The Challenge
Once mining operations were completed at the sand pit, the objective was to create a productive hay field. The remaining soil was truly sand, with little to no nutrients or organic
matter.
Therein lay the challenge: the lack of fertility in the barren soils would not sustain a healthy crop. The former pit needed to be transformed and required organic matter and essential soil nutrients.
The RMI Solution
After evaluating the entire property, RMI worked with the property owner to develop a restoration plan using its Heart & Soil product line – Paper Fiber, Biosolids and Engineered Topsoil. The only asset remaining in the former sand pit was just that – sand. By combining the sand with Paper Fiber and Biosolids, RMI was able to create Engineered Topsoil. Engineered Topsoil is an engineered topsoil that is high in organic matter (thanks to Paper Fiber) and also contains slow-release nitrogen and other nutrients (courtesy of Biosolids). Once the Engineered Topsoil was used to create a new topsoil layer, the entire pit was planted down to a hay field. This field now outperforms other local fields in terms of yield and quality.