YOU’RE BEING ROBBED!
F E AT U R E : L A B E L L I N G
Why States Aren’t Telling You the Truth About Your Hydroponics Nutrients
Their Labelling Laws Are Costing You Bigger Yields and Better Crops!
B y M i c h ael “ B ig M i k e ” S traumietis
Astonishingly, every time you go into your
local hydroponics store and look at nutrient
companies’ product labels, you’re being
robbed of the truth and forced to make a
decision with incomplete information you
would need to make the right choice.
That’s right — you don’t have the right to
know the truth or what’s really in the product
you’re paying for.
Can this be true? Absolutely. Suppose for
a moment you’re in your favorite hydroponics
store, and looking at two different companies’
bloom enhancer labels trying to decide which
one of those products is right for you.
But then, under closer observation, you
notice both of the labels have exactly the same
ingredients listed on them. One of the bloom
enhancers is a little more money than the
other, so you think. “Hey, I’ll save the extra
money and buy the one that cost less.” Which
under normal circumstances would be the
right thing to do.
Only problem is the one that was a little
more money contained a whole lot more
ingredients that you weren’t even aware of
because they weren’t listed on the label. The
reality is the other bloom enhancer — the one
you didn’t chose — would have actually given
you significantly bigger flowers and yield.
Moreover, the bloom enhancer you
didn’t choose would easily do this for you
because it contained an additional twenty
S H U TTE R STO CK
amino, citric and ascorbic acids. Plus a
whole bunch of other goodies not allowed to
be put on the label under any circumstances
or in any way.
Rosebud rosebudmag.com
Let me show you exactly what I’m
talking about: here’s a ‘before’ photo of an
Advanced Nutrients Big Bud label, and ‘after’
— the state regulators’ stripped down version
of the Advanced Nutrients Big Bud label (see
next page).
But that’s not the whole story. Each and
every one of the ingredients that are listed on
the ‘before’ label are still in the ‘after’ stripped
down label product — except we can’t list them
because of outdated label regulations. And this
doesn’t just affect Advanced Nutrients; it affects
all hydroponics nutrient manufacturers. (In the
interest of full disclosure, I’m also the CEO of
Advanced Nutrients and author of this article).
Let me explain to you how all this bullshit
came about: There’s a little known and unofficial
organization in Missouri called the American
Association of Plant Food Control Officials
(AAPFCO). Its members are representatives
from the big agriculture companies and many
government offices that regulate fertilizers.
Here’s how it all started: created for
farmers a long time ago in the 1930s, before
That’s Right—You Don’t
Have The Right To
Know the Truth Or
What’s Really In The
Product You’re
Paying For.
most people ever heard of hydroponics
growing or today’s growing technologies
were discovered, state regulators and
AAPFCO got together in a closed door
meeting with “Big Ag” and wrote a list of
what they consider to be acceptable “plant
food ingredients” in fertilizers.
Because of this, today’s hydroponics
nutrients and their labels are way more
tightly regulated than vitamins and
supplements ingested by humans.
The list consists mostly endless
variations of nitrogen, phosphorus,
potassium and the other essential elements
you’d find in “Big Ag” fertilizers for corn,
soybeans and wheat.
I mean, look — you and I realize as
hydroponics growers that our hydroponics
plants need a heck of a lot more than corn
does for a great harvest.
We also know there’s a whole bunch
of other and newly-discovered compounds
that make your hydroponics plants healthier,
faster-growing and bigger-yielding.
volume 2 / issue 16 Rosebud

OLD LABEL We’re also aware that hydroponics
gardening uses less water and space than “Big
Ag” outdoor farming, and is better-suited for
high-value crops.
Too bad for us that the folks at AAPFCO
and state fertilizer regulatory offices haven’t
caught up with our hydroponics revolution.
What we hydroponics growers take for
granted as great stuff that helps our plants
grow faster and yield better, the folks in
Missouri have discriminatorily marginalized.
It turns out their rules dictate that if a
hydroponics nutrients manufacturer wants
to put “non-listed ingredients” in their
products, list those substances on the labels
and tell you how those substances help your
crops, they have to jump through burning
hoops of fire to convince AAPFCO and state
regulators to let them do it.
