Ecoverse Helps Farm Composting Operation Expand
October 2015

All Treat Farms, located in Arthur, Ontario, has been part of the evolution and organics trend since 1955, starting with something as simple as composting manure. Over the past 60 years, they have witnessed many changes in the composting and organics management industry, including technology for odor control, processing equipment, new composting rules and regulations, and the expansion of the market as a whole.

Starting with something as basic as recycling cattle manure for composting, they have now expanded into processing leaf and yard, source separated organics, digestate, and ICI. All Treat Farms is currently using the high powered DW3080E2 variable speed, slow-speed shredder from the Ecoverse product line to process these applications. “It does a nice job shredding and blending without balling everything up; creating a uniform product that is mixed properly. It helps keep the structure so it is easier to compost and keeps it aerobic,” says All Treat Farms president, George White.

Another prominent feature of the DW is it being electric-powered, which allows for more capacity and throughput. “All you need to do is push a button. You don’t have to worry about warming up the equipment and changing the oil. It reduced our emissions and noise and allowed us to blend and mix the product better than before when we were using a diesel machine. It allows for higher capacity and throughput with less downtime and less maintenance,” says White.

The DW3080E2 includes breakaway combs that have the capability to handle contaminants without stopping the operation. “The shredder does what we wanted it for, and it does what we thought it would do,” White states.

Although we cannot truly predict the future, White has no doubt the organics recycling industry will continue to expand. “It’s going to happen, no question about it.” He sees anaerobic digestion becoming more prominent in the industry, although he still believes there will be aerobic composting. “In Ontario, I don’t see a lot of new compost facilities being set up. The regulations have become so difficult to live with that I cannot see any new large scale composters opening in the future here. However, the composting is here to stay and so is AD,” says White.

Ecoverse’s product offering is continuing to expand in this market. White had the opportunity to visit one of the product lines’ headquarters this year and was able to witness just how far they have come. “I have been to the Doppstadt plant in Germany twice now, and it is impressive; it is up-to-date and modernized. It is evident how open they are to experimenting with different ideas to meet market demands. I see the creativeness, and they have the equipment, plant and people to do it,” he concludes.