The days of the plastic wrap on the ranch are over thanks to a first-of-its-kind compostable net wrap developed by the Ruud’s who ranch in the Vermilion area.
Austin Ruud, CEO and President of Nature’s Net Wrap says they got to working on the project after wondering what the alternative to conventional plastic and twine would be. The average ranch goes through 1000s of bales a year.
Since 2015, they delved into research and tried several biopolymer options before settling on their prototype which went into field testing in 2022 across North America and Alberta.
Nature’s Net Wrap remains structurally sound for at least 12 months in storage and breaks down in the soil. Plastic wrap does not break down, has limited future uses on the ranch, and is a source of soil contamination, notes Larry Ruud.
The new product is available in 48, 51, 64, and 67-inch widths. Rolls are 4,000 feet in length and can be obtained from Case New Holland dealerships.
