On a farm outside of Millersburg, Mike Malicky has figured out a way not only to use more bio-based waste more efficiently, but also reclaim nutrient-depleted farmland in the process.
Malicky, a Kansas native and owner of Mother Earth Farm, has been working for years on finding the answer on how to turn agricultural waste into agricultural treasure. Working in conjunction with several agricultural producers, he's in the process of patenting specialized formulas and processes that could prove to be a breakthrough in agricultural efficiency, bringing new life to old land and even converting some of the waste to electricity. His work has implications for other land, too, like former sites damaged by years of strip-mining. Malicky earned praise last year for reclaiming a strip mining site near Dundee, turning it into productive farmland it little more than 18 months.
Until the patent process on his current project he has to remain tight-lipped, he says, but does admit that he's excited by its potential benefits.
"People have tried for decades to do what we're doing," says Malicky. "We've figured out how to do it inexpensively, efficiently, on a smaller scale. We're in the research and development phase now, looking at how to produce it on a large scale to be able to bring it to the market as an even more affordable product than anything currently available."
Last summer, his new start-up company, Bio-Ag Solutions LLC, joined with Ohio University's Innovation Center in Athens, opening an office there while it works on finalizing the patent process and completing its research. Malicky hopes that within a few months, the legal processes will be complete and Bio-Ag Solutions' work will be revealed to the public. Until then, he's continuing to work on even more formulas to improve agricultural efficiency.
Source: Mike Malicky, Bio-Ag Solutions
Writer: Dave Malaska