• Agromin Donates Bags of Potting Soil To Habitat For Humanity's Orange County "ReStore" - Friday, April 30, 2010 at 12:37 PM
  • Habitat For Humanity received a donation of 120 bags (two tons) of outdoor potting soil for its Orange County "ReStores" from Agromin, a green materials recycling company and premium soil manufacturer.

    Habitat for Humanity of Orange County's Santa Ana and Garden Grove ReStores sell recycled and reusable home and construction materials including furniture, artwork, appliances, cabinets and countertops. Proceeds from the sales of the items help support Habitat for Humanity homebuilding projects throughout Orange County.

    “We are so grateful for this donation from Agromin,” said Karen Thoms, director of ReStores, Habitat for Humanity of Orange County. “Donations like this help us fulfill our mission of transforming lives and communities by helping families fix up their yards with affordable lawn and garden items from the Habitat OC ReStores. It fits into our recycle, reuse philosophy.”

    Agromin potting soil is made from green materials (grass clippings, leaves, trees trimmings) that are cleaned, chopped and naturally composted using a safe, organic and scientific system. The company receives and processes more than 365,000 tons of urban wood and green waste each year and produces more than 200 different kinds of soil products for farmers, landscapers and consumers.

    Agromin will also provide the top dressing and mulch for Habitat home construction projects in Fullerton and San Juan Capistrano.

    For ReStore locations and hours, go to www.ReStoreOC.org.

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  • Las Colinas Middle School Donates 130 Pounds of Vegetables to St. Mary's Food Bank - Wednesday, April 21, 2010 at 4:15 PM



  • Las Colinas Middle School donated over 130 pounds of school-grown vegetables to St. Mary's Food Bank in Camarillo. The vegetables were donated as part of FOOD Share's "Pounds for Produce" contest.

    School children from Las Colinas' special needs class care for the garden. Celery, radishes, cabbage, artichokes and onions were part of the harvest. "We hope to have a least 20 pounds of vegetables a week to donate," says Dianne Polen, Las Colinas Beautification/Life Lab advisor. "We've started planting potatoes and tomatoes so they should be ready in June or the first part of July."

    Schools, community gardens and backyard gardeners are growing vegetables and donating their surplus to one of 65 Ventura County FOOD Share food banks. The pounds of vegetables are then weighed and logged to the participant's account. Top producers win free soil from Agromin on a pound-for-pound basis, equal to the total weight of produce donated to FOOD Share.

    "Our students are having such a wonderful time and feel great knowing that they are helping families within our community," says Polen.

    The Pounds for Produce contest is a joint effort by FOOD Share and Oxnard-based Agromin, one of California's largest green materials recyclers and a soil manufacturer of natural soil products. Gardeners sign up on the FOOD Share website as a Garden Share member to participate in the contest.

    The contest ends July 15. For more information, call Meg Horton at FOOD Share, (805) 983-7100, ext. 105 or go to the FOOD Share (http://www.foodshare.com/) or Agromin (http://www.agromin.com) websites.

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  • Free Compost From Agromin At Thousand Oaks Earth Day - April 24 - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 2:12 PM
  • Agromin, an Oxnard-based manufacturer of premium soil products and the green materials recycler for Thousand Oaks and other Ventura County communities, is giving away 360 bags of compost during the City of Thousand Oaks/Conejo Recreation and Park District's 13th Annual Arbor/Earth Day celebration. The free event is Saturday, April 24 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Conejo Creek Park North (1379 East Janss Road behind the Thousand Oaks Library).

    "Much of Thousand Oaks soil is dense and sticky when wet," says Bill Camarillo, Agromin CEO. This clay soil makes it difficult for water to reach a plant's root system. The decaying materials found in compost allow air and water to travel through the soil so roots receive the proper nutrition. Using compost is the most natural way to prepare for spring planting. There's no need to put chemical fertilizers into the ground to produce a bumper crop of vegetables and flowers."

    Agromin processes more than 365,000 tons of green waste each year. The green material is collected at curbside in the Conejo Valley and throughout Ventura County and is then chopped, cleaned and naturally composted before becoming soil products. The products are then distributed to farmers, landscapers and to consumers in bags or in bulk.

    "About 40 percent of all waste generated in California is green waste," says Camarillo. "From an environmental standpoint, it's important that we keep these materials out of landfills, which would reduce the amount of greenhouse gases this waste produces. Thousand Oaks residents can do their part by putting their green materials from their garden into their green recycling bins."

    For more information on green material recycling, visit www.agromin.com. For more information about Thousand Oaks Arbor/Earth Day, go to www.toaks.org/arbor.

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  • Agromin Named a Climate Action Leader - Monday, March 29, 2010 at 12:22 PM
  • For the second year, Agromin, the green materials recycler for more than 50 communities in Ventura, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Orange counties, has been designated a Climate Action Leader by the Climate Action Registry. Agromin is the first Climate Action Leader in the Agriculture category.

    The California Climate Action Registry is a program of the Climate Action Reserve, a nonprofit collaboration in North America that sets consistent and transparent standards to calculate, verify and publicly report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Members voluntarily promise to monitor and register these emissions. Registry members that have successfully verified their emissions inventory by a third party assessment company earn the status of Climate Action Leader and their emission results are posted online (http://www.climateregistry.org).

    "Knowing how much greenhouse gas we emit as a company is the important first step in managing and ultimately reducing our emissions," says Bill Camarillo, Agromin CEO. "It helps us plan our sustainability strategies for now and in the future. Our core business is to recycle green materials so we can reduce waste and greenhouse gases at landfills. Our goal is to do everything we can so the process of recycling green waste is sustainable, carbon-neutral and energy-efficient."

