A recent blurb in the Business Weekly Section of the Journal mentioned the potential for a “trash collection fee” increase. Mayor Berry says: “The Solid Waste Mgt. Dept. isn’t collecting enough in fees to cover the cost of operations.” Alb. Journal, 12/26/09
Soilutions is glad the new administration is addressing the issue. We are direct competitors for green waste diversion with City and County solid waste departments. We have been fretting over the low tipping fees at the transfer stations (the most accessible option for residents) since before our incorporation. As a privately owned and operated business, we know what it cost to operate a solid waste facility and just can’t reconcile their fees with what we are pretty sure to be their costs. The low tipping fees directly retard the growth of the recycling industry in New Mexico.
According to the 2009 NM Solid Waste Annual Report, NM currently has a recycling rate of 12.4%, well below the 33% national average. According to Wasteage.com, the south central region of the United States (of which NM is a part) also ranks in the lowest in national tipping fee averages at just $23.28/ton (compare to the mid-Atlantic area at $69.07/ton). Because of the perceived abundance of wide open space, it is just cheaper to throw stuff in a hole here. Curbside pickup of residential trash is deemed a right of citizenship and maybe it is. It certainly helps to keep properties clean and safe. It also makes it easy to throw increasingly valuable recyclables away.
There are many ways to avoid raising residential trash service fees: pay as you throw programs, decreased frequency, and increased recycling pick-up to name a few. While an increase of the cost of residential trash service may be difficult to push through in these economic times, an alternative to recouping some of the solid waste department’s costs would be to increase the fees at transfer stations. Transfer stations typically are used by those with more trash than can be carried in a residential cart. Increasing fees at the transfer stations would only impact heavy generators. People not willing to pay the increase would be forced to seek other options. One option is to divert waste (over 70% of what goes into NM landfills is recyclable; at LEAST 35% is organic material). Diverting waste simply means sorting it such that items will go where they can be appropriately managed. This is by far the most environmentally (and thus patriotic) viable option.
Increased fees at the transfer stations will not increase illegal dumping as is generally argued. We already have unbearably low fees in our state and still see illegal dumping everywhere. Illegal dumping is one of those things that just occur. People who dump illegally do so because of ignorance, laziness, or I don’t know what. For example, Soilutions doesn’t charge to receive clean horse manure. Nonetheless, I see trailer loads of it dumped on the side of roads all the time. But by the same token, those that responsibly dispose of waste will do so at any cost. When Soilutions raises our recycling tip fees, we hear some grumbling but when informed why the rates increased, those people accept it. As with most things, education and communication are essential to proper decision making.
Illegal dumping is unsightly, dangerous, and expensive. Solid waste departments could allocate part of the increased revenue to illegal dumping clean-up. Transfer stations that purportedly separate green waste from municipal solid waste (MSW) do not, in fact. A landfill operator once told me that they take green waste for free but don’t have the money to manage it so it sits around and gets contaminated. Increased fees would allow for the extra time and money needed to properly reclaim and manage green waste received at these facilities. Increased tip fees would allow landfills and solid waste departments to generate enough money to establish mandated funds for proper closure, to remediate non-compliance violations, construct landfill cells properly, monitor the facility throughout its lifetime, and for further corrective activities.
Increases in tipping fees nation-wide have proven time and again to be beneficial to recycling programs. According to EPA.gov, high tip fees along with a properly managed recycling program actually reduce illegal dumping. And so, I would suggest to Mayor Berry that a raise in fees for curbside pick-up may not be the answer at this time. Rather, a fee increase at the transfer stations and landfills, where clients are high volume users, would not only generate the income needed to finance curbside pick-up, but also strengthen the recycling environment in New Mexico.
Now if we could just get them to sell their finished material at a profit, we’d be making strides forward.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Spring, take 2
As I sit here this morning, I have to giggle a bit. This week has been the complete opposite to last weekend. Rainy, cold, and now, snowy. It's great and I love it. (By the by, the compost site got 7.55" rain last year: almost normal). But isn't it just like mother nature to throw us a curve?
In preparation for spring soon coming, though, despite this weeks' indicators to the contrary, we are sprucing the place up a bit. We are refreshing our mulch on our driveways and replenishing our samples.
I gave a tour to two young ladies from Costa Rica yesterday. They were troopers. I can't imagine they see much snow down there. Anyway, they work at the Intel Plant down there. No one in Costa Rica is recycling organics and they heard that we do a good job with the organics from the Rio Rancho Plant. So they came down to take a look at how we do what we do. I am always amazed that Soilutions has a reputation outside my own head. (Jim got a call from some mid-schoolers in Virginia or some such place because everywhere they turned his name kept popping up). Maybe there is a consultant gig for me in Costa Rica in the future.
In preparation for spring soon coming, though, despite this weeks' indicators to the contrary, we are sprucing the place up a bit. We are refreshing our mulch on our driveways and replenishing our samples.
