By Ken McEntee “Good luck. Tell us how you do.” Robert Smith, chief of operations for the North Collier (County, Florida) Fire and Rescue District, said he heard that line a lot as he called fire departments around the country for advice about fighting a massive mulch and compost fire at the end of April. The blaze – the second …

By Dr. Brian E. Jackson and Dr. Bill Fonteno An overview of the activities and programs happening in the Horticultural Substrates Laboratory (HSL) at NC State University (NCSU) Past and Ongoing Endeavors For more than 35 years, the Horticultural Substrates Laboratory (HSL) at NC State University (NCSU) has worked with the mulch and soil industry, solving problems in manufacturing, quality …

By Ken McEntee By most anecdotal accounts, mulch industry sales were up in 2016 compared to 2015. Survey responses and conversations with mulch producers from around the U.S. suggested that colored mulch continued to gain in popularity, while consumers increasingly are gravitating toward bagged products over bulk, primarily due to convenience of transporting and spreading the material. “I think sales …

By P.J. Heller Jim Weber knows what it takes to manufacture quality mulch. So when he became concerned about energy companies competing for raw materials with his Ohio Mulch business, he took action. “We were concerned that the energy companies were starting to compete against us for raw materials because they were mixing wood fiber in with their coal as …

By P.J. Heller Soil, mulch and compost producers may soon be flying high, launching drones with sophisticated software to quickly and cost-effectively measure inventory, map their areas and improve safety. Used by both military and civilians, the latter primarily for aerial photography and videography, drones — or unmanned aerial vehicles or unmanned aircraft systems — are increasingly finding their way …

By Mark Ramsey A recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce (COC) study strongly criticizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for imposing unfunded federal mandates on states and industry for little benefit. The Chamber says the number of federal regulations and the associated costs have grown considerably during the past decade. According to the study, released in August, although EPA makes …

By Michael McGrady Since 2009 more than $49 million has been paid by federal agencies to environmental groups and lawyers engaged in “citizen lawsuits” against the Obama administration, with the identities of the recipients of the payouts being kept secret. A recent analysis conducted by The Daily Caller shows since 2009, more than $49 million has been paid by federal …

By P.J. Heller Cascade Minerals message for soil manufacturers and compost producers is simple: “rock on.” And those who are following that advice — by incorporating rock dust into their products — are discovering new ways to market their goods, grow their business and attract a loyal customer following. “I do really feel like it’s a good selling point for …

By H. Sterling Burnett The Obama administration has imposed expensive new regulations on heavy duty trucks to fight climate change. On August 16, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finalized new fuel efficiency standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles as called for by President Obama’s Climate Action Plan. The standards …

By H. Sterling Burnett A new report by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Inspector General says EPA’s Office of Research and Development has failed to report to Congress on the environmental impacts of biofuels as required by law. According to a new report by the Inspector General (IG) of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), EPA’s Office of Research and Development has …