A small agricultural business in Idaho has a big goal. It is in the running for a free 30-second advertisement during the Super Bowl on February 2, 2014.
Glenn Vander Woude, Scott Den Hartog and Ben Bieri started their company, Poop - Natural Dairy Compost, earlier this year. Vander Woude, a former dairy producer, had been composting manure for years. Not only was the composted manure a benefit to his crops, but he was also selling the material in bulk to other people who realized the paybacks as well. Seeing a need for people to purchase the product in smaller amounts for lawn and garden use, the three teamed up and formed the business.
Soil benefits greatly from the addition of compost, from enhanced fertility, water holding capacity and bulk density. In addition, odors are reduced and fly eggs are killed by high temperatures during microbial decomposition. Another pro is that composting reduces the volume and density of manure approximately 50 to 65 percent.
"Composted manure is such a benefit to plants," said Vander Woude. "We want to share that message and the product with those outside of agriculture." Besides promoting composted manure, Vander Woude sees this as a chance to show people that manure is not a waste but rather a valuable by-product of dairy and livestock production.
"There is such a disconnect between the people buying the groceries and the people producing the food," he said. "This is an opportunity to bridge the gap between modern agricultural practices and the modern consumer."
What better stage to promote agriculture and manure management than during the biggest game of the year. Air time during the Super Bowl is the most coveted- and expensive-advertising of the year. The average 30-second commercial cost $4 million in 2013. That same year, an estimated 108 million viewers tuned in to the sporting event.
This commercial opportunity became available through a program called "Small Business Big Game" launched by Intuit QuickBooks. They wanted to create a way for a small business to stand in the national spotlight. Out of more than 15,000 applicants, Poop - Natural Dairy Compost is now one of four finalists.
You can help feature Poop - Natural Dairy Compost and the dairy industry's efforts in manure management in a commercial during the 2014 Super Bowl by voting at http://on.hoards.com/manureSBad14. Voting closes on December 2.
