By Jillian Cameron, FrazierHeiby

CHILTON, Wisconsin – Magic Dirt™, an organic peat moss replacement and byproduct of DVO’s anaerobic digestion (AD) process, won the 2014 Bioproduct Innovation of the Year Award from the Bioproducts World Showcase and Conference.

Anaerobic digestion is a collection of processes by which naturally occurring microorganisms transform waste into valuable byproducts in a controlled, oxygen-free environment. DVO’s patented Two-Stage Mixed Plug Flow™anaerobic digester is unlike any other AD technology. Traditional anaerobic digestion technologies feature above-ground tanks and are inefficient and costly to build and operate.

“DVO’s modern design allows our customers to more completely digest their waste streams, destroy more pathogens, produce more renewable energy and capture more valuable nutrients economically,” said Steve Dvorak, owner and founder of DVO, Inc. “Magic Dirt is a groundbreaking product and certainly deserving of the Bioproduct Innovation Award.”

Magic Dirt™, introduced by Cenergy USA in 2014, is a certified organic Premium Potting Soil and sustainable alternative to peat moss. The unique production process of Magic Dirt™ actually reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

“The primary ingredient in Magic Dirt™ is the clean, fluffy, nutrient-rich fiber that remains after dairy and farm wastes have been heat-treated in an air-tight oxygen-free vessel for 20 days,” explained Ted Sniegocki, a partner with Cenergy USA. “The process is done exclusively in DVO’s patented Two-Stage Mixed Plug Flow anaerobic digester. The digester captures methane gas which is used to generate renewable energy, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and makes the fiber used in Magic Dirt.”