March 14, 2019

Grower’s Secret Good For Business, Good for the Earth

After stumbling upon an edible mushroom farm in Maui in 1995, two great friends, Bryan Hiromoto and Wesley Chun, embarked on a journey that would result in the development of a compound that would significantly stimulate plant growth.

Hiromoto and Chun identified several species of mushrooms that produced nematicidal compounds. One mushroom was found to produce a compound that accelerates plant growth. This jumpstarted their research into creating a substance that drastically changes the way plants develop. Three years later, a research team known as Advanced Biological Research, LLC, (also referred to as ABR which is an acronym for Albert Pleus, Bryan Hiromoto and Randy Harve) was formed to produce mass amounts of this product.

After acquiring success, ABR then partnered with Chaz Berman, now CEO of Grower’s Secret, to commercialize their product in 2010, changing their anchor product’s name to Grower’s Secret Professional (GSP). GSP is a plant growth enhancer, also known as an organic bio-stimulant, capable of increasing the measurement of crops by at least 30 percent.

To be more innovative, Grower’s Secret began experimenting with a process called hydrolysis, which is a chemical breakdown of a compound after it reacts with water. The result of this process was the creation of GSP’s product Grower’s Secret Nitrogen, which contains amino acids necessary for plants to make protein. After using this product, it is no longer necessary for plants to use their energy to create amino acids, allowing the plant to use that energy for other tasks such as growing bigger and increasing production.

Grower’s Secret joined the Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology (the Center) about a year ago and has already formed strong relationships with other residents. According to Berman, the Center has afforded Grower’s Secret the opportunity to connect with companies who they may not have formed relationships with otherwise.

“We have been a great supporter of the next phase of the Center” said Berman. “Farmers are willing to do testing [with startups] in the Center, but it is a difficult process so we are thankful that the Center helps guide us. We are very excited to be a part of this effort and participate.”

With the support of Western Growers, Berman believes this testing will be meaningful in that it will provide farmers with trustworthy results. By continuously developing relationships within the agriculture industry, Grower’s Secret plans to bolster its distribution network. Strengthening its network consists of catering to farmers and distributors and assisting them with viable solutions to their problems. One initiative they are working on is to partner with other ag-tech startups to assist in gaining sales traction. The goal is to build a relationship with startups strong enough to potentially combine companies corporately.

Due to its success with its anchor product, Grower’s Secret has expanded its line of products, catering to both organically and conventionally grown crops

 

Grower’s Secret Products

•   Organic Earth Emulsion 2-3-3  Earth Emulsion is a 100% plant-based fertilizer. After extensive testing for more than two years on over 15,000 acres of field and row crops, the company says Earth Emulsion has proven to be just as effective as fish fertilizers. It contains Grower’s Secret best-selling product “Grower’s Secret Professional.” It is an easy to clean product that can be applied as a foliar treatment or through irrigation systems.

•   Grower’s Secret Nitrogen 14-0-0/16-0-0  Grower’s Secret Nitrogen is a soy-based product proven to help plants grow quickly, increase seed and fruit production and improve plant quality and appearance.

•   Organic Soluble Seaweed Powder 0-0-16  Grower’s Secret Soluble Seaweed Powder provides farmers with the ingredients needed to improve crop quality and promote balanced growth.

•   Grower’s Secret Professional  Grower’s Secret Professional is an organic plant growth enhancer made from mushrooms and fruit juices. When combined with plant fertilizers and supplements, it has the ability to optimize crop performance and increase uptake efficiency.

•   VitalVit Micro Nutrients  VitalVit is a combination of minerals and nutrients designed to balance soil and plant chemistry.

•   Soluble Corn Steep Powder 7-6-4  Soluble Corn Steep powder is a corn steep liquor derivative designed to support abundant root formation and soil microbial activity.

Grower’s Secret has been honored as one of the top 100 impactful companies of 2019 by Real Leaders. Starting with a mushroom and fresh fruit juices, the firm believes it has revolutionized farming, providing farmers with products that will increase yield across most crops making it easier for them to continue to feed the world.