After Recall, Which Fertilizer is Safe?

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AFTER RECALL, WHICH FERTILIZER IS SAFE?

Consumers struggle with fertilizer choices

SARASOTA, FL, May 12, 2008 --/WORLD-WIRE/-- After the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently ordered a national company to stop selling several fertilizers containing pesticides, consumers say they are confused about what products are both effective and environmentally preferred.

In April, the EPA ordered a national company and its affiliates to immediately halt the sale and to recall four products the federal agency termed “illegal, unregistered or improperly labeled pesticides.” Two had not been registered with the EPA, while two others had been, but the company had begun sales before they were registered. Both actions are violations of federal law. (For more information, go to www.epa.gov/reg5rcra/ptb/news/).

The same federal agency that ordered the recent recall recognized Florikan E.S.A. (Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture) Corporation for its innovative, earth-friendly fertilizer, Dynamite plant food. In 2005, the federal agency bestowed its Gulf Guardian Award on Florikan for its patented staged nutrient release technology that nourishes plants while minimizing impact on ground water. The same technology used to save the Sea of Japan from its red tide epidemic in the 1970s. Florikan has also won the Environmental Awareness Award from the Florida Nurserymen and Growers Association, and the Positive Change Award from the Sarasota Wellness Community.

Florikan has never sold pesticides in its 26 years of operation, says Ed Rosenthal, president and chief executive officer, who founded the Sarasota, Fla.-based company with his wife, Betty.

Admittedly giving up millions of dollars in revenues because of his refusal to offer products with “killing agents,” Rosenthal remains dedicated to continuing to develop cutting-edge products that make responsible growing safe, affordable and easy for consumer and commercial nurserymen.

“The Rosenthals are trailblazers in the advancement of premium, eco-friendly horticultural products long before organic and earth-friendly merchandise became household words,” says Jose Smith of Costa Nursery Farms. “The company has consistently dedicated itself to creating new products and supporting practices that further reduce the horticultural industry’s impact on the environment.” Florikan was the first to import live predatory insects for release in nurseries and greenhouses in the early 1980s, recognizing early the benefits of integrated pest management principles.

Florikan offers a cutting-edge line of trade and consumer garden products featuring a patented controlled-release formula that provides consistent nutrition to plants and turf, making them more disease resistant and requiring only one or two applications a year to maintain optimal landscape conditions. Fewer applications mean fewer potential pollutants – specifically nitrogen and phosphorus – leach into waterways after heavy rainfall or irrigation. Excess amounts of these nutrients can cause algal blooms, such as red tide, that harm marine plants and animals as well as remove dissolved oxygen from waters, which can trigger fish kills.

Florikan officials gave their full support to Sarasota County as it developed its fertilizer ordinance in 2007. That ordinance, like those enacted in other communities such as Naples and Sanibel Island, limits the amount of, and frequency with which, fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus can be applied. It also bans the use of products containing either nutrient from June 1 through Sept. 30, Florida’s traditional rainy season, to further reduce the amount that winds up in waterways.

“Ed Rosenthal was very instrumental in the campaign to get a strong fertilizer ordinance in Sarasota County,” says Cris Costello, Southeast regional representative for the Sierra Club and coordinator of its red tide campaign. “He’s shown that the fertilizer industry does not have to be the enemy of water quality advocates but, in fact, can be a hero, can be a leader.”

The company’s headquarters and main distribution center are in Sarasota, Fla. Additional distribution facilities are in Semmes, Ala., Apopka, Fla., and Forest Hill, La. Florikan’s popular time-release fertilizers including Dynamite and Nutricote, can be purchased at major home improvement retailers and professional supply centers throughout the United States. Additionally, Florikan’s product line encompasses nursery containers, greenhouse coverings, biological pest control products and soil amendments. Florikan is a founding member of the Sustainable Landscape Council (www.sustainablelandscapecouncil.com), a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating consumers and landscapers about the least impactful landscaping products. For more information, visit www.florikan.com.

Contact:
Sharon Arnold, Gravina, Smith & Matte, 239-275-5758 or sarnold@gravinasmith.com