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MM Commercial Venture
+4
donnainzone5
llama momma
camprn
Mr. Green Jeans
8 posters
Page 1 of 1
MM Commercial Venture
Hey Gang!
I'm going to be using MM in a commercial venture, setting up home vegetable gardens for people. Obviously, I'm not going to be able to use my own compost in this case. I have a good (commercial) source for organic compost made from leaves & yard trimmings. I can source cow manure, worm castings (pricey!$$) and something called "EcoScraps" White Compost Mix - made from 25 different fruits and veggies.
My question is, do you think this is enough variety to have a successful MM? I know it's not FIVE ingredients, but I need to find this stuff locally (shipping will kill you on this stuff) and it has to be priced so I can make money on this venture too.
Any thoughts and opinions are welcome.
Thanks!
I'm going to be using MM in a commercial venture, setting up home vegetable gardens for people. Obviously, I'm not going to be able to use my own compost in this case. I have a good (commercial) source for organic compost made from leaves & yard trimmings. I can source cow manure, worm castings (pricey!$$) and something called "EcoScraps" White Compost Mix - made from 25 different fruits and veggies.
My question is, do you think this is enough variety to have a successful MM? I know it's not FIVE ingredients, but I need to find this stuff locally (shipping will kill you on this stuff) and it has to be priced so I can make money on this venture too.
Any thoughts and opinions are welcome.
Thanks!
Mr. Green Jeans- Posts : 37
Join date : 2012-09-26
Location : Fairfield County CT
Re: MM Commercial Venture
Mr. Green Jeans wrote:Hey Gang!
I'm going to be using MM in a commercial venture, setting up home vegetable gardens for people. Obviously, I'm not going to be able to use my own compost in this case. I have a good (commercial) source for organic compost made from leaves & yard trimmings. I can source cow manure, worm castings (pricey!$$) and something called "EcoScraps" White Compost Mix - made from 25 different fruits and veggies.
My question is, do you think this is enough variety to have a successful MM? I know it's not FIVE ingredients, but I need to find this stuff locally (shipping will kill you on this stuff) and it has to be priced so I can make money on this venture too.
Any thoughts and opinions are welcome.
Thanks!
My opinion is that if you are doing business and you want to keep doing business you will want a product that is going to grow produce as you advertise it will.
The Mel's Mix is the backbone of the SFG and if you skimp with the compost, your garden will be less than advertised.
Make the extra effort to provide the superior product and include the 5 or more composts, your customers will sing your praises. If you skimp and they end up with a crap garden that negative word of mouth will be the death knell of your business.
43 years a gardener and going strong with SFG.
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t3574-the-end-of-july-7-weeks-until-frost
There are certain pursuits which, if not wholly poetic and true, do at least suggest a nobler and finer relation to nature than we know. The keeping of bees, for instance. ~ Henry David Thoreau
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t1306-other-gardening-books
Re: MM Commercial Venture
@ camprn - I hear what you're saying, and "skimping" is NOT what I am trying to do! I guess I'll need to dig deeper for sources here. Not easy @ the start of winter in the North East, LOL.
Mr. Green Jeans- Posts : 37
Join date : 2012-09-26
Location : Fairfield County CT
Re: MM Commercial Venture
Even the SFG Foundation had some trouble in the past selling quality compost with consistancy. My humble opinion is trusting/relying on others for quality is the key or the killer. I hope you find a good solution.
llama momma
Certified SFG Instructor- Posts : 4914
Join date : 2010-08-20
Location : Central Ohio zone 6a
Re: MM Commercial Venture
Mr. Green Jeans,
What about lobster or seaweed compost? Also, you may be able to mushroom compost.
What about lobster or seaweed compost? Also, you may be able to mushroom compost.
Re: MM Commercial Venture
donnainzone10 wrote:Mr. Green Jeans,
What about lobster or seaweed compost? Also, you may be able to mushroom compost.
Good ideas Donna, but I have not (thus far) located any sources locally.
