In date descending sequence ...
June 13th.
OMRI has advised us that they have denied our request for certification basis the NOP Final Rule that prohibits Ammonium.
This is Bad News!
We do not agree with the OMRI decision as we know for a fact that the NOP never considered the possibility that Ammonium could be derived from a natural (organically approved) source such as hog manure.
Our course of action now is to petition the NOP but they are extremely difficult to contact and furthermore they appear to be quite severely backlogged re: dealing with old [ and current ] petitions as per their website. [ See Status of NOP Petitioned Substances link . ]
We plan to fight!
See NPK Solutions position above.
April 14th
OMRI has advised us that they have placed our request for certification on the agenda for their April 28th 2003 Review Meeting.
We remain uncertain about the fatal final outcome ; but at least now there is a time frame for putting to rest the organic status of Nit-Gro.
Wish Us Luck!
March 23rd
Our President recently completed a trip to California to renew some old acquaintances and to further verify our plans for market development.
All results were extremely positive!
Both producers and distributors were extremely interested in our Funki patented Manura process and wanting to trial our Nit-Gro product ASAP.
One producer indicated that they could take the output of ten Manuras in one year.
Pricing information extremely positive also, as compared with various competitive products.
March 16th
Ongoing positive communications with OMRI ; though no guarantees for success. To clarify our arguement [ quoting from our President ]:
"We have always stated to OMRI that the Manura® process we use is 100% distillation. During the last year we have answered endless questions about our process only to learn that OMRI has no category in which to fit NIT-GRO. We understand that this is the case because we are not raw manure or urine or compost. Actually, our Manura® process is much more effective at removing any pathogens than composting [ or the use of raw manure [ 120 days from harvest ] ] due to our always guaranteed process temperature of 212 degrees F ".
Organically approved input ; organically approved process ; must be organically approved output ; EH? [ As we Canadians say. ]
March 9th
Ontario's new Nutrient Management Act.
Here is a sampling of proposed regulations in Ontario's new Nutrient Management Act:
- Farmers must keep a manure and fertilizer management plan at the farm, ready for
inspection;
- In most cases, manure cannot be spread within 15 metres of a drilled well, 100 metres of a municipal well, 25 metres of a single residence or 50 metres of a school or hospital;
- From June 15 to Sept. 15, there are additional setback distances, depending on the type of manure. A detailed 'field odour classification' system has been developed, with rules varying for different types of manure;
- The application of manure or fertilizer in winter is not permitted if the ground is frozen or
covered with more than five centimetres of snow;
- New barns or manure storage areas must be at least 30 metres from a private well, 15 metres from a well with a steel casing, 50 metres from ponds, lakes or wetlands and 100 metres from municipal wells;
- Permanent manure storage areas must have a capacity of 240 days; and on farms where the density of animals ranging outdoors for at least a season is high, the manure must be
removed at the end of each season.
Coutesy the Ottowa Citizen
February 9th.
Not to forget an older Funki Manura technology that may appeal to certain hog operations. The Manura® 2000 produces 75% pure water!
January 31st.
Funki Manura is now investigating ways to create N-fraction as salt instead of liquid. Looking quite good, concentration approximately 25-30%.
End
NPK Solutions position re: OMRI decision ...
We start with an approved organic input. [ Hog Manure ]
Hog manure is approved by OMRI and NOP providing it is spread 120 days before harvest account of real time needed to ensure it is pathogen free.
Therefore, without question, the input for our Manura process is organically approved!
We utilize an approved organic process. [ Distillation ]
Distillation is a physical process not a chemical process ; no chemicals are added ; the ouput is no less organic than the input ; and heat treatment of the input kills all pathogens.
We can cite numerous examples of distillation being an approved organic process on the value added side of organic crop production.
Therefore, if we use an organically approved input and an organically approved process the output must be organic!
We argue against the NOP Final Rule prohibiting Ammonium for fertilizing organic crops. [ In our particular case ]
We understand that the NOP Final Rule never considered the possibility that Ammonium could be derived from a natural source such as hog manure utilizing a natural process such as distillation.
Therefore, in our particular case, we argue that the NOP Final Rule [ prohibiting Ammonium ] is not a valid reason for OMRI to reject our request for certification of our process [ the Manura ] and our product [ NIT-GRO ].
We think a New Category is needed! [ Distilled manure 212ºF ]
The process for this new category must heat treat the approved feedstock to a minimum of 212ºF in order to kill all the pathogens in the feedstock.
Acceptable feedstocks for this new category shall include animal manure, urine, and liquid fish products [ and any other organically certified inputs ].
We think new found science that promotes sustainable development and the ongoing growth of the organic industry should prevail over some olden ideas that appear, to us, to be entrenched in self serving bureaucracy.
We plan to fight!
