Given that we have been told for years to not compost meat and fats because they are 1. difficult for the bacteria do digests, and 2. attract unwanted critters to the compost, why add this to an organic fertilizer. A profitable way for the packing plants to get rid of something similar to "pink slime"?
Fertilizers are meant to feed plants and not the soil which organic gardeners/farmers should be looking at doing so fertilizers are not something an organic gardener/farmer should be thinking about.

container blueberry, some folks on this forum have yet to grasp the concept of what an organic fertilizer is and how it can be beneficial to your specific growing operation. Take advice offered by them with a very large grain of salt!!

Meat meal is not all that different from any other protein-based animal byproduct used as an organic fertilizer - bone meal, blood meal, feather meal, fish meal, etc., etc. Typically, you will see it listed as MBM - meat and bone meal - as one is heavier on the N levels and the other on the P. Together they form a relatively balanced and fast-acting basic nutrient source.

Organic fertilizers are intended to supply specific nutrients that may be missing or deficient in existing soil. Simply adding organic matter can not always satisfy the nutrient demands of fast growing crops in a single growing season. Organic farming operations have utilized supplemental fertilization practices for decades in addition to the more typical annual cover cropping or applications of manures, composts or other OM. That is why many organic fertilizers are OMRI approved -- if they were never necessary (or somehow bad for the soil) as some posters would lead you to believe, there would not be the massive market for them there is nor any need for the organic gardening/farming approval.

Since all organic fertilizers (other than mined minerals) are derived from plant and animal byproducts, they ARE JUST AS MUCH ORGANIC MATTER as is compost or animal manures. That emphasis is intended for those who persist in thinking they are not. They require activation (mineralization/digestion) by soil organisms to release the nutrients into plant-accessible forms. In this way, they encourage all manner of soil biology and improve the soil in much the same manner as any other form of OM. Plus they offer the benefit of specific nutrient supplementation and often in a much more fast-acting form than does typical OM.

"so fertilizers are not something an organic gardener/farmer should be thinking about."

Yea but it is though. Both conventional and organic farms use fertilizer, pestisides, ect.

Using nothing but organic matter to fit the crops nutritional needs would be easy on a small scale garden. Or a farm or garden that made enough compost. Fact is organic farmers use organic fertilizer for the same reasons conventional farmers use synthetic fertilizer. ONE reason is- fertilizer whether organic or not is going to have more NUTRIENTS per POUND then organic matter. I should not even have to go on the about the benefits of that, it is self explanatory. Compost can have NPK of 2-2-2, organic fertilizer can have 12-12-12 for example.

Using just enough OM to keep healthy soil, and fertilizer to fit the bill of nutrition can be a good practice, and one that I use.

There is no organic "fertilizer" that will have an analyses of 12-12-12. If someone sells one like that they have added synthetic materials to it to get that high. If a "fertilizer" has an anaylses higher then single digits then it most likely has had somew kind of synthetic material added.
Even though "fertilizers" are often called complete, because they have N. P, K, they are not and lack many necessary nutrients plants need to grow up strong and healthy, something which feeding the soil will do.

You are very wrong. You can make ANY NPK ratio with extract.

Soluble Seaweed Extract 1-1-16

O no!! How did they get the K to be 16? Synthetics? No The product is 100% organic. Perhaps you may want to do some research before saying false info.

"The concentrate is made from 100% pure, organic Norwegian kelp, Ascophyllum Nodosum, which is harvested on the Atlantic Coast of Canada."

http://www.technaflora.com/indexProduct.php?ID=111

Posted by gardengal48 PNW zone 8 (My Page) on Thu, Oct 25, 12 at 13:51

"Take advice offered by them with a very large grain of salt!! "

Any particular reason you only post on topics you can have something negative to say? I noticed everytime I agree, you have nothing to say. Then when there is something to disagree with you post right away.

Posted by gardengal48 PNW zone 8 (My Page) on Tue, Oct 23, 12 at 18:29

"I give up. This is like trying to have an intelligent discussion with someone who speaks no English - just not gonna happen."

TMG1, I'm not sure why you think you are being singled out. I wrote my comment before you posted - it was not directed at you but at those who tend to frequent this forum and repeatedly insist that "fertilizers are never needed". I believe we are both in agreement that statement is not necessarily true. Same with the statement you pulled from another post - it was not directed at you so I wonder what it is that you are feeling insecure about????

Is there a reason why I only post on topics I disagree with? Well to begin with, that's just not true. I post on a huge range of topics on dozens of forums -- anywhere I feel I have something to contribute. My educational background and professional experience is pretty broad and as a horticultural educator, I am drawn to answering questions and providing advice - it's what I do professionally. But I will freely and adamantly disagree with those who post misstatements and promote misconceptions, whether from lack of understanding or education or from just old-fashioned, non-progressive thinking.

I could take issue with you on the ability to make "any ratio" of NPK with an organically sourced fert. Yes, you can sometimes bump up the ratios with liquids, as they tend to be able to concentrate nutrients better but you cannot "make" any ratio you want. That is simply not the nature of organic ferts. And especially with dry or granular fertilizers derived from animal or plant byproducts. As a rule of thumb, one of the ways you can determine an organic fert from a synthetic fert is that the NPK on an organically sourced fert will never add up to more than 20. There are a couple of minor exceptions but they are very incidental.

Ok I see. I can really agree with what you said. You or anyone have right to disagree or correct anything that is wrong. I can really see you know a lot!

"As a rule of thumb, one of the ways you can determine an organic fert from a synthetic fert is that the NPK on an organically sourced fert will never add up to more than 20. "

That is still really high. Even organic fertilizer is a good amount more nutritious so to speek then any organic matter as far as weight goes. I think we can both agree organic fertilizer can make things a lot easier!