| “The Sure To Grow™ product
has been a real find for me at Bella Verdi Farms. I can’t tell you
the amount of time and effort I have invested over the last 3 years
trying to find a more effective and user friendly way to grow our
micro greens. Your product is just what I had been hoping to
discover. I only wish I could have invented it so I could keep all
to myself the competitive edge I think it provides me as a grower.
The advantages of the STG mats extend beyond the obvious fact that
they are a great growing medium. I have a happier (not to mention,
smaller) work force due to the ease of working with these mats as
opposed to other growing mediums we have used.
“Equally as impressive as the product has been the superior
levels of customer service you guys have provided. Your
accessibility, responsiveness and willingness to do what it
takes to make me a happy customer don’t go unnoticed and are
very much appreciated.”
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--Darrell
Joseph
Owner/Founder
Bella Verdi Farms
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| “The Sure To Grow™ mats have
simplified our production by reducing the number of man-hours needed
to clean and prep harvested beds for replanting, thus reducing our
labor costs significantly and increasing our efficiency
dramatically. What used to take seven man-hours with Perlite now
takes one. Sure To Grow™ also has eliminated the health hazard to
our employees that the fine Perlite dust imposed on their eyes and
their respiratory systems when handling. We no longer have to wear
goggles and dust masks when cleaning and prepping a grow bed for
planting. Rubber gloves are no longer needed to protect their hands
from the drying effects of the Perlite as well.
“Since the inception of Sure To Grow™ into our growing
operation we have experienced a major reduction in incidence of
disease and insect infestation. We recently had an unusual
season of high heat and humidity that lasted several weeks
without respite. These extreme conditions proved to be the
perfect ‘testing ground’ for STG. While our other grow media
crops suffered under the pressure of constant fungus issues, our
STG beds continued to thrive. During this time we converted all
of our grow beds over to your product. We haven’t looked back.
Our yields are much more consistent, which is critical for
production control, and we use 30% less square footage because
of turnover efficiency. That’s 1/3 of our grow space that can be
used for increased production and diversification. This new
realization has left me stunned.
“Seed visibility is handy for consistent planting densities.
Other grow media sticks to new seedlings when they sprout. STG
eliminates this problem, protecting the food crop from
contamination.
“Sure To Grow™ is a unique product that we will continue to
use. You have been of great service to us and we hold you in the
highest regards.”
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--Brian and Ann McCawley
McCawley Farms
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“In the past 45 years, having been
involved in Hydroponics/Aquaponics with hands-on experience and as a
consultant, I have seen many mediums come and go. With the advent of
Sure To Grow™, an exciting new development came onto the market.
This product was different, and I was eager to experiment with it. I
received different forms of STG from ½” to 1” and received slabs as
well, which I used for the tomatoes. All tests performed well. I
immediately changed my system over to STG. I found that STG was easy
to handle, and very clean—with no dust. First of all, I found I had
quick germination and Sure To Grow™ held the nutrient very well. STG
is easy to irrigate and with certain crops it can be used several
times and is easy to dispose of. There are so many positives to STG;
for instance, STG cuts crop turnover time by about 80%; it increases
production because there is no residual on product from medium; and,
the crops are clean as medium is not loose. In making cost
comparisons, Sure To Grow™ is cheaper to ship because of its lighter
weight. Over all, this product is going to save the growers money
and increase their production levels.
“We have grown lettuce, arugula, basil, mint, parsley, tomatoes,
cucumbers, and peppers very successfully with STG.
“In the many years that I have been setting up greenhouses for
clients, Sure To Grow™ is the best medium I have used and I have
begun contacting many of my clients who were using my tray system
and informing them about STG. They also are reporting very positive
results. I know without a doubt that many more will be changing as
well in the near future. The economics are very encouraging and
appear to be very competitive with other mediums.
“Many thanks for introducing Sure To Grow™ and giving me the
opportunity to experiment with and test your product and be able to
tell other growers what a great product you have produced.
Congratulations! You have a winner.
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--Gordon Creaser
www.gordoncreaser.com
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“I really like the mat's cleanliness.
Before, I always had soil crumbs on my kitchen counter, but not
anymore with the mats! And I love the ease of harvesting—I can pull
up the whole plant, root and all (after the second growth) without
making a soil mess! And, when cutting the first harvest, it's so
much easier because when some sprouts escape my hands and fall onto
the bed of grass stubs, it's easy to pick them out without the soil
trailing after.
“I tried an experiment...I washed the used mat in food grade
hydrogen peroxide, hung it outside in the sun for two days. It still
had some roots attached so I crumpled it up and rubbed it together
vigorously. Most of the dried up roots fell off! Then I washed it
again (by hand always) in the H2O2, hung it back outside for a day
in the sun. I've replanted sunflower sprouts and they're doing
great! I don't like single-use items that have to go into the
landfill, so I was glad to get another use out of this mat. I'll try
for a third use if it looks like it can be done. I'm anxious to get
the biodegradable one as soon as possible.
Great product!”
