AMES, Iowa (KCCI) - Farming in Iowa comes down to the dirt — and how healthy it is.

KCCI reports farmer Bryan Sievers of Stockton, Iowa, along with Iowa State researchers found a way to use organic byproduct to maintain soil without synthetic fertilizer.

Part of a 12-year project, Sievers uses something called an anaerobic digester. It’s basically a giant composter that uses microorganisms to break down organic waste.

“I just knew that it was a way to take your manure, process the manure, and maximize the value of that resource,” Sievers says. “The material that comes out is, is really nature’s best fertilizer.”

The result is biogas, a slurry, and a solid, called digestate.

He and researchers Sebastain Villarino and Fernando Miguez co-authored a study in the Journals of Agriculture a

See Full Page