Maximum Yield Modern Growing | Canadian Edition | May June 2017
In this issue of Maximum Yield, we cast a wide net to bring you the best and latest information possible to help you get started growing your own food. From the basics like cleaning your equipment to the best methods for preparing your plants to live outdoors, to more advanced topics like lighting and nutrient delivery, there is something in this issue for all levels of grower.
In this issue of Maximum Yield, we cast a wide net to bring you the best and latest information possible to help you get started growing your own food. From the basics like cleaning your equipment to the best methods for preparing your plants to live outdoors, to more advanced topics like lighting and nutrient delivery, there is something in this issue for all levels of grower.
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How many people were employed<br />
by the company at the beginning?<br />
In the first 18 months, it was just me and some migrant workers<br />
I hired to help hand blend the fertilizers in my parents’<br />
backyard until I could afford to rent a building in downtown<br />
L.A. They also helped me formulate, buy, sell, clean, and cook.<br />
What did you first produce?<br />
Organic 7 all-purpose fertilizer. One product in one size.<br />
How did you gain market share<br />
and recognition?<br />
I traveled all over America alone and gave product knowledge<br />
meetings to as many retail locations as I could. I stayed on the<br />
road, sometimes three weeks at a time, to teach everyone that<br />
living organics were the future. It was hard and a daily battle,<br />
but after about eight years, I gained validation and respect<br />
for my work because several knock-off companies copied my<br />
work, which gave me instant credibility.<br />
What are some of your proudest moments?<br />
When I was named the man that revolutionized the organic<br />
industry by IGC Magazine and was featured on the front<br />
cover, and when I wrote and got to hold the first copy of<br />
my first book (Healthy Garden Healthy You). I was also<br />
randomly invited to a backyard party once and saw<br />
Dr. Earth fertilizer in their shed and introduced myself.<br />
“ IT IS ONE OF THE most exciting<br />
and fulfilling feelings anyone can<br />
ever have because the company<br />
becomes a living part of you.”<br />
What significant things have you learned<br />
so far about the industry?<br />
It is the kindest industry, full of loving and caring people.<br />
People that love plants are generally very good people.<br />
I love our industry and am very proud to be a part of it.<br />
What have you learned about starting<br />
and growing a company?<br />
It is one of the most exciting and fulfilling feelings anyone can<br />
ever have because the company becomes a living part of you.<br />
You nourish it every day, you care for it, you feed it, you love it,<br />
it is like your child and one of the most important things to you.<br />
It’s the greatest feeling ever.<br />
What words of wisdom can you share<br />
about the business, the industry,<br />
or the future of the industry?<br />
Keep on the path of innovation with a sustainable stance.<br />
Share your favourite story from a day on the job.<br />
Being filled with organic fertilizer dust from head to toe<br />
because it’s all you have, with a few shovels and particle<br />
masks. Doing things the old-fashioned way.<br />
What makes your employees great?<br />
How does your team bond?<br />
They communicate regularly, they trust each other,<br />
they respect each other, they care about each other,<br />
and we are a family.<br />
groundbreakers<br />
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