Furthermore, a hydroponics nutrient
manufacturer must spend hundreds of
thousands of dollars and many years running
tests on field crops for every product, then
NEW LABEL submit the evidence to AAPFCO and
bureaucrats, and then wait up to five years
to see if the fertilizer gods have approved the
beneficial substance.
It’s easy to see how this will eventually run
into millions of dollars for a nutrient company
that has a few or more products. And the cost
of all this would have to be put directly into the
cost of the products you’re using.
“Big Ag” fertilizer companies are
swimming in cash, so they can afford to
engage in this costly, time-consuming process.
But for hydroponics nutrients companies, the
time and financial costs are often too high.
And that’s just what “Big Ag” wants:
regulations that prevent newcomers from
entering the marketplace and slamming
the door shut on smaller companies who
innovate. Only problem is, and it’s blazingly
obvious, hydroponics isn’t “Big Ag.”
Bottom line is, “Big Ag” multinational
ADVAN CE D N U TR I E N TS
8 45268 00185 3 fertilizer companies can afford lengthy
field trails to make claims, list their special
Unbelievably, both products contain exactly the same ingredients, except the label at the bottom ingredients and print different labels for
is the stripped down version of the top label that has been forced to comply with outdated different states. But hydroponics companies
AAPFCO guidelines by state regulators. can’t afford to do that.
Rosebud rosebudmag.com
This outdated book from the 1930s
has cost the hydroponics community
and industry countless sums of money,
misinformation and forced censorship.
And you know what? Because California
is the biggest hydroponics marketplace,
many manufacturers are financially forced
to surrender and dumb down their labels
to please California regulators—which
undeniably amounts to label censorship for
the rest of the country.
It’s really a shame that AAPFCO and
state fertilizer regulations are frozen in
1930s with “Big Ag” calling the shots. To
make matters worse, state lawmakers and
regulators view AAPFCO’s list as their set of
holy commandments.
However, that’s not all: when a
hydroponics nutrient manufacturer wants to
put beneficial ingredients in their products
and tell you about it on the label so you know
exactly what’s in the product, state regulators
look at the AAPFCO list. If the substances
aren’t listed, they can’t be listed on the
products label.
Hold on, it’s about to get more ridiculous.
You can’t list any non-AAPFCO ingredient
(even as “other ingredients” or “non plant
food”) on a label. Then if a hydroponics
nutrient manufacturer does list them on their
labels, the state regulators yank the nutrients
off the shelf and fine the manufacturer.
If that isn’t crazy enough, each state has its
own unique label laws to add to the obstacles
and confusion.
F E AT U R E : L A B E L L I N G
As it turns out, the biggest market for
hydroponics nutrients is California, and
California’s labelling laws are incredibly strict.
In fact, if a manufacturer wants to list
beneficial substances on a product label
sold in California, the manufacturer first has
to convince California bureaucrats that the
substances benefit your plants.
Now get this: a nutrient company
still can’t list the ingredient that makes a
claim because that ingredient is not on the
AAPFCO list. To do that, you’ll have to
convince AAPFCO that they should list that
ingredient in their book, which would be like
getting the Pope to say he’s not Catholic.
By the way, Advanced Nutrients has
12 Ph.D.’s working on plant and nutrient
research, and because of all the labelling
laws is now hiring five more Ph.D.’s to
handle all the efficacy data studies. That
way we can make at least the most basic of
product claims and include the ingredients
that are already in our products, but can’t
talk about.
Indeed, a few states don’t follow
AAPFCO guidelines and allow a
manufacturer to tell you what’s in nutrients
products — as long as the manufacturer
provides proof of the product’s ingredients.
Sadly though, we can only list these
ingredients in the few non-AAPFCO states.
Which will cost all of us even more money,
because separate labels and inventory has to
be carried in our warehouses.
To make matters worse (and further
drive costs up), we would literally have to
set up a warehouse in every one of those
states to be totally compliant. Because of the
extremely high cost, we simply can’t afford
to do this right now. So we have to make
one label fit all states and in the 57 countries
worldwide you’ll find Advanced Nutrients.
