Our history

Growing Solutions (GSI) is headquartered in Eugene, Oregon, where it was founded in 1997. Founder and CEO Michael Alms came to Oregon in 1996, selling greenhouse systems for Teufel Nursery. One of his accounts, Karl Rubenberger of Umpqua Organic Farm in Roseburg, had created a prototype system that produced an aerated microbial solution from compost to use as an organic foliar spray on his Asian Pear trees. The prototype consisted of a specialized vortex nozzle designed by Rubenberger, a conical holding tank, and a recirculating pump. When Alms met Rubenberger during the early stages of experimentation with the prototype, Rubenberger was seeking someone to refine the concept and take it to market. Recognizing a great opportunity, Alms negotiated an arrangement with Rubenberger, honed the design, and developed a manufacturing process and distribution network that formed the basis of Growing Solutions as a business. Production of the 50-gallon MicrobBrewer™, believed to be the first commercial Compost Tea system, began in 1999. The first two of these units went to customers in Hawaii—one to an organic ginger farm, and another to a tropical fruit grower on Maui. Demand grew for a smaller size, prompting the design and production of the 12-gallon MicrobBrewer. Lotusland, a private botanical garden in Santa Barbara, California, purchased the first of these.

In 2000, Growing Solutions made substantial design modifications in order to streamline production and enhance performance of the systems. The vortex nozzle was abandoned in favor of Fine Bubble Diffusion aeration technology, and the conical tank was replaced with a cylindrical tank. These changes were implemented to make the systems more energy efficient, gentler on the microorganisms being cultured, and more cost-effective to produce and scale up. The first of the newly designed systems was the 25-gallon Compost Tea System25™, followed by the 100-gallon Compost Tea System100™, and the 500-gallon Compost Tea System500™. The Compost Tea System10™, a 10-gallon unit intended primarily for homeowners, was introduced in 2005.

In addition to its Compost Tea Systems designed to provide optimal conditions for microbial extraction, Growing Solutions was one of the first companies to offer a commercial microbial food source to ensure that the extracted microorganisms would flourish. First introduced in 1999, Growing Solutions’ Compost Tea Catalyst™ contains a variety of ingredients formulated to encourage sustained growth of diverse microbial populations throughout the extraction process. Although it has undergone minor changes since the original recipe, the primary ingredients in Compost Tea Catalyst have always included soluble kelp, rock powder, and blend of botanical ingredients. It is OMRI-listed and suitable for use in certified organic operations.