I gave a tour to two young ladies from Costa Rica yesterday. They were troopers. I can't imagine they see much snow down there. Anyway, they work at the Intel Plant down there. No one in Costa Rica is recycling organics and they heard that we do a good job with the organics from the Rio Rancho Plant. So they came down to take a look at how we do what we do. I am always amazed that Soilutions has a reputation outside my own head. (Jim got a call from some mid-schoolers in Virginia or some such place because everywhere they turned his name kept popping up). Maybe there is a consultant gig for me in Costa Rica in the future.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Spring
No. Spring has not yet arrived in NM. But it sure does feel like it's around the corner. I spent the weekend tilling the old plot; I even added a new 100 square foot area. I got a kick out of turning over all the carrots and beets that I must have missed last fall. Not bad tasting, a little sandy but that never hurt anyone. Nature helps those that help themselves: it rained last night to soak all the yummy compost and vermicompost into the soil. I even had my first harvest dream of the year.
I picked a meager salad from a small cold frame.
At the compost site, we are getting one or two more people calling each week; one or two more people coming down and getting something to start off with. There was a couple of weeks during the Christmas/New Year's Day period where we didn't see a handful of people all week. This week, we are going to double our yearly totals for deliveries!
Enjoy the moisture while we can.
I picked a meager salad from a small cold frame.
At the compost site, we are getting one or two more people calling each week; one or two more people coming down and getting something to start off with. There was a couple of weeks during the Christmas/New Year's Day period where we didn't see a handful of people all week. This week, we are going to double our yearly totals for deliveries!
Enjoy the moisture while we can.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Products Price Changes
Thank you to all who have supported us in 2009. The preliminary numbers show that we will be able to continue to serve you with are fine garden products and seemingly expert knowledge for another year.
Unfortunately, we find it necessary to raise our selling prices on products this year. Most notably, for the first time in our 13+ years, we are raising the price on our Premium Compost from $32/yd to $36/yd. Costs to manufacture have just gotten to too high. Please check our other price changes on this website or give me a call.
When we first started, we were selling Premium at $14/yd when, after a brief calculation, it was costing us $20/yd to make! Since then we have concentrated on lowering our costs so that the price would remain constant for our customers. But, as I said, the cost of diesel, property taxes, compliance costs, insurance, and the ever important labor costs have increases too dramatically over the recent past.
Please note that tipping fees will remain at the ridiculously low rate of $5/yd. Usually, the recycling aspect of our company shares the costs with the manufacturing side, but we didn't feel it was fair to you in this continuing tight economic climate to raise those fees.
We look forward to seeing you all soon, and thanks for your support.
Unfortunately, we find it necessary to raise our selling prices on products this year. Most notably, for the first time in our 13+ years, we are raising the price on our Premium Compost from $32/yd to $36/yd. Costs to manufacture have just gotten to too high. Please check our other price changes on this website or give me a call.
When we first started, we were selling Premium at $14/yd when, after a brief calculation, it was costing us $20/yd to make! Since then we have concentrated on lowering our costs so that the price would remain constant for our customers. But, as I said, the cost of diesel, property taxes, compliance costs, insurance, and the ever important labor costs have increases too dramatically over the recent past.
Please note that tipping fees will remain at the ridiculously low rate of $5/yd. Usually, the recycling aspect of our company shares the costs with the manufacturing side, but we didn't feel it was fair to you in this continuing tight economic climate to raise those fees.
We look forward to seeing you all soon, and thanks for your support.
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Polar Bear Swim Update
Finally, here is the update and photos for which I know you've all been waiting.
The weather was beautiful; sunny, warm and not much breeze.
Turn out was down,
although not by much thanks to two late comers.
The pool temperature was high: 38F when we opened it, 40F by the time we got in.
There was some confusion on when we were to swim, which left plenty of time to break the ice
and to sit and watch it thaw
but we had most people fired up by about noon.
A newcomer to the event proved that in fact we are not crazy. He jumped in and dawdled for a good minute or so.
One swimmer had a run-in with a chunk of ice,
and my youngest son did a full lap lengthwise (probably equaling the newcomer for total time spent in the water).
Not to be outdone, I was able to do a two full laps, complete with flip turn (again, no photos). The guest of honor, cold water aficionado and 3 time Channel swimmer Suzie, leisurely completed two laps.
Thanks to all who returned for the second or third year. Special thanks to Jim and Karen for letting me tell you all about it on company time.
Spectators as well as participants had a feast of chowder, hoppin'john, and whiskey sours (before and) afterward.
See you next year!
PS. We extended the festivities this year by going to Elephant Butte on January 2. The water was 46F but seemed MUCH colder. Suzie is caught swimming, this time for 5 minutes or more, as part of her 50 swims in 50 states mission.
The weather was beautiful; sunny, warm and not much breeze.
Turn out was down,
although not by much thanks to two late comers.
The pool temperature was high: 38F when we opened it, 40F by the time we got in.
There was some confusion on when we were to swim, which left plenty of time to break the ice
and to sit and watch it thaw
but we had most people fired up by about noon.
A newcomer to the event proved that in fact we are not crazy. He jumped in and dawdled for a good minute or so.
One swimmer had a run-in with a chunk of ice,
and my youngest son did a full lap lengthwise (probably equaling the newcomer for total time spent in the water).