Here’s another example of precisely
what I’m talking about: Advanced Nutrients
Ph.D.’s with their scores of post-graduate
degrees do a massive amount of research
every year. And because of all this research,
approximately 60% of all our products are
improved in some way every year.
volume 2 / issue 16 Rosebud

Truth be told, we would love to put
“New and Improved” on all those products
labels, but we can’t. Under the current laws,
we would have to submit these new labels
with research reports to fifty different state
regulators for over thirty different products
every year. Obviously, we can’t afford to do
this, either.
And the worst part: in most cases, we
still couldn’t tell you what had been done to
the product to make it new and improved,
because if we used beneficial substances that
aren’t in the AAPFCO book, we couldn’t put
it on the label anyway.
Unfortunately, it isn’t just “Big Ag” that
uses fertilizer laws and government officials
to oppress competition. There’s a stunningly
vicious and powerful hydroponics industry
insider and distributor called Sunlight
Supply that uses fertilizer regulations to attack
industry rivals.
The fact is that Sunlight Supply, headed
by “big boss man” Craig Hargreaves, has
a team of snitches who use dirty tricks to
encourage fertilizer regulators to examine
nutrients labels and products made by a
handful of hydroponics manufacturers.
In addition, they even got the California
“Big Ag” commissioner to file a complaint
with the state of California Weights and
Measures regulators, but that’s another story
for a different day.
What’s the benefit for Sunlight Supply?
Here’s the deal: Sunlight Supply distributes
products for several hydroponics nutrients
companies that make basic formulations
consisting of AAPFCO-listed ingredients
found in “Big Ag” fertilizers.
So when Sunlight Supply uses fertilizer
regulators to attack the more innovative
hydroponics nutrients manufacturers who
want to use a broader range of beneficial
substances, the nutrients companies affiliated
with Sunlight Supply get an unfair advantage
over their competitors.
Some context is useful here: in short, the
modern indoor hydroponics industry dates
back to the 1970s when a few companies
began manufacturing generic nutrients using
Rosebud rosebudmag.com
“Big Ag” fertilizer formulas and ideas adapted
from other industries.
As a result, they maximize profittaking
by skimping on nutrient research and
development, using cheaper and fewer
ingredients, thereby avoiding regulatory
hassles as well.
And what’s more, these companies
got their start when hydroponics nutrients
manufacturers were operating under the
radar; they gained almost total market share
before regulators even knew they existed.
Not only that, but Sunlight Supply and
these companies have bully control over what
you can buy in hydroponics retail stores.
What you see in hydroponics magazines
(other than Rosebud) and who can participate
in indoor gardening trade shows. Watch this
Youtube video: “Exposed Sunlight Supply
Illegal Tactics.” And you can see for yourself
what I’m talking about.
Hargreaves and Sunlight Supply have
wreaked havoc on the hydroponics nutrients
industry, marginalizing hydroponics retailers,
growers, and manufacturers.
More disturbing: government agents now
go into hydroponics stores, remove nutrients
products from shelves, fine companies, and
prevent growers from getting the truth about
the products they’re buying.
However, that’s not all: government
fertilizer regulators also censor what
nutrients companies tell you in brochures,
posters, magazine ads, store advertising and
on websites.
So if you live in the state of Oregon or
Illinois and visit the Advanced Nutrients
website, the website immediately recognizes
that you are from Oregon or Illinois and
serves up a special censored website that is
“compliant” with those states.
In any event, the only way to find out the
truth would be to go to the Advanced Nutrients
websites navigation bar and click the link that
says:” Is this your correct region?” and change
it to “Worldwide” to see the uncensored labels.
Make no mistake: Hargreaves exploits “Big
Ag’s” outdated AAPFCO list and government
regulators. He’s stifling competition, censoring
F E AT U R E : L A B E L L I N G
information and working hard to preserve his Thankfully, Advanced Nutrients has Here’s the thing: we can’t use it with
consortium’s profits and put his competitors this magazine, and from time to time we’re the current regulations because some of
in a financial body bag. going to use it to expose the truth, because the elements will fall below the minimum
Simply stated, you can thank the “Good these guys have cost our community too AAPFCO thresholds. We would be forced
Ol’ Boys” for permanently damaging and much money and a firestorm of problems to exclude them from our labels, even
bringing this misery to our community and for too long. though they’re actually in the product.
