By P.J. Heller The farm-to-table social movement – which promotes serving locally grown food at restaurants and other eateries – is being reverse engineered into a table-to-farm effort that offers benefits to businesses, government and especially the environment. Among the companies across America flipping the farm-to-table concept is Rust Belt Riders, headquartered in Cleveland., Ohio. It collects food scraps from …
By P.J. Heller Coronavirus pandemic advice: Wash your hands often. Wear a face mask. Socially distance. Get vaccinated. Garden. Garden? In a year of on-and-off-again stay-at-home orders, businesses forced to shutter and employees having to work from home, a tanking national and world economy and concerns about the food supply — not to mention the more than 27 million Americans …
By P.J. Heller It could turn out to be one of the most notable marriages of 2020. No, not the Dennis Quaid and Laura Savoie nuptials, or the tying of the knot between Princess Beatrice and Edo Mapelli Mozzi, or even the exchanging of vows between Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost. We’re talking here about something more down to earth: …
By P.J. Heller Zach Eaton remembers how long it used to take when loaders had to stack soil and mulch at the P.R. Russell facility in New Hampshire. “If we got 20 trucks [with raw material] in a day, it would take all day and maybe some of the next day to stack it [the processed material] and get it …
By P.J. Heller Their business may be going to pot, but that is fine with Jonathan Lee and Garrett Rodewald. The co-founders of Gaiaca Waste Revitalization in California are among a growing group of entrepreneurs who are capitalizing on the need for companies to manage burgeoning amounts of cannabis waste. “Somewhere right now, there’s a state talking about legalization; updating rules …
By Kenneth Artz California may soon ban gasoline-powered gardening tools such as lawnmowers and leaf blowers statewide, following the lead of approximately 60 California cities that have already banned the use of gas-powered yard equipment. In an effort to reduce emissions of air pollutants and carbon dioxide, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is now considering a statewide ban, which …
By Ken McEntee Government imposed closings related to Covid-19 may have hurt – or even destroyed – many businesses across the country. The soil and mulch industry was apparently not one of them, according to mulch and soil producers who reported robust sales volumes this spring. “Our soil sales have been overwhelming and we have not been able to keep …
By Kathleen Marquardt The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Army finalized the Navigable Waters Protection Rule to define “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS). This probably caused a large number of people to yawn; few know what the WOTUS are or the importance of this ruling. But for those who have been affected negatively for decades, …
By P.J. Heller Mulch manufacturers appear to be viewing themselves as part of an essential supply chain for businesses deemed “essential services” and are remaining open and operating as states and cities impose shutdowns on businesses and issue stay-at-home orders for most of the public in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. At least two states, Delaware and Connecticut, have …
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 …
