Otter River Farm has been in operation for over 30 years and Dave and Carol Smith used to milk approximately 200 Holstein cows and use this milk in their of Smith’s Country Cheese which include award-winning, hand-crafted gouda, cheddar and Havarti cheeses.
The Challenge
Dave Smith, who has worked with RMI since 2006, is the owner of Otter River Farm, LLC in Winchendon Massachusetts. Dave milks about 200 cows on site to create his award-winning cheeses, but his farm footprint is very small. With no cropland, Dave composts all of his manure in two recently-constructed buildings spanning 30,000 square feet. “Using non-separated manure it is essential to keep the entire operations under cover” Dave stated.
The RMI Solution
Dave uses Paper Fiber and High Carbon Wood Ash in his aerated static compost piles to aid in the composting process. “I use paper fiber for a dependable carbon source. The High Carbon Wood Ash, helps me control odors and adds some porosity.” Dave explained. Dave retails his compost under the name Otter River Black Gold, which is available in retails bags and also in bulk at his farm stand.