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Can the hard frost come any sooner for stinky Lewiston neighborhood? By
Jennifer Brennan LEWISTON -- Just five miles south of Lewiston lies Ritewood Inc., one of four commercial egg producers in Utah and a contributor to the city's continuing problem with lurking odor and excessive flies, say residents. The chickens at Ritewood are brought from a hatchery in Paul and Franklin, Idaho, said Mark Woodward, general manager of Ritewood. Traveling between those areas and Lewiston, chicken manure is often dropped along the way. Lewiston community members are not overlooking the odor left by the chickens and their manure, smelling like a combination of wet dog and dog food. Ritewood has been in business at its location at 2500 S. 1600 West for 15 years, Woodward said. In the past, farmers had all manure they could get from Ritewood. Now, if they are going to get the manure, it can't be spread close to homes. "Farming lends itself to flies," Woodward said. "Especially this time of year," flies are looking for a place to go. And animal waste is a perfect place for flies to breed. The temperature and moisture is "just right" in the chicken manure, Woodward said. Some farmers insist on having raw chicken manure, whereas other farmers would agree they want the manure as far from their home as possible. "I'll admit there have been a lot of flies," Woodward said. He agreed Ritewood was a contributor to Lewistion's excessive fly problem and has been working with Bear River Health Department and Utah State University to find a solution. He said the health department says the problem is horrible in the whole valley. The solution may be composting the chicken manure. By composting, this means mixing the chicken manure with a nitrogen source such as straw. Once the nitrogen nutrients are digested, there is a microbial reaction. Once there is a reaction, the "pile heats up, kills larva" and changes the nature of the chicken manure, he said. Woodward said the only reason composting has been an option is due to the excessive fly problem. Composting the manure will help control the smell, he said. This would be good news for discouraged Lewiston residents. "We try to do our best to fix the problems we caused," he said. "We don't want people living with either of them," he said regarding complaints of flies and odor. At this time, Woodward said, the "best thing we need is a good heavy frost."
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