Company: Neptune’s Harvest Organic Fertilizer 28 Kondelin Rd. / 88 Commercial St. Gloucester, MA 01930 Phone: 800-259-4769 / Fax: 978-281-2412 Contact: Ann Molloy Email: ann@neptunesharvest.com URL: www.neptunesharvest.com Products from the Ocean, to set your plants in motion Ocean Crest Seafoods Inc., Neptune's Harvest Fertilizer's parent company, in Gloucester, MA, inadvertently ended up in the organic fertilizer business. A wholesale fish and seafood company established in 1965, Ocean Crest had a need to dispose of the fish remains created after processing, called gurry. Gurry makes up 60 to 70% of the fish after it is filleted. Initially, a plant in Gloucester was taking the remains and turning it into pet food, but in the early 1980s, this company went out of business, leaving all the fish processors in Gloucester high and dry. “We were all paying fishermen to bring it back out to sea and dump it,” recalls Ann Molloy, director of sales and marketing. “This was expensive, wasteful and bad for the environment.” So, Ocean Crest got together with researchers from the University of Massachusetts' marine station and developed the process of turning the gurry into fertilizer, which allows the company to utilize 100% of the fish. The products that this collaboration came up with are beneficial to the environment in more than one way. First, the products are organic. “To make our products, we use what nature has given us from the mineral-rich North Atlantic Ocean, which is nature’s perfect source for the nutrients plants and soil need,” says Ann. Secondly, the company uses every part of each fish and shellfish, so there is no waste that is being dumped back into the ocean or sent to landfills; instead, the “waste” is used to help grow stronger, healthier plants. “We are constantly growing and innovating,” shares Ann. “The process we use did not exist before we developed it. We are currently looking into new and exciting products made from other seafood by-products.” Neptune’s Harvest Fish Fertilizer differs from Fish Emulsion in many ways. First off it does not stink like Fish Emulsion. This is because the Fish comes off the boats fresh, is filleted, ground, and stabilized the same day. Also, it is not cooked. It is cold processed, so the heat sensitive nutrients are intact. Unlike Emulsions, it is made with several species of fish caught well offshore, in clean, cold waters. “The whole world use to be under water. They found Fish fossils on the top of Mount Everest. Ever since then it has been demineralizing. By adding products from the ocean back to the soil, it replenishes it and brings it back to life,” says Ann. Some of the benefits of the Fish Fertilizer include making very nutrient dense food, sequestering carbon in the soil, increasing yield and quality. It raises the brix which makes the plants less susceptible to insect damage and disease, and makes things taste better. Neptune’s Harvest has a cult like following of giant pumpkin growers, and the North American record of 2350 lbs., was grown in MN in 2020 using Neptune’s Harvest. They also have a huge amount of cannabis and hemp growers, who use their products with great success. The company is always looking for other organic products to complement their line, which includes the Hydrolyzed Fish Fertilizer, Fish-Seaweed Blend, Seaweed Plant Food, Crab & Lobster Shell, Kelp Meal, Tomato & Veg, Rose & Flowering, Lawn Starter and Turf Formula. The trend toward Organic products has never been stronger. “We feel very strongly about sustainable development. Everything we do is toward that goal. We need to love our Mother Earth.” Ann says the overarching goal of Neptune's Harvest is to produce organic fertilizers that work better than chemicals so more people are using organics and protecting our land and groundwater. “We sell to big farms, small home growers and everyone in between,” she explains. The more growers we can convert to organic, the better off our planet and all of us will be. The company's plan is to continue to expand the market for its products and to keep developing new organic products that will help the environment. New in 2020 was a liquid Crab & Lobster Shell, which has Chitin in it, to help with garden pests. “About 7 years ago we bought a huge warehouse to continue our expansion,” shares Ann. A final fun fact about Neptune's Harvest is that it is a family-run business. Out of 45 employees, 16 are family. For more information on Neptune's Harvest Organic Fertilizer, go to www.neptunesharvest.com or call (800) 259-4769.