    Agromin manufactures earth-friendly soil products for farmers, landscapers and consumers made from green material collected from communities throughout Southern California. Each month, Agromin receives and processes thousands of tons of urban wood and green waste and then uses a safe, organic and scientific system to formulate the green materials into its soil products. The result is more vigorous and healthier plants and gardens, and on the conservation side, more room in landfills and less greenhouse gas emissions. For more information about Agromin and green materials recycling, go to http://www.agromin.com.

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  • Garden Park Elementary School Kids Plant New Garden - Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at 10:28 AM


  • Students at Garden Park Elementary School in Garden Grove planted vegetable gardens on school grounds over the weekend as part of a program to teach kids about gardening and respect for the earth.

    "Gardens are a great way to bring the community together as well as provide students an exceptional opportunity to learn about the cycles of life," says Gary Gerstner, Garden Park principal.

    Three tons of compost were donated to the school by Agromin, an earth-friendly soil manufacturer and the green materials recycler for numerous communities in Orange County. Once the soil was delivered, parents and students wheelbarrowed the compost to the garden areas where it was mixed into the soil. Parents then helped kids plant vegetable seeds and flowers.

    "Students will take responsibility for the entire garden. They will plant, water, weed, chart growth and ultimately harvest the vegetables," says Cammy Devereux, a Garden Park kindergarten teacher. Devereux has another plan for the site: her classroom's desert tortoise named Tortellini will be allowed to graze in a lettuce patch that students will plant especially for him.

    Second grade teacher Lori Wolsky says her students plan to grow radishes, mustard, green beans and flowers that will attract butterflies and good insects. "We are starting seedlings in cups so students can experience the entire growth process from planting seeds to harvest," says Wolsky. "Some of our veggies will be served in our school's salad bar."

    "Students, staff, and parents already have an understanding of the value of being good stewards of the the land. By planting and managing the garden, all will garner a deeper appreciation for nature and the earth," says Angie Balius, who teaches a second-third grade class.

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  • Agromin To Offer Spring Soil Tips at Ventura County Home & Garden Show - Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 10:56 AM
  • Preparing a spring garden begins with the right soil. Agromin, an Oxnard-based manufacturer of earth-friendly soil products and the green materials recycler for more than 50 southern California communities, will offer spring soil tips at the Ventura County Home & Garden Show, March 19-21, at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura.

    Agromin staff will be on hand to discuss soil types, soil amendments and mulches, plus show how to best prepare soil for spring vegetable and flower gardens. In addition, they will distribute information on "Pounds for Produce," a gardening contest sponsored jointly with FOOD Share. The contest will see who can grow and donate the most vegetables to help feed the hungry between now and July 15.

    "We hope that gardeners will plant extra this year and donate vegetables to FOOD Share through the 'Pounds for Produce' contest," says Bill Camarillo, president of Agromin. "Winners in six different food categories will receive soil products from Agromin on a pound-for-pound basis, equal to the total weight of produce donated to FOOD Share."

    Agromin will also give away free bags of soil products at the home and garden show. For gardening tips and "Pounds for Produce" contest information, go to www.agromin.com.

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  • Agromin & FOOD Share Team Up For "Pounds For Produce" Donation Contest - Monday, January 25, 2010 at 3:00 PM

  • It's time to put your green thumb to work to help feed the hungry. FOOD Share, which distributes millions of pounds of food annually to those in need in Ventura County, and Agromin, one of California's largest green materials recyclers and a premium soil manufacturer, have teamed up to create "Pounds for Produce," a gardening contest to see who can grow and donate the most vegetables to help feed the hungry in Ventura County.

    Backyard gardeners, members of 4-H clubs, garden clubs and community gardens are all invited to participate. Gardeners can sign up on the FOOD Share website (www.foodshare.com) as a Garden Share member and receive a membership card. Already, more than 60 gardeners have become Garden Share members.

    FOOD Share is in particular need of produce grown in six categories: potatoes, tomatoes, celery, onions, broccoli and citrus. Garden Share members who grow these vegetables can drop off their harvest at any one of 65 FOOD Share food bank locations (www.foodshare.com/get-help/useful-resources). Donated vegetables will be weighed and logged to the member's account. Top producers in each category will win free soil from Agromin on a pound-for-pound basis, equal to the total weight of produce donated to FOOD Share.

    In addition, Garden Share membership includes tips and support to help grow your garden. New members will receive a 25 percent Agromin soil discount coupon by e-mail or mail that can be redeemed at any Ventura County location selling Agromin products. For a list of locations, go to www.agromin.com, click on "How-To Guides" and then "Where to Buy Our Products."

    "During tough economic times, especially during World War I and II, people grew gardens to supplement the local food supply," says Bill Camarillo, CEO of Agromin. "Today is no different. With Pounds for Produce, we have the opportunity to share what we grow with others in need. We don't have to be great gardeners and the vegetables don't have to be perfect. It's an opportunity to help our neighbors. And, by growing your garden in healthy soil produced from recycled green materials, you're doing your part to help the environment."

    “Garden Share is a community-based effort that encourages neighborhoods to grow produce to help feed the hungry through sustainable backyard and community gardens,” said Bonnie Weigel, CEO and president of FOOD Share. “Whether you have a single container on your patio or an acre of farmland, everyone can get involved to help. Offering fresh produce to our food pantries is an amazing gift to people who so often go without and we thank Agromin for making it easy for people to get involved.”

    The contest ends July 15, 2010. For more information, call Meg Horton at FOOD Share, (805) 983-7100, ext. 105.