Ag Energy Solutions

Ag Energy Solutions Inc., founded in 2010 in Spokane Valley, initially aimed to produce equipment for converting agricultural waste into energy. However, the company shifted its focus to marketing biochar, a byproduct of their integrated biomass platform (IBP) technology. The IBP "cooks" feedstock like wheat straw to produce synthetic flammable gas and biochar. Ag Energy's primary product line, Carbon Logic, uses this biochar as a soil amendment. The biochar is highly porous, acting like a sponge to retain water and enhance microbial activity in soil. The company had developed two formulations for the cannabis industry: Rapid Starter for accelerated root development and High Growth for plants with established roots. Ag Energy claimed that Carbon Logic could lead to 50% higher yields in cannabis cultivation, with a five-fold return on product cost. The company operated three IBP units on a wheat farm near Sprague, each capable of producing 700 pounds of biochar daily. These modular, movable, and scalable units were engineered by Ag Energy and manufactured locally.

Key customers and partnerships

Ag Energy Solutions had found an unexpected market in the marijuana industry. The company's first customer was Trichome Tech 509 LLC, a medical marijuana producer from Kennewick. Testing with this customer resulted in crop-yield improvements of up to 64% using Carbon Logic formulations as a soil amendment. Ag Energy was also exploring potential applications in other agricultural sectors, including grass seed farming. The company was working with CHS Inc., a Minnesota-based agricultural cooperative, to explore using grass straw as feedstock for the IBPs, potentially creating a closed-loop application for grass seed farmers.