Not to be outdone, I was able to do a two full laps, complete with flip turn (again, no photos). The guest of honor, cold water aficionado and 3 time Channel swimmer Suzie, leisurely completed two laps.
Thanks to all who returned for the second or third year. Special thanks to Jim and Karen for letting me tell you all about it on company time.
Spectators as well as participants had a feast of chowder, hoppin'john, and whiskey sours (before and) afterward.
See you next year!
PS. We extended the festivities this year by going to Elephant Butte on January 2. The water was 46F but seemed MUCH colder. Suzie is caught swimming, this time for 5 minutes or more, as part of her 50 swims in 50 states mission.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Fun with Recycling: part 3
From this:
to this:
These gates are "dutch" meaning the top portions open while the bottom portions can remain closed, keeping the dogs inside the courtyard. There are no metal fasteners in these gates: just mortise and tenon joinery.
While the other projects I have shown take very little time and skill to construct, these gates took about a weekend worth of time and some specialized tools.
to this:
These gates are "dutch" meaning the top portions open while the bottom portions can remain closed, keeping the dogs inside the courtyard. There are no metal fasteners in these gates: just mortise and tenon joinery.
While the other projects I have shown take very little time and skill to construct, these gates took about a weekend worth of time and some specialized tools.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Poem
Winter, and Christmas time in particular, brings out the sentimentalist in me. So here's a poem I wrote the other day to celebrate the tenacity of nature.
-----
This Tuesday morning is as cold as Monday
Swept up in a drift of three days uninhabited
The smell of a barn long vacated
I swing around the corner in a white Ford
Looking for signs of weekend hooliganism
None to see, just piles of leaves
Piles of leaves shaped like a mini Kilimanjaro
Her head amid gusty clouds
Except here its restless leaves rustling
And I stop to reconnect with the first heap
Not the most important heap we have
Just the first one I see on this Tuesday morning
To see if it’s steaming, water vapor rather,
To see if it’s vaporing away like it should
Like it did yesterday morning
It is my rock, my one true thing, my Kilimanjaro
This first pile of compost I see
Decomposing because I came to work, once
Regardless of how my weekend went
-----
Happy Holiday.
Be safe.
Make Compost
-----
This Tuesday morning is as cold as Monday
Swept up in a drift of three days uninhabited
The smell of a barn long vacated
I swing around the corner in a white Ford
Looking for signs of weekend hooliganism
None to see, just piles of leaves
Piles of leaves shaped like a mini Kilimanjaro
Her head amid gusty clouds
Except here its restless leaves rustling
And I stop to reconnect with the first heap
Not the most important heap we have
Just the first one I see on this Tuesday morning
To see if it’s steaming, water vapor rather,
To see if it’s vaporing away like it should
Like it did yesterday morning
It is my rock, my one true thing, my Kilimanjaro
This first pile of compost I see
Decomposing because I came to work, once
Regardless of how my weekend went
-----
Happy Holiday.
Be safe.
Make Compost
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
How to figure a good carbon: nitrogen ratio
Here's a good site to help determine a good ratio for backyard composting.
http://www.mastercomposter.com/ref/calcc_n.html
http://www.mastercomposter.com/ref/calcc_n.html
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Climate Masters Class Offered in Albuquerque
State's Second Climate Masters Class Offered in Albuquerque
The New Mexico Environment Department will be offering a Climate Master class in Albuquerque beginning in January, 2010. The inaugural class in Santa Fe this past spring was a resounding success and class participants have already logged over 155 volunteer hours.
The Climate Masters Program is a 10-week free series of classes focused on climate change and what you can do to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions in your daily life. Class topics include Climate Change 101, Home Energy, Water, Transportation, Green Building, Renewable Energy, Yards, Consumption and Waste, Food, and Outreach and Consultations. Local experts in these fields will discuss the topics, climate change and what individuals can do.
Climate Masters is modeled after the Master Gardener program. This program is a two-part educational effort, in which community members are provided 30 hours of training and in return they "pay back" the program through 30 hours of volunteer service in the year following the training.
On average, students that take the class can reduce their own personal emissions by approximately 2 tons per year. Individual action is critical to solving the climate crisis because individuals are the end users of most energy production via home heating and cooling, appliances, food, travel and embedded energy in products that we throw away. Climate Master will provide training, specific tools and methods that will enable participants and others in making a difference.
Registration is required. The deadline to register is January 8, 2010. The class is limited to 25. See the following website for the registration application www.nmenv.state.nm.us/aqb/NewMexicoClimateMasters
The New Mexico Environment Department will be offering a Climate Master class in Albuquerque beginning in January, 2010. The inaugural class in Santa Fe this past spring was a resounding success and class participants have already logged over 155 volunteer hours.
The Climate Masters Program is a 10-week free series of classes focused on climate change and what you can do to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions in your daily life. Class topics include Climate Change 101, Home Energy, Water, Transportation, Green Building, Renewable Energy, Yards, Consumption and Waste, Food, and Outreach and Consultations. Local experts in these fields will discuss the topics, climate change and what individuals can do.
Climate Masters is modeled after the Master Gardener program. This program is a two-part educational effort, in which community members are provided 30 hours of training and in return they "pay back" the program through 30 hours of volunteer service in the year following the training.
