Plant Available Sulfur in Biosolids

By Eliza Smith, Oregon State University

The Soil Fertility Specialist at Oregon State, Amber Moore, and research assistant Eliza Smith, in collaboration with Dan Sullivan, Nutrient Management Specialist at OSU, and Andy Bary, Soil Scientist at WSU, are working on a project entitled, “Plant-available S release from biosolids”.  The objective of the project is to investigate the amount and timing of plant-available sulfur release from biosolids produced by different technologies. 

Leadership Spotlight Series

Young Meeta wanted to work in the airline business and travel the world.  She had dreams of ensuring the safety and comfort of passengers with her gracious attitude and winning smile as a flight attendant.  Eventually, this dream changed and Meeta knew her destiny was to become a doctor, but not just any doctor. Fate would have it in 2008 when her Masters advisor asked the magic question that cemented her future, “do you know what biosolids are?”  From that point on there was no looking back, Meeta earned her doctorate in soil science doing her dissertation work with biosolids. 

Let Them Eat Cake

By Sally Brown, University of Washington

Abstracts of these resources are available in the searchable Information Portal offered to Northwest Biosolids members.

Regulations Corner - June 2019

Regulations Corner

Proposed Biosolids Project in Yelm

The proposed biosolids land application project in Yelm (WA) has a coordinated anti-biosolids community group. The land owner for the proposed project recently cancelled their involvement.

Among the community group's efforts, Preserve the Commons has: 

Leadership Spotlight Series

Most leaders in the biosolids arena took a circuitous path to get to where they are today. Not Andy Bary! While Andy was in graduate school studying agronomy, he worked as a research assistant at the Washington State University extension, and he found it challenging and rewarding. He says the job he has now is the only job he’s ever had in the biosolids field. Given the passion and expertise he brings to his work every day, it’s obvious he lucked out when he landed that first biosolids job.

Leadership Spotlight Series

Harvest Pierce County supports 82 community gardens representing over 15 acres of land, the majority of which use Tagro products to grow food for family, friends and food banks.  Between the Farm program and the Garden program – 67,000 pounds of food was grown for donation to school cafeterias and food banks.  That’s not counting all the food from the gleaning program harvested from fruit trees and farms. This is the kind of work that Kristen McIvor, Urban Agriculture and Local Access Program Director, gets to be a part of at Harvest Pierce County.