Surya Organics announces partnership with Lowcountry Local First to support farm training and education

Organic biofertilizer provider to donate a percentage of Charleston-area sales to fund Growing New Farmers program

CHARLESTON, S.C. – May 20, 2010 – Surya Organics, a leading provider of organic, all-natural products to increase soil fertility and enhance plant growth, today announced it will donate 20 percent of local retail sales revenue to support Lowcountry Local First’s Growing New Farmers Incubator Program. The initiative, which provides interns with intensive training in all aspects of life as a farmer practicing sustainable agriculture, from planting to harvesting to sales, will develop the next generation of farmers in the region.

“The focus on a stronger local system of sustainable agricultural production and consumption, one that provides an alternative to industrial farms, imported goods and out-of-control fuel expenditure, fits perfectly with Surya’s commitment to a more sustainable way of life,” says Surya Organics executive VP Joe Bryan. “We’re thrilled that an organization like Lowcountry Local First exists in our backyard and are honored to lend a hand in supporting their efforts.”

The Growing New Farmers Incubator Program is the first of its kind in the South Carolina Lowcountry region. Three participants were chosen for this year, each of whom will receive housing, a stipend from the program and an apprenticeship with experienced and successful farmers already utilizing sustainable farming techniques. In addition to spending time in the fields, the interns will also take a business planning class, learn marketing techniques and develop business and crop plans for their own future farms.

“The population of farmers in our area and throughout the US is declining rapidly as fewer people choose farming as a vocation,” says director of Lowcountry Local First’s Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Elizabeth Beak. “We need young people to not only choose farming as a career but to choose to farm in a sustainable way if we want to grow healthier bodies, healthier local economies and reduce the negative environmental impact of our way of life.”

Surya Organics' SHOOTUP, GROWMEND and GROWSWEET organic soil and plant treatments allow home gardeners and commercial growers to become more sustainable in their growing practices as well. Each product contains naturally-occurring, beneficial microbes that maximize nutrient uptake and provide a safe, effective alternative to chemical fertilizers and plant foods. SHOOTUP, GROWMEND and GROWSWEET will be available for purchase at upcoming LLF events, at local retailers and online at www.suryagrow.com. All bottles sold locally will be marked with a LLF sticker and 20 percent of gross sales will go directly to supporting the Growing New Farmers Incubator Program.

Surya Organics is a leading provider of organic, all-natural products developed to enhance plant growth by increasing soil fertility for home and commercial gardening. Surya's clean, non-chemical formulas are purely microbial and offer proven results that are environmentally sustainable and safe for use around people and pets. For more information, visit www.suryagrow.com.

Lowcountry Local First is committed to building a network of small businesses that allows all business owners to participate on the same level. Retail, manufacturing and agricultural businesses will unite with the same mission: to promote and preserve their local economy through the promotion of their goods and services. LLF is one of more 60 chapters of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE). For more information, visit www.lowcountrylocalfirst.org.

Media Contact:
Caleb Yarian
843.789.4184
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SHOOTUP, GROWMEND, GROWSWEET and the Surya Organics logo are trademarks of Surya Biofertilizers, LLC