On average, students that take the class can reduce their own personal emissions by approximately 2 tons per year. Individual action is critical to solving the climate crisis because individuals are the end users of most energy production via home heating and cooling, appliances, food, travel and embedded energy in products that we throw away. Climate Master will provide training, specific tools and methods that will enable participants and others in making a difference.
Registration is required. The deadline to register is January 8, 2010. The class is limited to 25. See the following website for the registration application www.nmenv.state.nm.us/aqb/NewMexicoClimateMasters
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Polar Bear Swim
Most of you, if you've been to the site in these winter months, have been alerted to the Polar Bear Swim I host every year. I t started with just me and two neighborhood teenagers, then grew and grew. This year we have people traveling from as far as San Francisco to attend.
Basically, I have an in ground pool that gets a lot of use by friends and strangers alike in the summer. But in the winter, it just sits there. So one year, I believe it was spurred on by the need to clear my head, on New Year's Day, we went for a dip. Sounds easy. I forgot to mention that we broke ice for the hour previous.
The first time, we just jumped in and out in about 3 seconds. We moved on to a lap width-wise then a lap length-wise.
Last year, my then 5 year old son shamed us all by jumping in first. He got so many accolades, that he jumped in again before we covered the pool up.
Everybody cheers and jeers, and has romping good time. Then it's inside to eat posole and clam chowder; drink more cocktails and sit by the fire; chat and watch the Rose Bowl.
So here's the flier:
Please join us for the 3rd Annual
Polar Bear Swim
Friday, January 1st, 2010
Noon -5:30pm
Sandhill “Community” Pool
03 Sandhill Rd.
RSVP
walter@soilutions.net or 505.681.5371
This year we will again be attempting a FULL LAP (13 yd)
Hot Toddy’s, Warm Towels, a Burn Barrel, the Rose Bowl, and a Hearty Stew
will be provided. Caps generously provided by the Swim-Art. Other promotional consideration provided by
the San Francisco Dolphin Club
*All swimmers MUST be accompanied by a sane dry adult. Complete submission (overhead) is NOT required. Verification of availability of warmed towel strongly suggested before entering pool. Photographic evidence of participation will be provided upon request.
come on by, even if you don't want to swim. All are welcome.
Basically, I have an in ground pool that gets a lot of use by friends and strangers alike in the summer. But in the winter, it just sits there. So one year, I believe it was spurred on by the need to clear my head, on New Year's Day, we went for a dip. Sounds easy. I forgot to mention that we broke ice for the hour previous.
The first time, we just jumped in and out in about 3 seconds. We moved on to a lap width-wise then a lap length-wise.
Last year, my then 5 year old son shamed us all by jumping in first. He got so many accolades, that he jumped in again before we covered the pool up.
Everybody cheers and jeers, and has romping good time. Then it's inside to eat posole and clam chowder; drink more cocktails and sit by the fire; chat and watch the Rose Bowl.
So here's the flier:
Please join us for the 3rd Annual
Polar Bear Swim
Friday, January 1st, 2010
Noon -5:30pm
Sandhill “Community” Pool
03 Sandhill Rd.
RSVP
walter@soilutions.net or 505.681.5371
This year we will again be attempting a FULL LAP (13 yd)
Hot Toddy’s, Warm Towels, a Burn Barrel, the Rose Bowl, and a Hearty Stew
will be provided. Caps generously provided by the Swim-Art. Other promotional consideration provided by
the San Francisco Dolphin Club
*All swimmers MUST be accompanied by a sane dry adult. Complete submission (overhead) is NOT required. Verification of availability of warmed towel strongly suggested before entering pool. Photographic evidence of participation will be provided upon request.
come on by, even if you don't want to swim. All are welcome.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Wreath Making Materials
We seem to be getting a lot of evergreen cuttings lately. I don't fancy myself a genus/species wank so I can't tell you what kind of evergreens, only that there are some short needled boughs and some long needled boughs and some blue spruce-y boughs.
We have juniper branches, too. I even saw some holly branches with berries!
Come on down and browse our brush pile. Take some fire wood home with you.
I never have the gumption or know how to make craft things like wreaths and garlands, but I know that there are plenty of people who do. It's a great time of year to be working with this aromatic material. Sitting by the fireside lacing popcorn and berries through the needles for the birds. How festive.
Don't forget to recycle you Christmas trees here when the time comes.
We have juniper branches, too. I even saw some holly branches with berries!
Come on down and browse our brush pile. Take some fire wood home with you.
I never have the gumption or know how to make craft things like wreaths and garlands, but I know that there are plenty of people who do. It's a great time of year to be working with this aromatic material. Sitting by the fireside lacing popcorn and berries through the needles for the birds. How festive.
Don't forget to recycle you Christmas trees here when the time comes.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Erosion Control 101
Here are a couple of links that everyone should be aware of. They address some erosion control techniques. More importantly, I think it's great that Rio Rancho and the Flood Control Authority have the chutzpah to recognize that the way they did things in the past didn't work.
