Animal and Poultry Waste Management Center
NC STATE UNIVERSITY
A candidate technology of the North Carolina Agreements Project:Development of Environmentally Superior Technologies perAgreements Between the Attorney General of North Carolina andSmithfield Foods, Premium Standard Farms and Frontline Farmers
Super Soil Systems USAThe two elements of this project, a liquid treatment system and a solids processing facility, are located at twodifferent sites. The liquid treatment system is located at Goshen Ridge Farms, a 4,360-head finishing farm nearWarsaw, North Carolina. Owned by Lewis Fetterman, Jr., Goshen Ridge Farms is under contract for productionwith Premium Standard Farms. The solid waste management portion of this project is located at Timber RidgeFarms near Clinton, North Carolina. C. Ray Campbell, vice president of research and development for Super SoilSystems USA, leads the technology team for this project.
Liquid treatment begins with separation ofthe solid and liquid portions of the wastestream. Solids separation is accomplishedusing polyacryalmide, a flocculating agent.The solids are transported to the Clintonsite, where they are composted andblended with other materials using aproprietary process to produce a growthmedia. This value-added product is thenbagged for sale and use off the farm. Aportion of the solids is being used inevaluating another technology, the OrbitHigh Solids Anaerobic Digester.
The liquid portion of the waste streamflows between tanks in a circulating loopundergoing denitrification as a result ofaerobic activity in one tank and nitrificationthrough the use of concentrated nitrifyingbacteria in the second tank. Nitrogen isremoved from the waste stream during thisstage of the process. The liquid then flowsto a settling tank, where phosphorus isremoved through the addition of calciumhydroxide and a dewatering bag system.Calcium phosphate, which has value as afertilizer, percipitates out during thisprocess, providing a second value-addedproduct. The pH of the liquid is raisedduring phosphorus removal, which killsbacteria and viruses. Roughly 80 percent ofthe liquid is recycled through the hoghouses, while 20 percent is used to irrigatecrop fields.
Denitrification-nitrification Tanks (homogenizationtank is in foreground; see process diagram below)
Solids Separation Equipment
Super Soil Systems USA (continued)
Aerial View
Technology Provider: Super Soil Systems USA, Inc.
Lewis M. FettermanPresident and CEO, Super Soil Systems USA, Inc.484 Hickory Grove RoadClinton, NC 28328Phone: (910) 564-5545
C. Ray Campbell, Ph.D.Vice President for Research & Development and Project CoordinatorPhone: (919) 851-5751E-mail: [email protected]
Technology Evaluation Team
Dr. Matias B. VanottiUSDA-ARS Coastal Plains, Soil, Water and Plant Research Center2611 W. Lucas StreetFlorence, SC 29501Phone: (843) 669-5203E-mail: [email protected]
Dr. Patrick G. HuntUSDA-ARS Coastal Plains, Soil, Water and Plant Research Center2611 W. Lucas StreetFlorence, SC 29501Phone: (843) 669-5203E-mail: [email protected]
Dr. Frank J. HumenikWaste Management Programs CoordinatorCollege of Agriculture and Life SciencesNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, NCVoice: (919) 515-6767; Fax: (919) 513-1023E-mail: [email protected]
Dr. Patricia MillnerSustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory andAnimal Waste Pathogens LaboratoryUSDA-ARS-BARC10300 Baltimore Ave., Bldg. 001, Rm 140Beltsville, MD 20705-2350E-mail: [email protected]
Super Soil Systems USA (continued)
