This Earth Day we are proudly celebrating our 30th year of diverting beneficial materials from landfills and utilizing 100% of these materials to improve the health of our wonderful native soils. Collectively we have recycled over 3,000,000 tons of material, and our beneficial reuse programs have successfully restored farms, pastures, forests, and disturbed lands throughout the Northeast. As our daily operations are centered around good stewardship of our Earth, every day really does feel like Earth Day at RMI!
Happy National Ag Day 2024!
Today, March 19th is National Ag Day, a day of recognition, appreciation, and celebration of all things Agriculture! Ag shapes all of our lives in so many ways, providing the food we eat, the natural fibers that we wear, the sustainable fuels we use for our cars, even ingredients in our personal care products can be traced back to farms!
While you take a moment to appreciate all of the wonderful things in life that agriculture provides us with, consider this year’s theme, “Agriculture: Growing a Climate for Tomorrow.” Farmers have been leading the front on utilizing sustainable, innovative, climate-smart practices (including the application of non-synthetic fertilizers!) to sustain and improve the health of our environment while providing our daily essentials.
Want to learn more about how agriculture shapes our lives and our environment? Check out these fascinating ‘Fast Facts’ from the American Farm Bureau Federation: https://www.fb.org/newsroom/fast-facts
Applications Open for NH Crop Loss Program
As of March 1st, New Hampshire farmers who suffered significant crop losses due to extreme weather in 2023 may apply for the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture’s Crop Loss Program, which aims to provide immediate relief to farms in need prior to the 2024 growing season. Low temperatures and late frosts in mid-May caused considerable damage to fruit crops throughout the state, and record level precipitation and subsequent flooding caused additional losses throughout the Summer and Fall.
The state reports that it will be reviewing applications for the $8 million relief program weekly in order to provide support to those eligible in a timely manner. This is an excellent show of support for our hardworking Granite State farmers, and we encourage any of our customers who qualify to apply before the May 15th deadline. Criteria for eligibility and instructions on how to apply can be found on the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture’s website.
NH Department of Agriculture Launches Crop Loss Program, Accepting Applications
Sustainable Solution in Claremont, NH
RMI’s soil amendments are extremely versatile, and as such, we’ve supplied these recycled, sustainable materials for all kinds of unique projects throughout the Northeast. This year, we will be revisiting and sharing some of these engaging projects of the past as well as posting more of our current success stories!
Back in 2001, RMI was recommended to the city manager overseeing the closure of a landfill in Claremont, NH, who required approximately 25 acres worth of viable topsoil that could effectively cover and sustain hearty vegetative growth over the capped landfill. Topsoil used for this application must be extremely erosion resistant to maintain the integrity of the site, especially if the land is sloped and/or located close to a body of water. We encountered some skepticism at first about our soil’s ability to meet the unique needs of the job. However, after learning that our Manufactured Topsoil would be erosion resistant enough on its own where an application of erosion control fabric would not be required, we were chosen for the job.
Staff at RMI managed the permitting and testing and created a material blend tailored to the exact nitrogen and long-term nutrient needs of the site. The closure required approximately 1350 cubic yards of topsoil per acre, placed to a depth of approximately nine inches over the geotextile mat. After planting a wildflower mix (our signature on jobs back in the day) a lively plant cover grew shortly after seeding, thriving with little additional input. Our manufactured topsoil excelled in this application and was estimated to have saved the city around $350,000.
A Celebration of Thirty Years
Officiated on November 22nd 1994, RMI (originally White Mountain Resource Management Services Inc.) was just a small operation run out of a home office in New Hampton, NH. Owners Shelagh, Marty, and Charley had worked together previously for an organic residuals recycling company in Maine, and had the skills, knowledge, and love for the industry to grow RMI from the ground up.
Now headquartered out of Holderness, NH (and officially Resource Management Inc. as of January 1st, 2002) our company now includes a Compliance, Sales, Operations, and Admin Team, along with our own fleet of trucks and team of drivers.
2024 is officially our 30th year of operation, and the entire team is truly over the moon to celebrate this big milestone. We wouldn’t be where we are today without our partners, customers, and awesome staff, so a big thank you to everyone who has walked alongside us on this journey so far. You may start to see our 30th anniversary logo popping up at tradeshows and in the field, and hope you’ll celebrate along with us throughout 2024!
NHWPCA Fall Meeting
Attended by Wastewater Operators, Engineers, and associated industry professionals, the annual NHWPCA Fall Meeting was held this year on September 28th in Durham, NH. The Meeting began with a tour of the Durham Wastewater Treatment Facility where staff showcased the most recent upgrade projects including aerated grit equipment, odor control for sludge processing, Bardenpho processes for the removal of nitrogen and phosphorous, and Huber inclined screw presses.
During the tour, RMI Operations Manager Pete Burnham, Dispatcher Eryka Clive, and Project Manager April Sargent were given the opportunity to present an overview of the function of RMI as a residuals management company. Incorporating this element into the story helps to paint an even broader picture of the wastewater treatment process and highlights the many innovative uses for biosolids available today.