For a video starring our own Jim Brooks, click here:
http://www.sscafca.com/cms.php/video_player/6466/?height=400&width=425
For a downloadable brochure, click here:
http://www.sscafca.com/document_library/SSCAFCA_erosioncontrolbrochure.pdf
There is also an quick news blurb on KRQE's site:
http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/environment/erosion-seminar-held-in-rio-rancho
Jim will probably kill me for suggesting such a thing, but if you want him to come to your neighborhood association, or to give a day long presentation, his fees are reasonable and the knowledge gained invaluable.
For a video starring our own Jim Brooks, click here:
http://www.sscafca.com/cms.php/video_player/6466/?height=400&width=425
For a downloadable brochure, click here:
http://www.sscafca.com/document_library/SSCAFCA_erosioncontrolbrochure.pdf
There is also an quick news blurb on KRQE's site:
http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/environment/erosion-seminar-held-in-rio-rancho
Jim will probably kill me for suggesting such a thing, but if you want him to come to your neighborhood association, or to give a day long presentation, his fees are reasonable and the knowledge gained invaluable.
Friday, December 04, 2009
Shopping Suggestion
The New Mexico Recycling Coalition (NMRC) has been chosen by Starlight Event Design to be a beneficiary of an online auction. All of the donated pieces are left over from a large fundraiser and the donors choose 3 non-profits to donate proceeds to from this online auction. NMRC is one of those! Bidding starts today, December 4th and closes on Sunday, December 6th at 8:00 pm. Do a little holiday shopping and benefit, NMRC. Auction items include:
*Art
*Spa treatments
*Architecture services
*Music lessons
*Photography sessions
*Tattoo gift certificates (you could always have the recycling symbol tattooed to your arm)
*Landscape Design services …… and more!
To view the items and start bidding, please click on
http://auctions.readysetauction.com/starlighteventdesign
To get started view the catalog of items. Once you view the items you can click an item and make a bid. Visitor's will then be asked to register with the website so they can place a bid. They will create an account and then be able to actively bid on items. Visitors can view the catalog of items without registering. You MUST register in order to bid.
Winners will be able to pay for their items after we have closed the auction Sunday 8pm. An invoice will then be generated within 24hrs and emailed to the winner with a final total of items.
*Art
*Spa treatments
*Architecture services
*Music lessons
*Photography sessions
*Tattoo gift certificates (you could always have the recycling symbol tattooed to your arm)
*Landscape Design services …… and more!
To view the items and start bidding, please click on
http://auctions.readysetauction.com/starlighteventdesign
To get started view the catalog of items. Once you view the items you can click an item and make a bid. Visitor's will then be asked to register with the website so they can place a bid. They will create an account and then be able to actively bid on items. Visitors can view the catalog of items without registering. You MUST register in order to bid.
Winners will be able to pay for their items after we have closed the auction Sunday 8pm. An invoice will then be generated within 24hrs and emailed to the winner with a final total of items.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
When I started this blog, I was so looking forward to winter, this time of year in fact, because it would afford time to post regularly. I have a folder of all the ideas I was going to address, and the sheer lack of customers coming in the door would allow me to take each idea and cultivate it into full blooming recantations of life here at the compost site.
Well, it has definitely slowed down, but I find that there is truly not much happening here. I am not getting the daily phone calls of interesting questions. I have built and planted and watered and pruned and harvested almost everything available. So, before my boss reads this and starts wondering why he is still paying me, I will tell you of some on-going projects.
We screen our Topsoil Blend now. After collecting sod that people have judiciously recycled with us throughout the previous year, we blend it with Premium Compost and let nature work her magic for another year. Then, we move our screening plant out to the north ramp and start screening the large particles out. Screening Topsoil Blend is one of those endeavors that has come to signify both the end of the year and a bold statement for us of the hope for the coming year. It offers us a chance to begin our reflection on the year past but also to commit ourselves to the future. It's akin to tilling your garden in the fall.
We will also be working hard on developing a new mulch or two. Without getting into details, things changed rapidly in the landscape manufacture business this year. We see both an opportunity and a necessity to continue to develop and produce from locally recycled materials products that are useful and attractive.
With the seasonal decline in the number of retail customers, I get to get out of the office more. I have meetings with entities involved in the organics industry and I participate in the NM Recycling Coalition's many endeavors. I visit past, current, and prospective customers. I like to thank people who have spent time or money with us. One of the budding relationships about which I am really excited is a project with Gardener's Guild on Central. If you haven't checked them out already, do so.
We strive every day to give our customers a good product at a fair price. We want an educated customer. It is unfortunate that the season I have the most time to spend with curious gardeners is the season when no one is thinking about their gardens. So we spend a lot of time by the heater (and often times on top of a steaming compost pile) dissecting how we do what we do and how better to do it.
I guess there is more to do here than I had originally thought. Stay tuned for updates on the haps.
Well, it has definitely slowed down, but I find that there is truly not much happening here. I am not getting the daily phone calls of interesting questions. I have built and planted and watered and pruned and harvested almost everything available. So, before my boss reads this and starts wondering why he is still paying me, I will tell you of some on-going projects.
We screen our Topsoil Blend now. After collecting sod that people have judiciously recycled with us throughout the previous year, we blend it with Premium Compost and let nature work her magic for another year. Then, we move our screening plant out to the north ramp and start screening the large particles out. Screening Topsoil Blend is one of those endeavors that has come to signify both the end of the year and a bold statement for us of the hope for the coming year. It offers us a chance to begin our reflection on the year past but also to commit ourselves to the future. It's akin to tilling your garden in the fall.
We will also be working hard on developing a new mulch or two. Without getting into details, things changed rapidly in the landscape manufacture business this year. We see both an opportunity and a necessity to continue to develop and produce from locally recycled materials products that are useful and attractive.
With the seasonal decline in the number of retail customers, I get to get out of the office more. I have meetings with entities involved in the organics industry and I participate in the NM Recycling Coalition's many endeavors. I visit past, current, and prospective customers. I like to thank people who have spent time or money with us. One of the budding relationships about which I am really excited is a project with Gardener's Guild on Central. If you haven't checked them out already, do so.
We strive every day to give our customers a good product at a fair price. We want an educated customer. It is unfortunate that the season I have the most time to spend with curious gardeners is the season when no one is thinking about their gardens. So we spend a lot of time by the heater (and often times on top of a steaming compost pile) dissecting how we do what we do and how better to do it.
I guess there is more to do here than I had originally thought. Stay tuned for updates on the haps.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Respect the Bird
Respect it!
Don't forget to compost that carcass and all the vegetable scraps that gave so that you might celebrate.
Be save.
Happy Thanksgiving
Don't forget to compost that carcass and all the vegetable scraps that gave so that you might celebrate.
Be save.
Happy Thanksgiving
Friday, November 20, 2009
Electronic Pruning--Part 2
On 8/27/09, I posted an entry about pruning an apple tree. In it, I took pictures of an apple tree I had inherited when I moved into my house oh-so long ago. I wanted some expert advice on how to prune it properly, but didn't want the professional (in this case Corva Rose with Divine Earth) to drive all the way out to my property for just one tree. I also like to do that kind of work so any effort made by Corva would not result in any paying work. That has happened to me many a time, and it just isn't any fun.
Back in September, the tree was fully leaved out and bearing lots of small apples. Now the tree is essentially bare of leaves. I have taken the pictures from the same spots and sent them on to Corva. While I await her response, here is the tree from various angles.
Looking East...
North...
West...
And finally South...
Obviously, the photos should be as clear and descriptive as possible. I'll see what else Corva needs and let you know.
Back in September, the tree was fully leaved out and bearing lots of small apples. Now the tree is essentially bare of leaves. I have taken the pictures from the same spots and sent them on to Corva. While I await her response, here is the tree from various angles.
Looking East...
North...
West...
And finally South...
Obviously, the photos should be as clear and descriptive as possible. I'll see what else Corva needs and let you know.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Leaf Mulch
Some of you may know that for years I have run a little landscaping business (yes, I am for hire). Mostly now I just do cleanups and small installations, but I have been known to do major jobs. Obviously, my work is steeped in recycling and compost use. This Monday one of my long time customers asked me: "Can you take these leaves away and bring me some mulch?" I was speechless (but only for a moment).
I explained that the falling leaves were in fact nature's way of providing a mulch.That the leaves contained nutrients and trace minerals that the trees had absorbed all summer from the soil. That if left to blanket the soil around the tree's drip line, they would insulate the soil and roots, then slowly decompose. That that decomposition would then return the nutrients and minerals back to the root zone of the plant for re-use.
She was a little shocked that one didn't need to buy a mulch to effectively protect the soil and roots around a tree. Appearance was an issue so we agreed to leave the leaves in place and cover them with a thinner layer of Pecan Shells. Problem solved, for now.
But I was intrigued by the notion that in order to garden well, one had to spend money. Or more broadly, that landscaping is some process designed and schemed by some entity out there that knows better than nature does. I run into this frequently at Soilutions when people want to: put wood ashes on their NM lawn, blend compost with Peat Moss, use weed barrier, direct rainwater off the property and use sprinklers, grow blueberries in Albuquerque, or put a "dry river bed" from no-where-near a downspout to no-where-near a plant.
I run into this all the time in my own business, as well. I feel that people should take care of there own waste. Basically, if you make a mess, clean it up. In landscape terms, that means, to me , that if you have a lawn, YOU mow it, YOU be responsible for knowing how to care for it, etc. If you have a tree, YOU deal with the leaves when they fall. It's my version of what's "wrong with the world", like over-population, living beyond one's credit means or whatever the catch phrase of the day is. I think a personal responsibility to our immediate environment would engender more sensible landscapes, produce less waste, and create a more diverse and thus more personable urban environment. Obviously though, there are plenty of reasons to hire help for some of your landscape needs.
But if we all take a stab at managing our own property, just think of the possibilities. I find my mind stimulated when trying to create a look I want with the (recycled) materials I have on hand. I see more of my daily path when I am scouting a junk pile for that last piece to finish a job. I save money and resources by shaping the project to the materials. I let my plants reseed themselves, where they want to grow. When it rains, I go outside for a look. People like my client, who started this tirade, would have time to ponder the little thing s that occur in our garden and hopefully realize that they occur for a reason.
