I was reading an organic gardening magazine and found a tiny blurb of an article about a peat substitute. Those words caught my eye instantly, and after a little more research, I thought I had to make a post about it as I've never seen it mentioned on the forums before.
The substance is the byproduct of cow manure that has been processed in an anaerobic digester. Some dairy farms have them to reduce their methane gas output to earn carbon credits. I only found one company that actually bags and sells it as a peat substitute, but here's what the company says about it (they call it Re-peet):
RePeet™ the renewable peat-free alternative is the first real answer to the ever growing challenges facing the peat moss industry and its customers. RePeet™ is the soil amendment solution that the U.S. horticultural industry has been waiting for. It is a true peat moss replacement having undergone a life similar to one spent in a peat bog, but in a much shorter time. The primary component of RePeet™ is digested dairy manure which is processed through an anaerobic digester. Anaerobic digesters are the latest movement in the US energy market to discover ways of decreasing dependence on foreign oil and are most commonly located on a dairy farm. These digesters operate in a liquid saturated environment, void of oxygen like a peat bog.
Renewable. RePeet™ is derived from a residual; it is not a virgin material mined from the earth. It is a by-product of the dairy industry and, when processed correctly, is a veritable twin of peat moss. In blind handling tests, many industry professionals can’t distinguish mined peat from renewable RePeet™ soil amendment.
Responsible. RePeet™ soil amendment is a direct result of proactive residuals management from large dairy operations that are part of the renewable energy movement. Every cubic foot of RePeet™ is the result of renewable energy production in the form of biogas. RePeet™ facilities are among the most complete methods for capturing and utilizing dairy residuals ever.
Reliable. A RePeet™ facility is an in-vessel, processing facility. That means, unlike conventional peat mining, the facility is not affected by rain, storms and snow. Anaerobic digesters produce biogas 365 days of the year, so material is always being processed (harvested). Weather cannot delay the production of RePeet™.
Regional. RePeet™ soil amendment facilities are located at multiple, large dairy operations - found in almost every state in the union. Therefore, the facility that ships to the RePeet™ wholesaler is the closest facility. This means fewer trucks on the road for less time. It also means that RePeet™ wholesalers are contributing to a regional or possibly even a local economy when they purchase RePeet™.
Reasonable. RePeet™ is competitively priced with peat moss. Manufacturing costs are considerably lower than outdoor bog mining, harvesting, packaging and transport.
Replacement. RePeet™ soil amendment meets or exceeds many of the characteristics of peat moss. In addition to looking, feeling and smelling like peat; RePeet™ is more pH neutral than peat moss (6.5 vs. 4.5); RePeet™ has low salt content and as a result has low electrical conductivity; RePeet™ has excellent porosity and water holding capacity like peat; Cationic exchange ability is comparable to mined peat and Bulk density (weight) of RePeet™ soil amendment is very similar to that of peat.
The one problem I can find with this shit is it's availability. This particular company is in Oregon, and I didn't understand their regional distribution. I also could never get in touch with them to ask them about it. So I just googled the term "anaerobic digester" and the state I live in, and I actually found a dairy farm about 40 minutes from my house that uses the machine. I've read that most farms use it for animal bedding, but they're willing to sell their extra. Unless you live in Oregon, that may be your best bet to obtain it as well.
Anyway, google this shit and tell me what you think.... I'm already convinced and will be switching as soon as my peat runs out.
The substance is the byproduct of cow manure that has been processed in an anaerobic digester. Some dairy farms have them to reduce their methane gas output to earn carbon credits. I only found one company that actually bags and sells it as a peat substitute, but here's what the company says about it (they call it Re-peet):
RePeet™ the renewable peat-free alternative is the first real answer to the ever growing challenges facing the peat moss industry and its customers. RePeet™ is the soil amendment solution that the U.S. horticultural industry has been waiting for. It is a true peat moss replacement having undergone a life similar to one spent in a peat bog, but in a much shorter time. The primary component of RePeet™ is digested dairy manure which is processed through an anaerobic digester. Anaerobic digesters are the latest movement in the US energy market to discover ways of decreasing dependence on foreign oil and are most commonly located on a dairy farm. These digesters operate in a liquid saturated environment, void of oxygen like a peat bog.
Renewable. RePeet™ is derived from a residual; it is not a virgin material mined from the earth. It is a by-product of the dairy industry and, when processed correctly, is a veritable twin of peat moss. In blind handling tests, many industry professionals can’t distinguish mined peat from renewable RePeet™ soil amendment.
Responsible. RePeet™ soil amendment is a direct result of proactive residuals management from large dairy operations that are part of the renewable energy movement. Every cubic foot of RePeet™ is the result of renewable energy production in the form of biogas. RePeet™ facilities are among the most complete methods for capturing and utilizing dairy residuals ever.
Reliable. A RePeet™ facility is an in-vessel, processing facility. That means, unlike conventional peat mining, the facility is not affected by rain, storms and snow. Anaerobic digesters produce biogas 365 days of the year, so material is always being processed (harvested). Weather cannot delay the production of RePeet™.
Regional. RePeet™ soil amendment facilities are located at multiple, large dairy operations - found in almost every state in the union. Therefore, the facility that ships to the RePeet™ wholesaler is the closest facility. This means fewer trucks on the road for less time. It also means that RePeet™ wholesalers are contributing to a regional or possibly even a local economy when they purchase RePeet™.
Reasonable. RePeet™ is competitively priced with peat moss. Manufacturing costs are considerably lower than outdoor bog mining, harvesting, packaging and transport.
Replacement. RePeet™ soil amendment meets or exceeds many of the characteristics of peat moss. In addition to looking, feeling and smelling like peat; RePeet™ is more pH neutral than peat moss (6.5 vs. 4.5); RePeet™ has low salt content and as a result has low electrical conductivity; RePeet™ has excellent porosity and water holding capacity like peat; Cationic exchange ability is comparable to mined peat and Bulk density (weight) of RePeet™ soil amendment is very similar to that of peat.
The one problem I can find with this shit is it's availability. This particular company is in Oregon, and I didn't understand their regional distribution. I also could never get in touch with them to ask them about it. So I just googled the term "anaerobic digester" and the state I live in, and I actually found a dairy farm about 40 minutes from my house that uses the machine. I've read that most farms use it for animal bedding, but they're willing to sell their extra. Unless you live in Oregon, that may be your best bet to obtain it as well.
Anyway, google this shit and tell me what you think.... I'm already convinced and will be switching as soon as my peat runs out.
