11/08/05 New product from anaerobic digester

Intrepid Technology and Resources of Idaho Falls has just signed an agreement with a Washington company to market processed animal waste. At the Whitesides' Dairy at Rupert ITR is producing methane gas through an anaerobic digester but they're also getting a unique high nutrient fiber material similar in size and composition to peat moss. FRAZEE "Compared to most of the compost that's generated and marketed in the state this was a much more consistent product. It had higher nutrient values that some of its competing products out there." Intrepid's Brad Frazee says Organix Inc of Walla Walla has purchased one thousand cubic yards of this soil amendment. Frazee says Whitesides can annually produce about five thousand cubic yards of the compost. FRAZEE "We have processed over three million gallons of material now through that facility since we started about a year ago. It wasn't exactly straight forward what was the best way to remove that material but we think we've finally settled on an approach that's economically viable for us." Intrepid says it's approaching a zero waste system where cow manure is consumed in value added products like methane for energy, soil amendments for gardening and nutrient enriched water for irrigation. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott