Juice byproducts on fields reek
By: Cynthia Williamson
WEST AMWELL – Township farmer Robert Fulper met Tuesday with county and state officials to determine what could be done to eliminate or curb a foul odor from a food byproduct he uses to fertilize the soil.
The byproduct is generated when Johanna Foods, a food processing plant in Raritan Township, flushes its system to change from one type of juice production to another
That byproduct is then transported to a farm operated by Mr. Fulper on Gulick Road where it is used as fertilizer and where the odor problem originates.
Mr. Fulper has agreed to switch to a "disk" method to spread the byproduct, whereby it is integrated with the soil rather than applied across the surface. Johanna Foods also will mix more lime with the product to reduce the odor, according to Hunterdon County Health Department Inspector Jack Wright.
"If this doesn’t do it all the way, we’ll try other things," he said.
Johanna Foods may also try adding a different polymer to the product to reduce the odor, he said.
West Amwell and East Amwell townships as well as the county agency began receiving complaints late last week about a repugnant odor near Routes 202-206 and 31.
"Residents of the area, inundated with odor and flies, want to know when it will end," read one message anonymously faxed to The Beacon. "One wonders if fees from dumping permits justifies residents being shut in their homes not being able to breathe healthy air."
Mr. Wright said it took a while to pinpoint where the offensive odor was coming from, which originated at the Strong farm on Gulick Road, but could be detected "miles" away in the village of Mt. Airy as well as Lousy Road in East Amwell.
"The reason we are using it is twofold," Mr. Fulper said. "It’s plant food for my crops, and it’s the most acceptable way of disposing of it vs. a landfill or incinerator."
Mr. Fulper said he’s eager to work with his neighbors but emphasized they can’t have it both ways. If they want land preserved for open space, then they have to tolerate a certain amount of odors associated with farming, he said.
"I spoke with one neighbor planning a picnic and assured them that nothing would be spread at that time," he said. "If a neighbor has a problem, they can call me. I’ve told all the officials they can give my number out."
Mr. Fulper began using the byproduct last summer and had no complaints about odor, which leads him to believe the current problem may have something to do with the volume of rain falling on the region lately.
"I think what’s happened here is that we’ve had the worst-case scenario," he said. "We spread a lot at once; the weather turned humid and wet."
Mr. Fulper and his family cultivate a variety of crops, including corn, soy beans, hay, alfalfa and wheat, on farms they own in the township as well as acreage they rent in West Amwell and Hopewell townships.
He said the byproduct is an alternative to chemical fertilizers and contains the essential nutrients he needs for the soil: phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium.
"The consumer out there is screaming for healthy, organic things," he said. "If neighbors knew that, they might be more apt to say they would want it."
According to Mr. Wright, the product contains pulp, rind and sugars, which he said may be causing the odor.
Mr. Wright said he found people were more tolerant of the odor once they understand the source.
"When they know what it is, they feel safer," he said.
The state Department of Environmental Protection issued Mr. Fulper the permit to spread the byproduct on his soil and oversee the process, Mr. Wright said.