Everything you need to know about Larkfield Pellets

Have you been searching for a natural, chemical-free cat litter alternative for your feline friends, or organic compost to feed your growing garden and homegrown produce? Larkfield Pellet Products might just be the answer!

Peter McGlynn, owner of Larkfield Pellets in Kilcullen, Co. Kildare, is transforming the fertiliser and cat litter industry with his innovative, eco-friendly range of products.

During a visit to a farm machinery show in Columbus, Ohio, Peter became inspired by a pellet-making machine, which sparked the idea for this ground-breaking business. Having grown up on a dairy farm in Ireland, Peter is all too familiar with the agriculture industry and is passionate about not only being a part of it but ensuring it evolves with the rest of the modern world.

Keeping in line with the public’s growing desire to maintain the planet’s ecosystem and practise sustainability as much as possible, Peter developed a system which utilises sheep’s wool, cow manure, mushrooms and barley, to create 100% natural, sustainable and zero-waste pellets which can be used as fertiliser, compost and cat litter.

Cat Litter

If you’re a proud cat owner, then you’ll be very interested to hear about Larkfield Pellets’ cat litter. Many conventional clay-based cat litters are made using unnatural ingredients and chemicals, which can be harmful to your pets, especially if ingested. Not to mention the mess they make when they inevitably get tracked around the house! That’s where barley pellet cat litter comes into play.

These pellets are made from 100% barley — one of the most widely grown crops in Ireland. They’re completely natural and chemical-free, offering a healthier cat litter alternative for your pets, other wildlife and even ourselves.

Key benefits of using barley pellet cat litter:

• Made from 100% Irish barley

• 100% organic, biodegradable and waste-free

• Low tracking means less mess throughout the house

• Flushable

• Natural enzymes in barley keep odours at bay

• Highly absorbent due to barley’s high starch content, resulting in litter clumping

Making waves on the Irish pet product scene, Larkfield Pellets is actually the only producer of cat litter in Ireland – meaning the carbon footprint and environmental impact are a lot lower than other, imported cat litter on the market.

Garden Compost

Avid gardeners are keen to feed their plants with fertilisers so they reach their full potential. What they might not realise though, is that these fertilisers are filled with chemicals, which are harmful to the environment. With the Larkfield Pellets sheep’s wool fertiliser and cow manure compost, you’re getting a chemical-free, 100% natural product, made from sustainable materials in Ireland that adds nutritional value to food crops.

As Peter explains, “These manure pellets might have less nitrogen than other composts, but they have more organic matter, which is what we want in our soil to feed those microorganisms. They’ll turn the organic matter into nutrients that the plant can absorb. Then we’ll be able to grow better, stronger plants, and obtain more nutrients in our food — which will in turn have a direct impact on our health.”

It’s also worth noting when materials are pelletised, the moisture is taken out, meaning the fertilisers and composts are far easier and cheaper to transport — benefiting both the environment and your wallet!

Key benefits of using sheep’s wool fertiliser and cow manure compost:

• Made from farmyard slurry – an otherwise environmental hazard if not processed and distributed properly – and 100% Irish sheep’s wool.

• Increases air quality by reducing the methane emissions released from farmyard slurry by up to 70%

• 100% organic and waste-free

• Highly absorbent – can hold up to 20x their weight in water!

• Increased soil porosity and aeration, to help roots grow stronger

• Filled with minerals and micronutrients.

• A natural slug repellent

• Safe and easy to use

• When watered, wool pellets swell and act as a weed suppressant

How does it all work?

Peter produces a range of pellet products using specialised machinery. But in fact, the process is quite simple! He starts by drying out the barley, manure and sheep’s wool until their moisture level decreases to 15%. Keeping efficiency front of mind and utilising every ounce of energy, Peter dries his materials by placing them on a raised floor, where they can be targeted by the airflow released from the pellet machinery in action.

Next, he shovels the barley, manure or sheep’s wool, into a machine called a surge tank, which transports the organic materials into the pellet mill, where they’re densified, shaped and further dehydrated.

In the pellet mill, the temperature reaches 115°C, killing off any bacteria. After being released from the pellet mill, the pellets are then dropped onto a cooling conveyor belt. Due to the high temperature in the mill, these pellets need to be properly cooled before being packaged and sent out to homes across the country. Larkfield Pellets deliver their products all over Ireland, with delivery charges included in their prices.

What’s on offer?

Barley Pellet Cat Litter (€21 – €37, incl. delivery)

Premium Blend Cat Litter (€30 – €50, incl. delivery)

Wool Pellets Organic Fertiliser and Slug Repellent (€20 – €55, incl. delivery)

Cow Manure Compost (€21 – €37, incl. delivery)

For more information or to order Larkfield pellet products, simply visit larkfieldpelletproducts.ie