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| --Barbara, consumer |
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“The Sure To Grow™ gang has been a
pleasure to deal with. They have good follow-up, are generous with
samples, and are anxious for critical feedback. At Blue Harbor
Plantation in Roatan, Honduras, we now use STG mats for all of our
baby and micro lettuce and herb mixes, and plan to expand this phase
of our operation this coming year. We find the mat easy to use and
dispose of, and our watering requirements and labor have been
reduced since using the mat. I have no doubt that the development of
cubes and loose fill forms of STG are coming soon, and we anxiously
await their arrival.”
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--Val J. Eylands, PhD
Blue Harbor Plantation
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| “Thank you for introducing us to the
Sure To Grow™ mats. WE LOVE THEM! We grow wheatgrass, baby
sunflowers, and pea shoots. We searched for months to find a
soil-less medium that would work for us. The roots in the sunflower
and pea shoots need to be grown in a medium that will support them.
The product that we were using was being imported from another
country into Canada. We then had to buy it from Canada and go
through Customs. The company in Canada had a very large minimum, and
always wanted the money before they would ship. It would take about
four months to get the product. This was totally unacceptable to us.
“The Sure To Grow™ mats are made in America from recycled
products. No worrying about Customs. No long waits to get the
product. No waste in fossil fuels in shipping.
The best part is the Sure To Grow™ mats are cut to size. The
labor we save by not cutting them ourselves is priceless.”
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--Kevin and Becky Keune
Makes Scents, LLC |
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“I have been looking for a growing
medium to use for sprouting certain seeds that was different from
baby blanket, which is made from shredded coconut shells. And I was
unsuccessful until Sure To Grow™ was invented. This product is
amazing! It has allowed my sprouters to sprout very difficult
seeds—such as arugula, watercress and flax—very simply. By wetting
the Sure To Grow™ mat and keeping it moist, these seeds do very well
in a regular sprouter. There is no need to purchase a clay sprouter
which is the typical growing medium for these seeds.
“But the mats are also great for the regular seeds, such as
alfalfa, clover, radish, broccoli, and cabbage. Because the mat
holds so much moisture, you can honestly get away with rinsing your
sprouts once each day instead of two times each day. My sprouts have
also grown thicker and taller and I think that is because they are
getting a more constant water supply by their contact with the mat.
“My wheatgrass and barley grass growers have excellent crops of
grasses with less mold because they are using less water and letting
the mats keep up with moisture control.
“The type of sprouters who have purchased these mats are just
regular home-based people who grow their own sprouts, home-based
wheatgrass and barley grass growers small commercial farmers who
sell their sprouts at farmers’ markets. I also know a chef in a
fancy French restaurant who has purchased this item. He grows
sprouts for his salads and finds that the mats have helped him in
time and effort.
“I have been sprouting for over 21 years just using a regular
manual tray sprouter. I don't like to purchase gimmicks and I don't
want to carry any gimmicky items on my website. But the Sure To
Grow™ mats are anything but a gimmick. They truly do help to produce
better sprouts as well as making sprouting even easier than it ever
was before while controlling moisture release.”
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--Sprout Lady Rita
Sprouthouse |
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“On July 12th we trialed six slabs of
various thicknesses, ranging from ½ inch to 1.5 inch in thickness.
Cucumbers were then planted on these slabs and the following results
have been noted:
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1. |
Initial rooting was
no problem—roots quickly migrated through the slab; |
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2. |
Plant development was no
different from on the standard Rockwool; |
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3. |
Fruit development was no
different from on the standard Rockwool, although we did not
compare sizing; no substantial differences were noticed; |
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4. |
As the crop aged there was no
significant root dieback on the STG slabs as was noted on
the Rockwool. After 10 weeks of harvesting roots are still a
healthy white color; |
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5. |
No significant differences were
noted on EC & pH levels in the slabs compared to Rockwool; |
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6. |
Huge advantages may occur on
cleanup of material as volumes and weights are a fraction to
that of Rockwool; |
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7. |
If a sustainable disposal
solution is obtained I believe we will have a clear
advantage over other growing medium.
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“Cornies Farms will be doing a more intensive trial on a year-round basis
(three crops of cucumbers) starting in November. Plant development, fruit
development, and a comparison of yields with actual fruit sizing will be
performed. Watering strategies will also be explored. Looking forward to our
work together in the future.”
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--James Cornies
Cornies Farms Ltd
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| "the micro greens
sheets... rock. Seeds just blast out of there..." |
--Michael
Christian
American Hydroponics Company
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"First, I'd like to thank you for including us in your trials of
Sure To Grow™ products. As Endless
Summer is an N.F.T. hydroponic operation the early prototypes of
your grow cubes have been both interesting and beneficial. We had
grown exclusively in another manufactured grow cube product which
had certain drawbacks.
First and foremost those cubes would tend to partially
disintegrate and leave particulate matter in our system. In N.F.T.
systems, keeping flow free from algae and other matter is crucial as
well as time and labor consuming to correct.
Your grow cubes eliminate that problem. In fact as we bring on
more of them I believe we'll observe a "cleaning-up" of our system.
Sure To Grow™ also has given us
excellent germination and growth in the system. The cubes aerate
well and roots extend into the gullies effortlessly.
We look forward to the new version to come with a more pronounced
hole to add to our pelleted seed production.
I feel certain Sure To Grow™ cubes
will have a prominent place in our expanding operations.
Thank you,"
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--Kirk Noll
Grower
Endless Summer Harvest |
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