Another important non-timber resource in Carlton County is horticultural grade peat. There are two peat harvesting operations in the County. The older is Michigan Peat, now Aitkin Agri-Peat, located east of Cromwell. Its primary product is a loose-bagged reed-sedge peat.
The other operation is Premier Horticulture Inc located west of Cromwell. It produces compressed bales of sphagnum moss peat. Development of peatlands is complex and under close environmental regulation by the Minnesota DNR, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.