THE SOIL CENTER: TRANSFORMING BYPRODUCTS TO USEFUL SOIL AMENDMENTS

PRODUCE INDUSTRY SUSTAINABILITY LEADER

Through a new sustainable endeavor (The Soil Center), Royal Family Farming and CMI Orchards of Wenatchee, WA, are merging innovative fruit production with regenerative farming principles by transforming orchard, crop, dairy, and beef byproducts into high-quality blended soil products. The Soil Center was developed to tap into all the byproducts generated from Royal Family Farming and CMI Orchards operations to build custom soil health ingredients.

Its mission, explains Rochelle Bohm, CMI’s vice president of marketing, is to significantly increase soil carbon, a critical factor for healthier crops and a resilient agricultural ecosystem. “We want to leave carbon in the soil where it feeds plant life, reduces our dependency on fertilizers and pesticides in our orchards, and produces more nutrient-dense foods,” she says. “We aim to educate consumers, shifting the perspective on carbon from an atmospheric concern to a vital soil component.”

A foundation of The Soil Center is the development of the world’s largest worm farm, with 50 million worms raised in eight acres creating a comprehensive waste processing system. “This system is designed to transform a variety of byproducts into valuable soil amendments,” says Bohm. “The goal is to produce unique products that revolutionize traditional agricultural practices, turning waste into eco-friendly solutions. While we currently supply soil amendments to our growers, the long-term plan is to supply these products to the broader agricultural community, too.”

Bohm explained the role of the various commodities and their byproducts. “Ruminants produce meat and dairy products, and their byproducts include compost and worm castings,” she says. “Field Crops are sold as cash crops with byproducts used for cow feed. Worms convert liquid waste to clean water and nutrient-rich worm castings. Orchards produce cash crops and byproducts are used for cow feed.”

Royal Family Farming (owned and operated by the Allred family who also own Double Diamond Fruit and are co-owners of CMI) is one of the largest regenerative farms in the U.S. The five pillars of regenerative farming adopted at Royal Family Farming include: keeping soil covered; maintaining living root systems year-round; minimally disturbing the soil; integrating livestock; and managing water usage. “Royal Family Farming is already producing carbon negative beef, and their work is paving the way towards a carbon negative apple industry,” says Bohm.

The endeavor is committed to continuing to find innovative methods to repurpose waste from farming and packing operations and enhance soil health. “It is crucial in bringing the importance of soil function to the forefront of the agricultural community and beyond,” says Bohm. “Healthy crops and sustainable agriculture truly start from the ground up.”

These first steps are just the beginning of a long-term vision. “The company is building a scalable regenerative model with a second location already opened in Moxie, WA,” says Bohm. “We have plans to collaborate with local communities, academic institutions and industry experts to expand our influence and advocate for a more sustainable future in agriculture.”