Service (HOS) restrictions on truck drivers are costing the mulch and soil industry more than $1 billion per year – averaging close to $5 million per company, the Mulch and Soil Council (MSC) estimated. Mulch and soil producers could save that amount if they are granted an Agricultural Commodity Exemption to HOS regulations, said …
Training Is Critical To Safety At Mulching Yards
By Ken McEntee Workplace injury reports from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) can serve as gruesome reminders about how dangerous grinders and other mulching facility equipment can be when proper safety precautions aren’t utilized. In March 2018, an employee at a Missouri lumber company was killed while operating a hog grinder used to make mulch out of lumber …
For Plants, Landscapes, AG, A Love Affair With Mulch
By P.J. Heller Mulch may be the not so secret ingredient when it comes to successful landscaping and plant growth. For nearly 100 years, the benefits of mulch for various applications, such as agriculture and landscaping, have been studied and recognized. While there are numerous types of mulch — including wood chips, stones, straw, cardboard and other paper-based trash, plastic …
The Mulch & Soil Council – Serving the Industry for 48 Years
By Robert C. LaGasse, Executive Director Most trade associations get started when a group of industry people band together to fight a common problem like unfair laws or regulations or even unethical and anti-competitive trade practices. Working together to solve a common business interest may take months or years, but when the problem is solved— then what? Without a new …
Research Study Douses Claims of Mulch Spontaneous Combustion
By P.J. Heller Mulch that is . . . more than a few inches, can build up heat and spontaneously catch fire. State Fire Marshal of Massachusetts Mulch used in spring landscaping projects can ignite from spontaneous combustion. AccuWeather Spontaneous combustion of mulch is possible. WXIA-TV … Experts say the right recipe of heat, decomposition and a little bit of …
2018-19 Peat Moss Market Update – Overall Demand Remains Strong!
By Ken McEntee Canadian peat production during the 2018 harvesting season generally met producers’ expectations, with some regions exceeding expectations and others falling slightly short of expectations, according to the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association (CSPMA), whose members represent 92 percent of North America’s production. “The season wasn’t exceptional but it wasn’t a disaster by any means,” said CSPMA President …
California’s Fires: Public Policy Failure Hidden Behind the Guise of Climate Change
By Kathleen Marquardt California is in the middle of yet another record-breaking fire season with 820,000 acres across the state already burned — more than twice the area that burned by this point last year. NY Times The Mendocino Complex Fire burned more than 290,600 acres (nearly 454 square miles) as of Tuesday morning. It is the largest wildfire in …
Conservation Easements and Land Trusts, the Ultimate Faustian Marriage
By Kathleen Marquardt Tom DeWeese, President of American Policy Center (APC), once wrote that there are thousands of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working with the UN to subvert property rights. Of course, they don’t just announce that property rights are now null and void, because that would create a stir. Instead, they use language that sounds innocent and helpful to our …