About
MDM Sand & Gravel is a family owned and operated business, based out of St. Malo, Manitoba. We believe in conducting business based on four core principals of honesty, integrity, value, and trust.
We are two Brothers, Miguel & Darrel that founded MDM Sand & Gravel Ltd in 2019. MDM is 100% Métis owned. We grew up in a small Métis community of St. Malo, Manitoba. St. Malo is on the Edges of Lake Agassiz which is the explanation for aggregate deposits in the area. We have worked in the industry directly & indirectly for years prior to helping our father with his companies. We have gained many new skills and qualities with our past work experiences and post-secondary schooling. We strive for continued growth in our skill sets and qualities by continued education and experiences. We are fully committed & invested in people and communities.
To provide value for our customers' by meeting our customers' expectations for the delivery of aggregate products and heavy construction services.
At MDM we value our Team and promote growth in your life and within our corporation. We want our team to better their life inside and outside the Corporation. MDM focuses on a WIN-WIN model! MDM is invested in a learning & growth culture. We believe that everyone has the potential to learn, grow and prosper. We value our team and believe one of the biggest assets is the group within MDM.
We believe in conducting business based on four core principles of honesty, integrity, value, and trust We value practicing continuous improvements through ongoing personal development, coaching, learning and innovation, focusing on the needs and wants of internal and external stakeholders.
Topsoil is the uppermost layer of soil (literally the top soil). It is where most of the Earth’s biological soil activity involving microorganisms occurs. It is darker in color because it is made up of minerals, organic matter, water, and air. The more organic matter the topsoil has, the stronger the soil structure of it is and more ideal it is for plant growth. Topsoil should be used for flower beds or vegetable gardens.
MDM Sand & Gravel carries different soil mixtures, and the mix you choose to use depends on a couple of factors. All growing plants, especially the “finnicky” ones require soil with good drainage. If you are adding soil to an existing garden (in other words, a garden that has been used for growing on a regular basis), you would most likely want to use a 2 way mix. This mixture is screened to remove any debris such as rocks and tree roots, and contains 60% peat moss and 40% soil. Wait a minute…..what’s with the peat moss? Peat moss is used in black earth to not only aid in your soil’s ability to retain moisture (because tomato plants hate being thirsty), but it also helps your soil to stay “loose”, which will also help with soil drainage. The peat moss will ensure that your plants are receiving optimum moisture, while preventing them from drowning in heavy, sticky, muck.
Now let’s say you are building a vegetable garden from “scratch”. In this scenario, you would want to till up the existing soil, and then add a topsoil mix to it. If your topsoil naturally contains a lot of sand, you may be able to get away with using a 2 way mix as in the above scenario. But, let’s face it. One of the things Manitoba is known for is its “Red River Gumbo”. Heavy. Sticky. Clay. Unfortunately, Red River Gumbo is not really conducive for optimal gardening. In this case, you’d want to go with a 3 way mix. Like the 2 way mix, this mixture is also screened to remove any bits of debris in the soil, and contains 50% peat moss, 40% soil, and 10% sand. The peat moss and soil mixture functions the same as in the 2 way mix, but the added sand will make for even better drainage and loose soil conditions, especially where the natural ground is very heavy, with a higher clay content.
Good luck with the garden this summer!