industry. Yes, the “Good Ol’ Boys” leader Anyhow, enough of the “Good Ol’ Strangely, if we were to use this new
Craig Hargreaves, the CEO of Sunlight Boys,” let’s move on: there’s still a couple product, the real benefit to Advanced
Supply brought all of this to our community. of more things state regulations don’t Nutrients products would be the creation
But there’s an irony in all of this. allow that I want to talk to you about. Take of a lot more room so to speak in our
Now our entire industry is experiencing for instance fulvic acid — we can’t mention products, allowing us to combine more of
“blowback.” “Blowback” is a term used by that on any label in the state of California. our other products together.
the CIA when they go give weapons and Sure, fulvic acid is a crazy molecule Fact is, chelated macro, micro and
training to a group and then that group turns that’s not been totally mapped out yet secondary elements — the newer class
against them. Well, in this case, Advanced and is made up of new and unfamiliar of chelates that we use can’t be listed on
Nutrients was their intended target, because substances. But come on — lots of labels either — take up a heck of a lot room
the “Good Ol’ Boys” were trying to protect university field trials have proven its safety in the holding capacity of our products,
their nutrient brands. and effectiveness. especially our “pH Perfect” base nutrients.
Oops — now the entire hydroponics If all this wasn’t enough, you must They are currently at their maximum
industry is paying dearly for Sunlight have a minimum percentage of elements holding capacity, and we’ve already used
Supplies nightmarish actions. A few years in your products, or you can’t list them on every trick in the book we have to make
back, the state regulators weren’t paying any the label even though we’ve got them in that happen.
attention to our community. Now they are your product. While this may sound good In essence, this newly discovered
very busy policing our community. at first, it’s not. In this case, it’s because product would create more “space” for us
How do we know this? Because some these regulations were made mostly for to put other beneficial substances into our
of the state regulators and Sunlight Supplies bagged dry big agriculture fertilizers, not formulations, and here’s the rub on that
ex-employees have told us so! To get this hydroponic formulations. last statement: we couldn’t list those other
full story on Craig Hargreaves and Sunlight And as you are well aware, most of our beneficial substances anyways, because
Supply’s secretive exploits, watch another hydroponic fertilizers and supplements they’re not in the AAPFCO book.
Youtube video: “Sunlight Supply Wire Mail are more complex liquids that can’t hold Clearly, AAPFCO doesn’t come
And Bank Fraud.” I made it last year with the higher elemental percentages of simple remotely close to the current needs of
one of Craig Hargreaves’ ex-employees. N-P-K dry bagged agriculture fertilizers. hydroponics growers or manufacturers,
Anyway, because of these label laws, it’s If the minimum AAPFCO elemental and the individual state regulatory laws
I LLU STRATI ON: S H U TTE R STO CK; LO G O: aapfco. org
now almost impossible for a new nutrient threshold isn’t met, you can’t put in on the are old, outdated and aren’t serving our
company to get off the ground. There is no label anyway. hydroponics community properly.
way for them to get a fair shake. This is really a serious problem, So there you have it, my friends. The
These nutrient start-ups can’t afford because some hydroponically grown plants sordid true story of how a bunch of folks in
to go into business because of the financial don’t need the minimums that AAPFCO Missouri, state governments, “Big Ag” and
barriers set-up by the high cost of entry into says. We also recently discovered a in the headquarters of Sunlight Supply
the hydroponics nutrient business that these compound that’s wickedly effective in in Vancouver, Washington, have gained
laws have produced. reducing the amount of fertilizer a plant our entire community and industry so
Of course, all of this lines the pockets needs by up to 50% for some elements, you can’t get the truth about the nutrient
of the “Good Ol’ Boys” and their nutrient while having the exact same effect on your products you’re buying.
B OTH PAG E S: G ETTY I MAG E S
companies because they benefit the most plant as the higher elemental rates. Talk Soon, Big Mike
from the current labelling laws. They don’t
have real research departments and use very
LINKS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT NOW:
simple nutrient ingredients. I realize this last
WWW.rosebudmag.com/hydroponics-hijacking
statement may sound a little self-severing and youtube.com (Exposed: Sunlight Supply--Illegal Tactics)
well, in some way it is. youtube.com (Sunlight Supply Wire Mail And Bank Fraud)
volume 2 / issue 16 Rosebud