nature ’ s solution
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What did you and your partners do before starting this company ?
My husband and I distributed worm castings before starting this company . I was attending school and my husband was a crane operator .
How did you get into this industry ?
We went to a talk by Dr . Ingham and started following her principles , later becoming partners with her in our business .
When and where did the company begin ?
My husband and I started in Novato , California , building tea machines in a lean-to outdoor area .
What did you first produce ?
Compost tea that was able to stay alive and active for one year in a patented breathable bag . Thus , we gave people that did not want to make compost tea themselves a way to still use the product and reap the benefits of increased biology in their growing systems .
What were some of your struggles as you started the business ? How did you overcome them ?
We were not growers . I was studying to get my PhD in environmental science and my husband was a crane operator . I was 55 years old going into stores with no industry growing experience whatsoever ( only vegetable growing ) and talking to the young store owners , customers , and growers . But as customers started to use our products , we quickly gained a lot of experience and success stories through them . We were able to provide organic grow charts to customers and stores with information from some very top-notch growers .
“ AS CUSTOMERS started to use our products , we quickly gained a lot of experience and success stories through them .”
How did you gain market share and recognition ?
Going up and down the Mendicino- Humboldt County highway in Northern California and talking to every store owner and customer during the first years of doing business . I learned , they learned . I learned about the hydroponic industry and they learned about growing using biology and how to be successful without chemicals .
Has your company moved or expanded since the beginning ?
Yes , we now own a farm in Northern California in the Plumus National Forest ( 3,600-foot elevation ) where we conduct research trials between crops grown with biology , without biology , and with chemicals
What is your current product line ?
Nature ’ s Solution Compost Tea , Nature ’ s Solution Mycorrhizae , Nature ’ s Solution Sea Kelp , Nature ’ s Solution Ancient Humate , Nature ’ s Solution Worm Castings .
Where do you distribute ?
Hydrofarm and Amazon distribute our books and products in the US . Products , books , and online classes can be purchased directly from our website too ( environmentcelebration . com )
How many people now work for the company ?
Nine full-time , more part-time and interns in the summer .
What makes your employees so awesome ? How does your team bond ?
We have a morning meeting each day . Instead of me just barking orders each day , we all gather in my office and sit around in a circle and discuss what was accomplished from yesterday ’ s list of activities . Then , we are trying to have everyone contribute to what needs to be done that day and in what order . Currently , we are working in two-hour time segments per activity . Then , we write it on a white board , and off everyone goes to start the day . Everyone genuinely really likes everyone else . Three employees were friends before coming to work ; they grew up together and went to school together .
1 Susan looks through the microscope to identify beneficial microorgansims that enhance biology in soil . 2 James holds the company ’ s newest product , a special hydroponic formula of Nature ’ s Solution Mycorrhizae from Europe . It took three years to get it registered and is now available in the United States . Beside James are other Nature ’ s Solution products ( Sea Kelp , Ancient Humate , Compost Tea , Mycorrhizae , and Worm Castings ). 3 Marion down at the garden outside the Oroville warehouse and manufacturing facility . 4 Joey plays with Natasha the dog while Josh takes the temperature of the static compost pile used to heat the greenhouse .
94 groundbreakers