Nov 4, 2024

Fish fertilizer gains OMRI status

Fish poop organic fertilizer and soil conditioner has gained OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) certification and is now a registered organic material.

To attain the OMRI certification is to be defined across the country as an organic product.

The OMRI certification makes it easier for farmers to find organic products, but the general public is less understanding of it, according to a news release. Many consumers wonder why a business would want to have an organic product.

“A big part of our ‘why’ is that getting certified organic has that sort of human component,” Cameron Heil, Ounce of Hope’s operations manager, said in the release. “It’s not an easy endeavor and tons of farmers and companies just do without it because of what goes into it. A main part of our ‘why’ is to prove that we can produce something safer and cleaner for all humans and ecosystems.”

Ounce of Hope Farms LLC and Fishpoop.com won OMRI certification in June. Fish poop from Ounce of Hope is available nationwide on Amazon, Walmart Marketplace with national organic certification.

“It’s a demonstration for urban agriculture, aquaponics, and small craft cultivators,” Heil said in the release. “To attain the certificate is the highest seal of approval as far as the USDA is concerned. Before this, we knew we were using beyond organic standards. Now we can confidently show that off to the world.”

Founded in 2019 by Ounce of Hope owner Collin Bercier, the Memphis, Tennessee-based FishPoop.com sells concentrated fish poop as a high-quality plant food and soil conditioner. Designed for any plant, from outdoor crops to potted house plants, fish poop is 100% organic and all-natural.

“I’m proud of our team for getting it done,” said Ounce of Hope owner Collin Bercier, who founded the company in 2019. “It’s not an easy or quick process.”