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America's Heartland: EdenSpace Plants Video
America's Heartland: EdenSpace Plants Video
America’s Heartland produced by KVIE-TV 
, Sacramento, CA
Duration: 352 secs / 05:52
File: Flash Video File
(37 MB, 320 x 280 5:52)
The video will load automatically but please be patient - depending on your connection speed it may take up to a few minutes to start.
One of our great pleasures on Americas Heartland is discovering some of the lesser known, unusual, even unique products grown and raised by American farmers and ranchers. And not everything grown in the heartland ends up as food, fuel or fiber!
Recently Paul visited a Virginia company doing intensive research on plants that literally draw toxins out of the soil. The result a second chance for precious farmland, and a cleaner planet for all of us.
Theres a lot of miles between the fields of Californias San Joaquin valley and this Virginia laboratory. And, no doubt, quite a few differences between a corporate CEO and a canola farmer. But Bruce Ferguson and John Diener do share one goal: to use plants to cleanse the soil and water, help farmers and, perhaps make our planet a little safer.
"Its been around for about 15 years in its current advanced form, but the basic concept goes back for many centuries," Bruce says.
The "concept", called phytoremediation, was first employed by Mesopotamians and other ancient cultures, which used swamps and wetland grasses to break down sewage. Today, this company, EdenSpace, is discovering, developing and selling dozens of plants, even crop plants that soak up toxic materials like lead, nickel and arsenic.
"Weve used corn rye, sorghum, Indian mustard which is a particular favorite of ours," says Bruce, whos president and CEO of EdenSpace. "Most of the plant crops work quite well, including tobacco (and) canola."
Which brings us back to farmer John Diener. Twenty years ago, high levels of selenium were discovered in irrigation wastewater flowing into wetlands from surrounding farmland. Selenium, a natural ingredient in the soil, is actually good for humans and most animals in moderate doses. But the high concentrations here in the San Joaquin Valley were killing and deforming migrating waterfowl. By 1992, things got so bad the government began encouraging farmers to take land out of production.
So working with EdenSpace and the US Department of Agriculture, John planted about forty acres of canola plants that are soaking up the selenium. USDA plant soil scientist Gary Banuelos is helping with the project.
"Were trying to find a tool," says Gary. "A farming tool that growers in susceptible areas have to use or, at least, consider using if they plan on maintaining production in these hot areas."
But saving farmland that might otherwise be lost is just one part of the economic equation. John says oil extracted from the canola plants can be used in bio-diesel fuel, and the selenium added to livestock feed, which actually helps prevent disease in dairy cattle. He adds, "Were aiming at trying to generate revenue back, positive revenue back, to the farms."
But Pauls pursuit of this story took him quite a ways from this California farm.
He found another place where these contaminant-consuming plants are being put to good use: on a tree-lined street in Washington, D.C. Toxic chemicals found to be in the ground had to come out. In order to do that the traditional way, digging them out, meant these trees would have to go too. That was unacceptable to the neighbors.
"People have a very strong attachment to their vegetation and trees in their yards, and landscape features." Admits Michael Blaylock, lead scientist at EdenSpace. Thats why, believe it or not, the humble ferns they planted are drawing arsenic out of the soil. Toxins apparently left behind when the U.S. Army used this area as a World War I testing ground for munitions and chemical agents.
"And so by growing these plants you can take arsenic out of the soil, then we harvest those plants, and remediate the soil," Michael notes proudly. Thats good news for nearby residents like Spencer Hathaway. "Well, it seemed like a very good way to save the trees and do something a little different," he says. " Just compared to full-steam ahead and tear 'em up and pull 'em out."
And if you think planting ferns to purify your soil sounds pretty cool, scientists are finding types of turf grass that do the same! "So homeowners can use their lawns as environmental cleanup engines without anybody knowing," Bruce Ferguson notes.
EdenSpace, and the farmers and ag experts working with them, admit many of these efforts are still in the experimental stage. Phytoremediation is less expensive than most traditional methods, but it is slower, and probably not effective for major toxic spills that require a quick cleanup.
"I think if people dont exaggerate and create false hopes I mean, it is plant management, and you still have to work with nature," observes Gary Banuelos.
Still, even if this plant-based promise is only partly fulfilled, it could benefit both the suburbs and the heartlandhelping farmers become better stewards of the land. and, perhaps providing them extra income by utilizing crop-growing skills learned over many years.
"That would be the goal," says Michael. "To hire the farmer to actually do the work for us, to do much of the work, because not only do they have the equipment, they have the experience."
"And I think as they come to understand what were doing with plants, and the opportunities it offers them, theyll know a good thing when they see it," adds Bruce.
Farmer John Diener seems to agree. "I want to stay here, I want to give the land to my children down the road, I have to leave it in good or better condition than I received it. In this case, its going to be in better condition than when I received it."
Additional Information: http://www.edenspace.com