CNGA LooseLeaf February March 2019

6 colorad o nga.org LooseLeaf February/March 2019 MEMBER PROFILE What attracted you to the soil business? It started as a hobby for me when I was a kid helping my mom. She grew all sorts of wonderful plants in a little greenhouse at our house in Colorado Springs. As I got older, I developed a keen interest in soil science and began to experiment with organic soil recipes. Eventually after about 13 years of developing these recipes, I decided to start my own company, which has been going strong for seven years now. Why locate your business in Paonia? Delta County has the largest concentraton and number of organic farms in the state. One of the reasons I started the business was to provide a more local, consistent, quality product. Up until that point, 90 percent of the organic growers in this area were importing their organic soil from California. In addition to the freight costs, the California product was not consistent in its quality. I knew I had the local resources here and the knowledge to make a better product that could provide a viable organic soil option for local and regional growers. What sets your organic soil apart from others? We apply a lot of science in our product development. First of all, we continually test our products to ensure our recipes are accurate and stay that way. This is essential for us to maintain consistent quality that our customers can count on with each delivery. Secondly, we’ve adopted the Albrecht Ratio method for our soil recipes. William Albrecht was a pioneer soil scientist back in the 1930s, who did a tremendous amount of research that has provided the foundation from which our soils are made. We use more than 20 ingredients, including beneficial insects and soil microbes, in our products. As a result, our organic soil is extremely versatile—useful for a wide variety of plants, from young starts to veggies and even lawns. Third, we use perforated pipes to aerate our compost, while most companies physically turn their compost. Turning a compost pile can damage beneficial fungal organisms, while our method does not. In fact, our soil can actually eliminate the need for soil sterilization because it provides the right balance of beneficial microbes that can consume fungal pathogens. What trends are impacting your business? The demand for organic crops is a big trend and one we’re well positioned to tap. Another trend is the expansion of Integrated Pest Management practices. Here’s how our product works with IPM: Since a fully mineralized plant is more resistant to pests and pathogens, our organic soil with its 20+ ingredients keeps the plant at maximum mineral balance. For added resistance, our mix also provides two beneficial predatory bugs that can keep pests in check. What do you think of being a CNGA member? Since we joined last June, we’ve been extremely pleased with the members we’ve met. They are knowledgeable, successful, and some of the best people we’ve been associated with. They’re like friends and family who are truly interested in helping us out. On top of that, we’ve never had so much sales success from a trade organization like CNGA. CNGA has been very good for us! Paonia Soil Company P.O. Box 1681 Paonia, Colo. 81428 970.270.8037 paoniasoilco.com Organic Soil Made with 20 Scientifically- Selected Ingredients Interview with Bart Eller, Owner Preparing locally sourced chicken litter for the composting process. Loading a truck for delivery to Pueblo: tote bags hold 1 cubic yard of soil. Soil is being added to a garden bed located at a treatment center near Ignacio, Colo.