Organic Growing Systems Inc., in operation now for a little over two years, is riding the wave of higher prices and increased interest in organic products to extend its markets nationwide for what is becoming a popular poultry litter-based fertilizer for turf farms, golf courses, and municipalities. While conventional fertilizer continues to skyrocket the world over, company officials say prices for their TOP 4-2-2 remain cost-effective and very stable for what they describe as a versatile slow-release formulation with additional benefits such as water-saving, non-burning, and protection against leaching and atmospheric phasing.
Organic Growing is one of two operating companies owned by Advanced Growing Systems Inc., which also has the Advanced Nurseries wholesale operation. It says growing demand has already necessitated a second production line at its plant in Monticello, Mississippi, to boost daily capacity to between 80 and 100 tons. There are immediate plans for a third line to increase that to between 250 to 300 tons.
Its biggest customer – the Harris County Flood Control District – buys 1,000 tons per year to fertilize grasses used to stabilize banks along the many miles of flood control channels in the Houston area. At the same time, reports Mark Nichols, president, new distributors have been added in the Southwest, and the first steps have been taken to extend into California. The latest to sign-on is Pro-Organics, a division of Proscapes Landscape & Design Group Inc. of Knoxville, Tenn., which extends Organic Growing’s markets into eastern Tennessee and Kentucky, where Proscapes already dominates in the landscape and hardscape market.
“Another area that Pro-Organics plans to target aggressively is the equestrian community,” said Nichols. “Jeff Least, formerly with Lesco in the Knoxville area, joined Pro-Organics as the division head and has strong connections with this prolific group throughout Tennessee and Kentucky. The importance of organically fertilizing pastures that are grazed on by high dollar show and race horses to promote the overall health of the animals is rapidly gaining market acceptance.” He also noted that Organic Growing has become a supplier to exclusive Fisher Island in the environmentally sensitive south Florida area through its distributor Florida Mulch Inc. In addition, Gulf Coast Organics Inc. has begun large-scale distribution in Birmingham, Ala., and other similar partners are being sought for the Carolinas.
“We’re trying to find more accessible markets to our factory in Monticello,” explained Nichols. He said the sales staff has now been increased to six, including one sales person assigned exclusively to work the California market.
TOP 4-2-2 is produced from the third largest poultry raising area in the country, which supplies all of the litter processed at the Monticello plant. Nichols said that only litter from broiler chickens is used to assure consistency of the intake and avoid problems with antibiotics and heavy metals. Feather meal, which is ground-up feathers high in protein, is added, along with a proprietary odor control that increases microorganism activity.