Organic materials are stripped and dried in a single column having two contact zones. A stripping gas is introduced into an upper contact zone and flows through the organic material in that zone. A drying gas is introduced into a lower contact zone. The drying gas contacts the organic material in both the upper and lower contact zones, and is removed from the top of the column together with the stripping gas. This process permits very efficiently removal of volatile organic compounds as well as efficient drying, while requiring on low levels of the stripping and drying gasses.