RE: [compost_tea] Re: Spring Fair

From: Judi Stewart <js_at_olympus.net>
Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2003 01:08:21 -0700

As with all new ideas, they meet some resistance. It takes a little
time, that's all. And you can't expect everyone
to jump on the wagon at once. It's going to happen over this and
successive growing seasons when people visit gardens and ask
how you grew those lovely roses, and you tell them you had black spot,
but used CT and it vanished. Or how
you won the blue ribbon at the Fair for your strawberries and you say
you used mycorrhizal fungi, mulch,
drip irrigation, and compost tea. It's the game of follow the leader,
and you are the leader.
 
The proof is in the pudding. If you want the pace to quicken, you're
going to have to go to them. When you talk to groups, show them the
identical potted plants you've grown. (Start lots of pots now.)
They'll of course see that you grew one with CT versus plain water. Dig
up the plants and show them the root systems. Use all the tools at your
disposal. Take pictures of your landscaping jobs before and after. Put
together a slide show. Invite your clients to come with you. Before you
start the job, ask your customer if they're satisfied that you'd like
them to write a letter for your client book. Have all your letters
available so your new customer can see your successes. Have 3' x 3'
test plots roped off, available in different settings.
 
Start selling compost tea and credit part of the purchase to the sale of
your brewer. Discount the compost tea for quantity purchases. Be
prepared with bigger sprayer nozzles or the best CT sprayers when the
homeowner says his sprayer nozzle sticks. Have trees available on your
property and show the public how to apply a soil drench and how to
correctly cover the leaf surface. Demonstrate how to set an auger around
the drip line. You'd be surprised what people don't know but say they
do. How many just water the tree trunk, and minimally at best?
 
The garden clubs are always looking for speakers, and every community
has at least one garden club. Call them all and tell them
you'd like to talk to them. They'd be thrilled. Don't fade away. You
have to keep yourself in the public eye. This is your season and you
have to make the most of it.
 
Judi
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Norsen [mailto:bnbrew_at_yahoo.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2003 10:20 PM
To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [compost_tea] Re: Spring Fair
 
Thanks Elaine, I will look at the advisor information. Most of these
clubs are not paying anything but are offering a stage to demo a
product. I find less than 10% of my talk is about my products but some
time is spent describing the aeration system as against a bag in a
bucket system. At the Fair I found almost eeryone who knew something
about compost tea was a bag of manure in a bucket for a few weeks. Or
the TEA that runs out from under their pile.
 
They don't want to hear about how that may not be safe or useful. "
their garden grows well with it" is the normal remark. I sent a
answer to Laura and Jeff that may be of interest to you, Elaine.
 
Jeff does well but how can he afford to travel to this area for no fee?
Can I send my hand-out to you for comment? Bob .

 




Received on Mon Apr 14 2003 - 13:25:49 EDT

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