Our Work

We are embarked in a project to make wool pellets, to use in research plots and provide a source of income to our non-profit. Our 22 kw wool shredder and pelletizer system will be installed in West Salem, Ohio and operational this fall. The collapse of the wool market in Ohio and the USA and concerns about environmental impact of mined products in gardening and horticulture are two problems begging to be married into a solution. There has been a push for alternative materials in gardening and horticulture. Wool can offer similar benefits without the negative environmental consequences. Peat is a type of organic material that forms in waterlogged environments, such as peatlands or bogs, over thousands of years. It is commonly harvested and used in horticulture for potting soil amendments and garden mulch. Peat extraction can lead to the destruction of habitats, loss of biodiversity, and disruption of delicate ecological balances and contribute to the release of CO2 at a much higher rate than the carbon sequestration that occurs naturally in healthy peatlands. Peatlands are also important for erosion and flood control . Restoring peatlands that have been damaged by extraction can be difficult and time-consuming due to the unique hydrological and ecological conditions of peatlands. Wool pellets are approved by the National Organics Board, are OMRI approved and are a good alternative for organic growers . Pellets are naturally high in Nitrogen and take months to break down fully. This makes wool pellets the perfect slow release, all-natural fertilizer. Some reports have given wool pellets a Fertilizer Value of 9-1-2 NPK, plus they have Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Sulfur, and other Micro Nutrients in just the right amounts. Wool pellets are all natural and renewable and also repel slugs and snails. Wool pellets can also be mixed in potting mixes. Soil and potting mixes are currently amended with peat, vermiculite and perlite to increase the water holding capacity and provide aeration. There are adverse ecological to these soil amendments, including the depletion of peat bogs, the high carbon footprint of vermiculite and perlite from transportation and overseas mining operations. They can aerate, hold water, keep away pests, and provide nutrients to plants.