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VIL GENERAL PRODUCTION PROCESS DESCRIPTION The production of soil amendments can be broken into four broad categories each comprised of a ----- -- --- – -- --- subset ofactivities. The first category is the transcformation of wood fiber i—ntop article shapes and sizes that are appropriate for the final soil mixes. Various wood fibers, stored outside in bulk piles, are transported by a front-end loader to large hoppers that are located at the wall of a building. The materials are conveyed indoors into grinding and screening equipment that alters the size and shape of the raw materials. The converted materials are conveyed outside into bulk piles sorted by material types. Usually water containing ferrous sulfate (iron) is sprayed on the material as it is conveyed outside. These processed materials remain in exterior piles until moved to the second process. The second process is blending. Various ingredients, including processed wood fiber, are mixed together according to the formula for the desiredproduct. Each ingredient is carried to an outside blending area by forklifts (packaged and palletized admixtures) and front-end loaders (bulk admixtures). The admixtures are placed in a single pile on a clean, solid surface. The front-end loader then rolls the pile of materials together to form a homogenous blend. The blended materials are moved to outside product piles for the third function, which is curing or"Finishing." Finishing time is required for the color of the product to darken or for the pH and nitrogen levels To staabiltz`Q.-Each product has a unique length o time required for finishing that varies from zero to twelve weeks. The final production process is packaging and palletization. These manufacturing processes are aIl performed ms de the en—cTos—ed pacEgmg building.Finished products that have been thoroughly cured in piles, are moved by front-end loaders from outside piles to large hoppers located adjacent to the building that houses the packaging machinery. The loader places the material into the hopper. The material is conveyed indoors to machinery that meters the product into polyethylene(plastic)bags. The bags are sealed and conveyed to either a machine or personnel for stacking on a pallet. Once the required number of bags is placed on the pallet, a forklift or conveyor moves the completed pallet to a stretchwrapper(located indoors)where the pallet is wrapped. A forklift then carries the pallet outdoors to an area designated for finished goods storage. Finally, the finished goods are lifted by forklift onto flatbed trucks to fill orders. Each load is checked for accuracy and then the driver cinches down (or secures) the load. The flatbed trucks deliver the finished goods to various retail establishments throughout northern California.