CASE STUDIES
An extra picking for veggies
The not-so-known benefit of using a compostable mulch film: an extra picking
Everyone hates picking up plastic after harvest. It’s a dirty job and guys just hate doing it. Plus, it costs more than we might think. Mowing, slicing, lifting, picking, throwing and dumping spent mulch film can cost growers several hundreds and thousands of dollars each year.
But there is a much higher, hidden benefit to using FilmOrganic compostable-biodegradable mulch film. The extra picking!
Better things to do than picking plastic
Johnny (his name was changed due to privacy reasons) was growing peppers on FilmOrganic for 3 straight years, since 2016. His neighbor was growing on plastic mulch film. He didn’t want to switch because he was concerned with soil quality and cleanliness. He thought it was cheaper to pick up plastic than using FilmOrganic. Johnny’s crew was able to work where it was more beneficial.
Would you like a few thousand dollars of extra revenue per acre?
It turned out that while Johnny’s crew were picking peppers, his neighbor’s crew was picking plastic. He was making money, while his neighbor was spending.
Not only that but Johnny’s soil was clean. The neighbor’s soil had plastic remnants from years past.
Well worth the investment
TÜV-certified FilmOrganic compostable-biodegradable mulch film gets you a longer growing season. That can help you make a few extra dollars per acre. How much depends on the crop and the market conditions. But it can easily mean $1,000 or $2,000 per acre. Johnny made an extra $40 000 that years because of FilmOrganic. Taking into account the cost avoidance of cleaning a field of dirty plastic, FilmOrganic is by far the clear winner.
Wouldn’t you know that in 2019, Johnny’s neighbor switched all his mulch film business to FilmOrganic.
With FilmOrganic, your soil is clean and your pocket-book is bigger
Cleaning Strawberries
Getting rid of the worst job on the farm is easy with FilmOrganic
The Pouliot Farm is an important strawberry producer. They have been one of the leading producers of this little red fruit since 1995. Growing strawberries takes a lot of care and minutiae. So there is little time left for non-production-oriented work.
Mulch film was always a part of the integrated pest-management system used at the farm. But the hassle, time and cost of cleaning a field were eating away at precious resources. FilmOrganic stepped up to the plate and took on the challenge. The goal was to replace the plastic mulch film with FilmOrganic compostable-biodegradable mulch film, in over-winter berries.
But just how much does it cost to clean an acre? Take a look. This is specific to strawberries.
→ Labor @ $20 / hour.
→ Tractor cost per hour @ $1.00 / hp. $100 / hour for a 100 hp tractor.
→ Includes skilled driver, gas, insurance, maintenance and depreciation expense.
→ 8,000 linear feet per acre, 5 ft spacing.
→ 48’’ wide mulch film, 1.25 mil**
Activity |
Polyethylene 1.25 mil, 48’’ |
|---|---|
| Mow (2 passes because of runners) | 1.5 hours / acre |
| Lift mulch film w/ lifter | 1.5 hours / acre |
| Pull mulch and drip tape | 6-7 man-hours / acre |
| Throw mulch and drip in wagon | 1.5 man-hours / acre |
| Pull wagon when men throw mulch | 30 minutes |
| Send container to landfill | $100 / acre |
| Remove drip tape from field | Not applicable |
| Total cleaning cost |
Tractor: 3.75 hrs/acre = $375 Labor: 7.5-8.5 manhours/acre = $160 Disposal & tipping: $100 / acre |
| Total cleaning cost | $635 |
“FilmOrganic black mulch […] warms the soil by attracting heat, conserves soil moisture, blocks out weeds and protects strawberries from soil splashes, which can sometimes cause fungi. We have been using FilmOrganic’s plastic films for several years since they are biodegradable and compostable…”
— Guy Pouliot. Ferme Onésime Pouliot