I explained that the falling leaves were in fact nature's way of providing a mulch.That the leaves contained nutrients and trace minerals that the trees had absorbed all summer from the soil. That if left to blanket the soil around the tree's drip line, they would insulate the soil and roots, then slowly decompose. That that decomposition would then return the nutrients and minerals back to the root zone of the plant for re-use.
She was a little shocked that one didn't need to buy a mulch to effectively protect the soil and roots around a tree. Appearance was an issue so we agreed to leave the leaves in place and cover them with a thinner layer of Pecan Shells. Problem solved, for now.
But I was intrigued by the notion that in order to garden well, one had to spend money. Or more broadly, that landscaping is some process designed and schemed by some entity out there that knows better than nature does. I run into this frequently at Soilutions when people want to: put wood ashes on their NM lawn, blend compost with Peat Moss, use weed barrier, direct rainwater off the property and use sprinklers, grow blueberries in Albuquerque, or put a "dry river bed" from no-where-near a downspout to no-where-near a plant.
I run into this all the time in my own business, as well. I feel that people should take care of there own waste. Basically, if you make a mess, clean it up. In landscape terms, that means, to me , that if you have a lawn, YOU mow it, YOU be responsible for knowing how to care for it, etc. If you have a tree, YOU deal with the leaves when they fall. It's my version of what's "wrong with the world", like over-population, living beyond one's credit means or whatever the catch phrase of the day is. I think a personal responsibility to our immediate environment would engender more sensible landscapes, produce less waste, and create a more diverse and thus more personable urban environment. Obviously though, there are plenty of reasons to hire help for some of your landscape needs.
But if we all take a stab at managing our own property, just think of the possibilities. I find my mind stimulated when trying to create a look I want with the (recycled) materials I have on hand. I see more of my daily path when I am scouting a junk pile for that last piece to finish a job. I save money and resources by shaping the project to the materials. I let my plants reseed themselves, where they want to grow. When it rains, I go outside for a look. People like my client, who started this tirade, would have time to ponder the little thing s that occur in our garden and hopefully realize that they occur for a reason.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Cold Frame Update
Check it out.
Last night it got down to 10 degrees Fahrenheit at the compost site (14 degrees F at my house)
(You can see the blue line on the left indicating the low temperature for the night)
So I thought it would be good to see how our little plants handled the drop in temperature.
(Except for a little tinge of frost on the topmost leafs of the radishes, no damage.)
By the way, I have been noshing on radishes for several weeks.
Last night it got down to 10 degrees Fahrenheit at the compost site (14 degrees F at my house)
(You can see the blue line on the left indicating the low temperature for the night)So I thought it would be good to see how our little plants handled the drop in temperature.
(Except for a little tinge of frost on the topmost leafs of the radishes, no damage.)
By the way, I have been noshing on radishes for several weeks.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Winter Innovation
We all slow down when Winter starts to set in. For me, it coincides with the time change. Without much sunlight to work with, but with the same amount of time, I find myself lying in bed a little longer to listen to my wife breathe gently, sitting a little longer over my second cup of coffee in front of the fire, or taking a little longer way to work.
When the crew shows up to work, a little later each week, we chat more about family and kids rather than the work day ahead. The slowness of it all was a welcome relief from the hectic asses-and-elbows mentality of early Spring. But this year is different; it is different for all of us. At Soilutions, we sit in the office and wonder, sometimes aloud, whether this is the year that breaks us. Did we do enough when times were better? True, each winter is tight but we have always had a nest egg from the Spring that, if budgeted properly, would get us through until the phones ring again in late March. We are grateful to the regulars, but they too are worried.
This year is different.
But what I am trying to get to, what the title of this entry alludes to, is that we haven't given up. We have always been a small, diverse group, too smart to take it sitting down. Several years ago we forged an unheard-of agreement with a local government to divert greenwaste from the landfills. We started the Pecan Shell Mulch craze 10 years ago; they used to pay to haul this stuff to the landfill. We were instrumental in getting the construction lumber recycling industry up and running in NM. Then we invented a program that collects foodwaste from local restaurants and hotels. This year we partnered loosely with a company that make wattles, or mulch socks, and services the NMDOT to help mitigate soil erosion on the side of our roads. In short, we have invented, time and again, necessary markets for organics diversion and re-use in NM.
In this dire economic crisis, we feel that we have come through once again. For the first time we are offering a mulch marketed as much for its price as its usefulness. We call it Blower Mulch because it was made originally for use by the large commercial blower trucks that spread thousands of cubic years at a time on hillsides and roadside. It is made of recycled construction lumber, namely dimensional lumber (2x4, 2x6, etc), pallets, crates, and plywood. It is not approved for use on certified organic gardens like our flagship material Premium Compost and other products. We process Blower Mulch much the same way we process many of our products: grind it to 2" and then screen it to 1/2"-1". It's a nice blond material, from a completely renewable resource, economical, and quite useful.
