To conduct field trials with various vegetable crops using local compost to gather production data. Horticulture shows, etc. Dwight Sato and Hector Valenzuela will conduct field trials on vegetable starters beginning in October, 1998. Older respondents are more likely to buy compost and fertilizer products.
More affluent respondents purchase more compost and fertilizer products.
Most respondents would buy a local product only if it was competitively priced. Local products need to improve packaging to compete with mainland products. The long term objective, which is beyond the scope of this request for seed money, is to develop industry standards for the compost whose effectiveness will be verified by subsequent field trials, grower results, and future sales.