Am I allowed, legally, to share, discuss and promote products that I like? I know you’re not legally allowed to use the internet to complain about contractors or businesses, however much they might deserve it.
I’m hoping that if I only say nice things about products and companies that are superior, and I don’t snip behind anyone’s back (“Did you see what that ‘organic’ farmer-babe was NOT wearing? Nothing natural THERE….”), that I won’t be hauled into Blog Court.
A big thank you to my friend, the actual real-life professional organic farmer, who so patiently answers all of my questions. She gives wonderful advice. So the first recommendation for the checkout line I have is to go to her website, listed on the right side of this blog. She is Kitchawan Farm. She is a bright light. And she recommended the fertilizer, slug bait, and OMRI to me.
Let’s start with Neptune’s Harvest Fish Fertilizer. Here’s how the company’s website describes it:
http://www.neptunesharvest.com
“Neptune’s Harvest fish hydrolysate is an all organic, highly nutritional protein fertilizer, made utilizing naturally occurring enzymes present in fresh North Atlantic fish….Neptune’s Harvest hydrolyzed fish does no biological damage to the soil and will promote the growth of beneficial bacteria making the soil less compact and better able to drain, yet hold moisture better for future plant use as it is needed….”
Sounds like I need some of that.
I went to a store in Bedford Hills, NY, (pretty swish town) and bought an 18 oz. bottle of Neptune’s Harvest Fish & Seaweed Fertilizer for the jaw-dropping price of (about) $35. But I was assured me it would last at least two seasons, it was OMRI-endorsed (I’ll get to that in a sec), and…the bottle just had a good wholesome heft in my hand. I know. Not rational, but are you always rational when buying pretties for yourself?
The bottle lasted 1.5 seasons, and produced astounding results. Here’s a photo of my tomatoes this year – very heavy feeders – and Neptune’s Harvest has them practically growing, harvesting, and cooking themselves, right on the vine.
I used it all up. Husband was going to Agway on his way to a northern art gallery, and agreed to stop and buy me another bottle. He bought a 36 oz bottle of Neptune’s Harvest Fish Fertilizer for the shockingly low price of $17. To be honest, this larger bottle did not list the second ingredient of seaweed on its label, so we’re not comparing identical ingredients – but pretty darn close. Especially when the price different is four-fold.
Here is a photo of the two bottles I have purchased (ignore the Sluggo bottle for now, please). Compare the sizes and costs for yourself! I’m feeling pretty smug about that bigger bottle.
And…I’m so delighted with Agway, that I thought I’d give them a plug, too. Kudos on their prices! We go to the one just off the Salt Point Turnpike exit off the Taconic State Parkway, near Clinton Corners, NY. Agway has an interesting website. Sure, it promotes itself, but it also lists a lot of interesting advice, especially about pests. Of course, I went to the link about chipmunks. Here is what I learned:
“These furry rodents are regulars at many backyard birdfeeders and will also attack a variety of garden targets such as young seedlings, berries, fruits, and vegetables. They even have been known to decapitate flowers such as tulips — seemingly just for fun.”
I appreciate Agway’s understanding that chipmunks are not innocent eaters of a gardener’s plants. They destroy “seemingly just for fun.” How well I know this. MacKenzie knows this too, and uses every one of her 80 pounds to protect her delicate Mom from the marauders.
What’s next? Slug bait! Once again, Farmer Friend recommended an OMRI product (I will get to OMRI, promise!) called Sluggo.
It has the advantage of being safe to use around pets. Here is the company website and description:
http://www.montereylawngarden.com
“Monterey Sluggo snail and slug bait is now OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) Listed for use in organic gardening. Sluggo contains naturally occurring iron and phosphate and is safe to use around pets and wildlife.”
And a review from the Organic Gardening website:
http://www.organicgardening.com
“This nontoxic slug bait (iron phosphate is the active ingredient) is safer than metaldehyde baits, which can harm pets and wildlife. Sprinkle Sluggo granules around your plants and beds in the evening.”
And now, at last, a word about OMRI. I will let their site explain for themselves:
“Founded in 1997, the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) provides organic certifiers, growers, manufacturers, and suppliers an independent review of products intended for use in certified organic production, handling, and processing. OMRI is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. When companies apply, OMRI reviews their products against the National Organic Standards. Acceptable products are OMRI Listed® and appear on the OMRI Products List.”
But really, all I needed to know was this: Farmer Friend said, “If you see the OMRI label, you’re certain it’s a genuine, organic product. You won’t go wrong.” She was right, as always.
And to conclude: here is a basket of happy vegetables harvested for a simple Tuesday dinner. We eat like kings and queens in the summer.
And…if I get my way about building an Eliot Coleman-style cold frame, we’ll be eating like the King and Queen of Fresh Greens all winter, too. If he can do it in Maine, I can do it in Yorktown Heights. More on that later.
WORDS FROM OTHERS
“Working with living creatures, both plant and animal, is what makes agriculture different from any other production enterprise. Even though a product is produced, in farming the process is anything but industrial. It is biological. We are dealing with a vital, living system rather than an inert manufacturing process….The major workers – the soil microorganisms, the fungi, the mineral particles, the sun, the air, the water – are all parts of a system, and it is not just the employment of any one of them, but the coordination of the whole that achieves success.”
— Eliot Coleman, “The New Organic Grower: A Master’s Manual of Tools and Techniques for the Home and Market Gardener”
Amy in the Garden 
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