Harmony Organics: Growing Together
It is easy to take the soil beneath our feet for granted.
We tend to think of it as a stagnant, lifeless thing. And perhaps your garden’s soil truly has reached that point; unable to support much other than scrappy weeds. On the contrary, any gardener worth her salt knows that, typically, amendments must be added to the soil for it to support a garden. And knowing which amendments to choose can make all the difference. Fortunately, you can find a wealth of knowledge on this topic, and quality products, at Harmony Organics.
If you’ve ever used a cheap soil in your garden and pumped it full of artificial fertilizers to get the job done…
…you probably had to start from ground zero again the next year, replacing everything from the soil, up. That’s because with soil, as with much in life, you get what you pay for. So said two of Harmony Organics’ founders, Pat Murphy and Sean Kazemi, on my recent visit to their warehouse. Located in Benicia’s Industrial Park, Harmony Organics has made it their business to bring soil and soil amendment products back to their tried-and-true basics. Their focus is promoting harmony between their ingredients so that the garden, field, or crop can better sustain itself.
The soil, coco coir, and amendments that Harmony Organics produce are a bit more expensive than what you might find at a big box garden center, but they are made so that customers can build upon their garden’s progress year after year. The quality of their products is touted through word of mouth as happy customers have eagerly told friends and neighbors of their gardening success. Their soil is used by Sustainable Solano in projects such as Benicia’s Avant Garden community garden, as well as across several campuses in the Bay Area. “This year, our product is the best it’s ever been,” said Sean of having made it through their early years in the business and fine tuning their processes during that time.
Like many businesses, Harmony Organics has been feeling the effects of pandemic-related trials and cost increases. Even so, they’ve managed to continue to give back to the community throughout the pandemic, partnering with local schools to bring kids hands-on educational experiences. They look forward to expanding this program to more schools in the future. In addition, they plan to partner with Sustainable Solano for future projects and offer more resources to the community in an effort to move people away from chemical-heavy products and toward more environmentally friendly alternatives. The team members at Harmony Organics have deep roots in Benicia and feel a natural commitment to the community here and through the greater Solano County.
The minds behind Harmony Organics are big on collaboration; after all, their slogan is “grow together.”
They are passionate about what they do and are always looking to expand their knowledge by connecting with others in and adjacent to their field, including the horticulture programs at DVC and Solano College. “The cool thing about this field is everyone is willing to share. We’re all after the same end goal,” said Pat. Namely, becoming good stewards of the environment.
Beyond soil and amendments, Harmony Organics now offers plant sales. They will be having a plant and soil sale the weekend of April 23rd. Look forward to new offerings of hands-on and educational workshops for the community, and even garden harvest BBQ events, as well. If you are interested in purchasing or learning more about Harmony Organics products, check out their website, harmony-organics.com, or call 707.747.5051 to speak with a member of the team.
