Powys has a large amount of timber and wood that could be used much more effectively. A group of farmers in the Welshpool area have done just that. Realising the amount of wood they were burning or wasting could be used for other applications on the farm, they decided to chip the wood and use it as a bedding material under their animals (sheep and cattle) during the winter. The bedding material is then composted down and provides a potential end product.

Initial trials have been undertaken using the woodchip compost in tree nurseries and hedgerow regeneration with some success.

This project will analyse and evaluate a number of compost blends with the help of ADAS and the College of Horticulture, Mold. They will also carryout growing trials using a number of different native tree species to evaluate which varieties grow best in the compost blends. The project will also investigate the design and manufacture of a screening prototype that will screen or sieve the woodchip compost.

The Project will use the data collected from the analysis and put the compost into practice in the relevant applications eg Tree Nursery, Organic Vegetable Growing, Hedgerow Regeneration and as a Mainstream Fertiliser.