By CELESTE BAUMGARTNER

Ohio Correspondent

CALEDONIA, Ohio — InstaGro offers some of the highest-quality liquid fertilizers, micronutrients, soil amendments and biostimulants in the industry. The company was founded in 1981 by Allan Farrow.

Farrow was on the forefront of foliar feeding and understanding the unique benefit of liquid plant foods, said Lisa Stevens, InstaGro marketing director. The products are made from pure food-grade materials and have low salt content. InstaGro has an unwavering commitment to responsible soil management and innovation and she said sustainability guides every aspect of the company.

“The liquid products can be used with precision placement,” Stevens added. “You can place the fertilizer on the specific spot, as opposed to spreading it all over. You can use liquid fertilizer either through foliar feeding or irrigation. You can control the rate and get much better results that way.”

InstaGro is a 4R Partner and advocate of the principles of the 4Rs of nutrient stewardship: The right source at the right rate at the right time, in the right place.

Many customers find that after switching to the liquid format, their yields increased dramatically, Stevens said. Soil health is key, and it was one of Farrow’s main focuses.

Many commercial and dry fertilizers are quite high in salt content, she explained. Also, the high chlorine and heavy metals in other fertilizers (in addition to salt) contribute significantly to the deterioration of soil health. InstaGro is among the lowest nationwide in salt and heavy metals in such products.

“What we are finding out nationwide is 10 to 20 years ago the organic matter, the average amount of humus in the soil, nationwide was 4 to 5 percent,” Stevens said. “That tells you there were active microbes in the soil; the soil was healthy. Currently, the average is 1.5 to 2 percent, which is a huge drop.”

The organic matter on Rick Dues farm in Henry, Ohio, was 1.6-2.1 percent, he said in a testimonial to the company. He has been using the InstaGro Crop Digester program for 10 years, and the organic matter is up to 4.2-4.3 percent.

“I usually apply it the first two weeks of November, and if temperatures cooperate we see white mold in two to three weeks, indicating the bacteria is breaking down the organic matter,” he said. “The bacteria hibernates in temperatures under about 50 degrees; however, in the spring it comes back to life and finishes up turning the organic matter into humus."

Liquid fertilizer is more costly, and there are some equipment changes a farmer must make, Stevens said. Some are reluctant to change “how we have always done it.”

“Once you go with the liquid, it is far easier to transport; it is easier to handle,” she said. “But you are using far less, and you can use most of our products directly on seed at planting time. You don’t have to worry about mixing.

“While it is more expensive up front for the product, what we found is that the results are so much better that it offsets the cost.”

The InstaGro headquarters is in Caledonia, near Marion, Ohio, but the company has expanded to six states and continues to grow. While it started using its products on row crops, it has now expanded into hydroponics, greenhouses, produce, flowers and more, Stevens said.

“We are at an exciting time because we are expanding into a lot of different crops and finding new uses and new ways for our product to benefit everyone,” she added.

InstaGro will be in Exhibit Area 1009 at next week’s Farm Science Review in London, Ohio. To learn more about the company, visit www.instagro.com or call 844-467-8476 toll-free.