Mr. Green Jeans- Posts : 37
Join date : 2012-09-26
Location : Fairfield County CT
Re: MM Commercial Venture
They should have a dealer in your area, but if you want enough they may just ship it to you out of Maine. I LOVE the lobster compost.Mr. Green Jeans wrote:donnainzone10 wrote:Mr. Green Jeans,
What about lobster or seaweed compost? Also, you may be able to mushroom compost.
Good ideas Donna, but I have not (thus far) located any sources locally.
http://www.coastofmaine.com/index.shtml
43 years a gardener and going strong with SFG.
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t3574-the-end-of-july-7-weeks-until-frost
There are certain pursuits which, if not wholly poetic and true, do at least suggest a nobler and finer relation to nature than we know. The keeping of bees, for instance. ~ Henry David Thoreau
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t1306-other-gardening-books
Re: MM Commercial Venture
I don't remember reading if you have ever made a personal compost pile. If it were me and I were new to sfg, I would make compost for myself first to see the work involved in getting all the necessary ingredients (at least five) and the work involved in making it. Then I would make my Mel's Mix and grow a season of crops to see how well they grew, for experience. You may realize it is more work than it is worth in trying to get all the quality ingredients. You can't skimp on the five. You may want to also read about mixing the compost, peat moss and vermiculite. The peat should be broken up and fluffed and moistened thoroughly before mixing. It is also very important to mix them thoroughly. There are threads in this forum you can read about problems if your MM is not mixed thoroughly.
I think learning how to do something is great, but actually getting the experience by doing it is most important.
Something you may want to also research is there has been an herbicide used in fields that they grow feed for animals. It goes through the animal and is in their waste. When that is used in compost, some varieties of plants grow normal but most varieties are stunted. They say it takes a very long time for that herbicide to break down but I wouldn't go near it with a ten foot pole ever. There has been a discussion about this herbicide here also.
I think learning how to do something is great, but actually getting the experience by doing it is most important.
Something you may want to also research is there has been an herbicide used in fields that they grow feed for animals. It goes through the animal and is in their waste. When that is used in compost, some varieties of plants grow normal but most varieties are stunted. They say it takes a very long time for that herbicide to break down but I wouldn't go near it with a ten foot pole ever. There has been a discussion about this herbicide here also.
Triciasgarden- Posts : 1633
Join date : 2010-06-04
Age : 69
Location : Northern Utah
Re: MM Commercial Venture
This topic has been split from the "How Strong Is Your Backbone" thread and offensive and unsupportive posts have been removed including my own.
My apologies to the topic's creator.
My apologies to the topic's creator.
I am my gardens worst enemy.
RoOsTeR- Posts : 4299
Join date : 2011-10-04
Location : Colorado Front Range
Re: MM Commercial Venture
Mr. Greenjeans, are you actually new to SFGing? If you are now a certified SFGer, then I am sure you must already be doing it this way.
All the best to your in your venture.
All the best to your in your venture.
Re: MM Commercial Venture
Mr. Green Jeans wrote:Hey Gang!
I'm going to be using MM in a commercial venture, setting up home vegetable gardens for people. Obviously, I'm not going to be able to use my own compost in this case. I have a good (commercial) source for organic compost made from leaves & yard trimmings. I can source cow manure, worm castings (pricey!$$) and something called "EcoScraps" White Compost Mix - made from 25 different fruits and veggies.
My question is, do you think this is enough variety to have a successful MM? I know it's not FIVE ingredients, but I need to find this stuff locally (shipping will kill you on this stuff) and it has to be priced so I can make money on this venture too.
Any thoughts and opinions are welcome.
Thanks!
A couple of "hints". You will need to check with the SFG Foundation before selling your mix. I am a certified instructor and needed to sign an agreement with the SFGF to give them 10% of my sales to be able to mention Square Foot Gardening. And I am NOT allowed to use the words Mel's Mix at all because it is Mel's reputation on the line.
Best wishes.
Kim
I have seen women looking at jewelry ads with a misty eye and one hand resting on the heart, and I only know what they're feeling because that's how I read the seed catalogs in January - Barbara Kingsolver - Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
sfg4u.com
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