As in the past few years, San Jacinto Supply and their owner, Mike Serant, have agreed to let us use Microlife products as a fundraiser for the OFE Gardens. This is an all-volunteer project where we rent a truck, go downtown to pick up the product and then have it available for your pick-up on a specified day or evening. Since we have little overhead, we are able to substantially reduce the price of the products versus those at the local garden centers or Amazon. In addition, since the OFE Growers are a non- profit we can have this one fundraiser per year without charging sales tax—saving you another 8% or more.
Most of us know the benefits of using organics and if we attend the January meeting, we will have the pleasure of hearing those benefits from Greg Cooper who works for San Jacinto and MicroLife. Greg joined San Jacinto Environmental Supplies in 1999. Since graduating from Texas A&M University with a degree in Landscape Architecture, he has spent over 20 years in the landscape and horticulture industries developing expertise in organics and soil health. Greg believes healthy soils lead to beautiful plants, nutrient rich foods, and reduced maintenance problems. Passionate about sustainable design, he is dedicated to educating both professionals and consumers. Organizations across Texas and Louisiana value his insight and regularly invite him to speak at their events. Because of his commitment to environmentally healthy solutions, positive land management practices also became a driving interest. That pursuit has led Greg to become proficient in the use of permeable pavement, erosion and sediment control strategies, and geotextiles. This broad background makes him a significant part of San Jacinto’s management team. In addition to the valuable applications he sees partnering with clients to achieve healthy landscape goals, his wife and four children are a constant reminder to him of the importance of a safe, organic environment. Last year Gudrun and I had the pleasure of hearing him speak at Warren’s. You will be impressed with his knowledge and learn why it is so important to take care of our little plots of soil.
The meeting is set to be an in-person meeting but we may be able to tape it or Zoom it for those who prefer not to congregate at the church. For those attending we will socially distance and all wear masks.
Our solicitation for the fundraiser will be in late January and early February. Probable pick-up date will be towards the end of February just in time for your first fertilizer application in March. As we have to pay for the product on the day we pick it up, we do need to have your check, cash, or credit card prior to the pick-up date. More details will follow in the next few weeks. So, please consider buying your needs from us.
If you are new to the club or are not familiar with MicroLife you might like to see their latest newsletter. You can subscribe to it here: https://www.microlifefertilizer.com/
As many of our members know we have been exclusively using organics and MicroLife at the Oak Forest school gardens for many years. Each of the past three years we have grown over 3000 pounds of organic fruit and vegetables. Most of the food goes home with the 5th grade students, some with the volunteers, and some during the summer is preserved and then sold in the fall to parents, teachers, and community members as a fund raiser.
I hope to see you at the meeting on Monday!Microli