2018 Farm Outlook

Page 38 2018 Logan County Farm Outlook Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS Oct. 25, 2018 things or cut costs or improve efficiency. This is kind of a result of that. We are trying to figure out a more cost-effective way to raise crops.” “There are lots of products on the market that benefit soil health. There are other microbial products on the market and they may have one to ten different species of bacteria or fungi and it comes in a jug and not to say that the jug is bad, but there’s not much diversity in it. That’s where this process comes to be a little more different. We make it on site right before we apply it and we know it has 4,000 different strains of bacteria. It’s live,” stated Derek. Both men stressed the importance of the product being live. Quality control is of the upmost importance as well they said. “Anybody can put something in a jug and sell it to you, but this is the biggest bang for your buck, so to speak,” said Doug. “The raw materials we use, we are sourcing them on a more local basis,” Derek. “When I say local, I mean more Midwest.” Derek explained throughout the regions of the United States there are different microbes. “We are trying to source more local inputs for this product.” Martin Family Farms is a dealer for Agri- Bio Systems, the company that created this product, according to Derek. Doug mentioned that locally Lake Fork Fertilizer and Herrin Fertilizer have customers that are using Agri-Bio products. Derek noted that this product is in fourteen counties in Illinois right now. “Not only is this new to us, but it’s new Brothers Derek and Doug Martin stand next to a live batch of BioMax made in their shed at Martin Family Farms. Photo courtesy of Martin Family Farms CONTINUED