So where's the innovation? Well, granted it isn't on the same scale as starting the only Foodwaste Collection Service in the state, but it is innovative in several ways. Blower Mulch allows LEED construction companies to "close the loop" by using this mulch on it's finished landscapes. It represents a variation on our standard ideology of processing products as little as possible. It forces our customers to look at a product with an open mind; you are not going to find this mulch in the box stores. We have always had the most expensive product on the market; now we beat all private producers' prices for a comparable product.
So come on down and take a free sample home with you.
Finish mulching that 1/2 acre you're tired of weeding but couldn't afford to deal with properly. It's selling for $11/yd3 for the time being until we can all get back on our collective feet again.
Hope to see you soon.
When the crew shows up to work, a little later each week, we chat more about family and kids rather than the work day ahead. The slowness of it all was a welcome relief from the hectic asses-and-elbows mentality of early Spring. But this year is different; it is different for all of us. At Soilutions, we sit in the office and wonder, sometimes aloud, whether this is the year that breaks us. Did we do enough when times were better? True, each winter is tight but we have always had a nest egg from the Spring that, if budgeted properly, would get us through until the phones ring again in late March. We are grateful to the regulars, but they too are worried.
This year is different.
But what I am trying to get to, what the title of this entry alludes to, is that we haven't given up. We have always been a small, diverse group, too smart to take it sitting down. Several years ago we forged an unheard-of agreement with a local government to divert greenwaste from the landfills. We started the Pecan Shell Mulch craze 10 years ago; they used to pay to haul this stuff to the landfill. We were instrumental in getting the construction lumber recycling industry up and running in NM. Then we invented a program that collects foodwaste from local restaurants and hotels. This year we partnered loosely with a company that make wattles, or mulch socks, and services the NMDOT to help mitigate soil erosion on the side of our roads. In short, we have invented, time and again, necessary markets for organics diversion and re-use in NM.
In this dire economic crisis, we feel that we have come through once again. For the first time we are offering a mulch marketed as much for its price as its usefulness. We call it Blower Mulch because it was made originally for use by the large commercial blower trucks that spread thousands of cubic years at a time on hillsides and roadside. It is made of recycled construction lumber, namely dimensional lumber (2x4, 2x6, etc), pallets, crates, and plywood. It is not approved for use on certified organic gardens like our flagship material Premium Compost and other products. We process Blower Mulch much the same way we process many of our products: grind it to 2" and then screen it to 1/2"-1". It's a nice blond material, from a completely renewable resource, economical, and quite useful.
So where's the innovation? Well, granted it isn't on the same scale as starting the only Foodwaste Collection Service in the state, but it is innovative in several ways. Blower Mulch allows LEED construction companies to "close the loop" by using this mulch on it's finished landscapes. It represents a variation on our standard ideology of processing products as little as possible. It forces our customers to look at a product with an open mind; you are not going to find this mulch in the box stores. We have always had the most expensive product on the market; now we beat all private producers' prices for a comparable product.
So come on down and take a free sample home with you.
Finish mulching that 1/2 acre you're tired of weeding but couldn't afford to deal with properly. It's selling for $11/yd3 for the time being until we can all get back on our collective feet again.Hope to see you soon.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
We are Grinding
From this....
to this.
We are grinding now and for the next couple of weeks. I encourage you to come down and witness the event. There are not many opportunities to experience something of this magnitude. For us at Soilutions, grinding IS an event. It takes all of our staff and most of our equipment, working long dusty hours.
It drains the bank account. For all the customers who are disgruntled at paying us to dispose properly of their waste ("You guys are making money from both ends!"), I really want you to come down and see for yourself what goes into processing the raw materials you bring us. If you think about what goes on and that none of it is cheap, you will begin to realize that our tipping fee is more than fair. Just with the fluctuations in diesel fuel alone, we often get burned. What I mean by that is we are expected to charge a set rate to receive greenwaste; but the expense to process that greenwaste is very dependent on the cost of diesel. If we charge $5/yd in February to receive material but grind it in March when diesel has jumped 25%, then we are losing money.
Then consider why and how the municipalities can charge less to bury it when their employees are better paid and better insured; their equipment is new and they give away an inferior product.
Einstein said once "Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth."
Enough said for now.
to this.
We are grinding now and for the next couple of weeks. I encourage you to come down and witness the event. There are not many opportunities to experience something of this magnitude. For us at Soilutions, grinding IS an event. It takes all of our staff and most of our equipment, working long dusty hours.
It drains the bank account. For all the customers who are disgruntled at paying us to dispose properly of their waste ("You guys are making money from both ends!"), I really want you to come down and see for yourself what goes into processing the raw materials you bring us. If you think about what goes on and that none of it is cheap, you will begin to realize that our tipping fee is more than fair. Just with the fluctuations in diesel fuel alone, we often get burned. What I mean by that is we are expected to charge a set rate to receive greenwaste; but the expense to process that greenwaste is very dependent on the cost of diesel. If we charge $5/yd in February to receive material but grind it in March when diesel has jumped 25%, then we are losing money.
Then consider why and how the municipalities can charge less to bury it when their employees are better paid and better insured; their equipment is new and they give away an inferior product.
Einstein said once "Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth."
Enough said for now.
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