Hiwassee Products Revitalizing Vibrancy of Soil

Hiwassee Products is dedicated to revitalizing the biological vibrancy of soil by producing innovative equipment solutions for growers, ranchers, landscapers, and caretakers. 

“Our equipment line is built around the process of producing on-farm liquid biological amendments from high-microbial quality composts, particularly vermicompost,” said Jesse Wiser, marketing and outreach manager for the Madisonville, Tennessee-based company. “This is a natural, sustainable, farmer-driven process that contributes to a healthy, flourishing soil ecosystem, which in turn benefits plant growth and health through improved nutrient uptake; water infiltration and retention through soil aggregation; and farm economics by reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides.”

Jesse Wiser, Marketing and Outreach Manager, Hiwassee Products

The company’s goal is to make this process efficient, cost-effective, and scalable through well-designed equipment solutions. Its centerpiece unit, the Bio-Extractor, can produce 700 gallons per hour of compost extract, which contains beneficial microbes and biologically produced, plant-promoting compounds. 

“There are many applications of the process that our equipment is built around,” Wiser said. “Compost extract is particularly effective at planting as it improves the beneficial microbial community around the roots of each plant, while foliar sprays ward off pathogenic bacteria and fungi during the growing season. We are working with farmers to explore the specific benefits and recommendations that can be applied to specific crop types.” 

Hiwassee Products recently added two new pieces of equipment to its lineup. The first is the VermiFlow Continuous-Flow-Through (CFT) vermicomposting system, which has a harvesting mechanism operated by a cordless drill. 

“With enough worms being fed a pre-composted material, 20-30 pounds of vermicompost can be harvested on a weekly basis,” Wiser said. “That’s enough for a 40-60 acre in-furrow application of compost extract at the typical rate of two pounds (generally producing eight gallons of extract) per acre. It’s an intentionally compact and tidy system, made of strong, lightweight material, that can be placed in a garage, greenhouse, or anywhere that can keep the worms at a comfortable temperature (55-80 degrees Fahrenheit).”

The second addition is the h-Pack Mobile Microscopy Kit, which contains everything needed for soil biology analysis in a lightweight container system, including a fold-out work table mounted onto a hand truck. It’s designed to pack up and transport to the field so that analysis can be performed on-site. It includes a custom hardshell case for specific microscope models that are typically used by soil biology consultants, and refill kits for the consumable components are available. 

“We’re guided by a mentality of abundance rather than scarcity and want to work toward a society and culture where everyone is able to prosper economically, access fresh and healthy food, and enjoy the benefits of a balanced, sustainable environment with a stable climate and flourishing ecosystems,” Wiser said. “Farming with, instead of against, nature has immense potential to cultivate human health, economic health, and environmental health simultaneously. This vision guides every detail of our product design and decision-making at Hiwassee Products.”

The company was started in 2021 after a church group purchased the former Hiwassee College campus in Madisonville. 

“All Hiwassee Products team members belong to the same church group, and we have a strong background in manufacturing from prior business experience as well as some experience in agriculture,” Wiser said. “We were excited about the emerging field of regenerative agriculture and wanted to apply our manufacturing expertise to benefit it in some way. After some research, we discovered that the process of producing on-farm biological amendments was in need of equipment solutions, so we began to develop our product line around that process.”

Now three years in, the company is thrilled with the relationships it's already been able to build within the field of regenerative agriculture. 

"After some research, we discovered that the process of producing on-farm biological amendments was in need of equipment solutions, so we began to develop our product line around that process." - Jesse Wiser

“Many extremely promising scientific implications and farm management practices depend on practical equipment to implement, and being able to bring equipment solutions to the table around those processes has granted us an extremely warm reception within the field,” Wiser said.  

The greatest challenge so far for Hiwassee has been the dissemination of education around this process and the development of on-farm research and replicable trials that would allow the company, and others in the field, to showcase successful results. 

“It’s still a highly innovative process backed by scientific inquiry that is just beginning to become widely known,” Wiser said. “The most promising development is that while education needs to expand there is increasing interest and excitement to apply natural, sustainable processes to agricultural systems, as well as closing the loop with the recycling of organic waste materials into high-microbial quality compost to be used. Our products can help build those systems, and we’re excited to see them being implemented across the United States.”

Looking ahead, Hiwassee Products plans to continue to expand its market presence as well as its coalition-building with like-minded farmers and advocates. 

“We’ll be expanding our content portfolio, and more equipment design and development will take place as well,” Wiser said. “If any [OPN] readers are already applying biological systems, we’d be happy to hear from them. We’re also on the lookout for content collaboration, so let us know if we can feature you in a future blog, newsletter, or video.”