“My wife and I have been using Bear Path compost for about 10 years. From the outset, we have appreciated the lack of weed seeds and the fertility of this compost. It has been the principle resource that has transformed our garden soil from impenetrable clay to fluffy black soil with greatly improved texture, fertility, drainage and water holding capacity. We have also seen major differences in the health, and disease and pest resistance of our flowers, vegetables and fruit trees.”
~Jody Nishman, Haydenville, MA
“I have used compost from Bear Path Compost as a soil conditioner with great success. Bill’s compost is dark, rich and a real pleasure to work with… and the plants like it too. The garden blooms are more profuse, and trees and shrubs are more robust. I also use it to topdress lawns as part of a renovation. And working with Bill is terrific!”
~ Maggie Leonard, Paradise City Landscape Design, Northampton, MA
“Compost is the black gold of gardening and Bear Path Compost makes the best. Not only does it look good, smell good and is beneficial to plants, it probably tastes good too. It comes with a nutrient analysis so you know what went into to it and what your plants will get from it.”
~Liz Toffey, Conway, MA
“We use Bear Path Compost’s excellent compost for just about everything— soil amendment, top-dressing, and potting soil enrichment. It’s what gardeners call “black gold”— rich, crumbly, and weed-free. Spreading it around the garden is the single most important thing we do for our plants.”
~ Ruah Donnelly, Conway, MA
Author of The Adventurous Gardener – Where to buy the best plants in New England
I'd like to take full credit for our bodacious borders but, really, much of the credit goes to Bear Path's compost. We started using it ten years ago and noticed an immediate improvement in plant performance, and it has been uphill ever since. We apply it everywhere as a mulch, eventually working it into the soil through routine gardening chores, then we replenish it as a mulch to perpetuate the cycle. Our fundamentally silty-sandy base receives a hefty infusion of organic matter as well as a healthy dose of those all-important microorganism whose symbiotic association with roots is so critical for plant health. Through the use of Bear Path compost our soil has become the planting medium that every gardener dreams of. It's wonderfully friable, moisture retentive yet well-draining, and the few weeds that do show up are easily pulled! Things get tense around Bay State when our compost pile runs low, and we don't fully relax until we see Bill's truck pulling into the parking lot with a fresh supply. To Bill Obear, thanks for the many loads of excellent product, always promptly delivered with a friendly hello.
~ Peter Flynn, Baystate Perennial Farm, Whately, MA
The longer I garden, the more convinced I am that good soil is the key to a healthy garden. You can go to the nursery and spend lots of money and plant all the beautiful plants you want, but if you don’t plant them in a balanced, nutrient-rich, fertile soil, they won’t thrive. That’s why the very first thing I tell new clients, before I begin to do any gardening at all, is: order a delivery of compost from Bear Path Compost. No matter what state their garden is in, I can guarantee, with Bill’s compost, it will improve right away. With regular clients, I top-dress with Bear Path compost every other year, and if things look a little ragged in mid-summer or early fall, I add a little more and presto, tired plants rejuvenate and even get a second bloom.
I’ve tried composts from other vendors and special mixes from garden centers, but haven’t found them to be half as good as Bill’s. There is no substitute. Bill’s compost helps reduce watering needs and is virtually weed-free. It is, quite simply, the best quality compost you can get.
In addition to deliveries for clients, I am a devout member of Bill’s “Bucket Brigade”, as those of us call themselves who come to his compost storage area, virtually anytime 7 days a week, to shovel our own compost. $2.25 a five gallon pail - how economical and convenient is that? Bill is easy to work with, always friendly and accommodating. But what keeps me coming back is the quality of the product. It speaks for itself in the health and beauty of the plants it nurtures. Believe me, if I could speak for my customer’s plants, I would say, thank you.
~ Jenny Hall - Jenny Hall Gardening, Greenfield, MA
Landscape professionals are required to meet high levels of expectations in quite a wide range of circumstance. Significant transformations are demanded in short periods of time. At Treefrog Landscapes we have gained a reputation for our ability to follow sustainable design with sound construction. Central to this process is to keep it simple. From stone choices to plant stock and soil amendments, there are literally hundreds of potential ingredients. And every supplier claims to be the best. But with every added variable there is a potential liability. Thus, tracking the performance of those who you work with, identifying the best, and developing a family-like relationship is critical. We would like to think that this formula, which exclusively includes Bear Path Compost's high quality compost, is what makes our business thrive and gardens hum. We think you'll find Bear Path's compost unmatched in quality and Bill Obear a true pleasure to work with.
~ Michael Keeney - Treefrog Landscapes, Inc., Northampton, MA
The one component that is in ALL of my landscape design / installations is Bear Path compost. Having designed and installed landscapes for over 15 years, I have come to see clearly how the relationship between plant growth, vigor, and insect / disease resistance is related to having the proper soil for growing plants. I have found Bear Path's compost to always be weed free and chock-full of nutrients. My clients are always thrilled when they see their new gardens (perennial, vegetable, herb, etc...) growing at a speed and with vigor that exceeds their expectations. Whether I am looking for compost as a soil amendment or mulch I have always found Bill's to meet or exceed my lofty requirements.
Jim McSweeney, M.C.A., M.C.H.
Certified Arborist, Horticulturist & Landscape Designer
President, Hilltown Tree & Garden, LLC
Golonka Farm has been using compost produced by Bear Path Compost since 2001.The diverse mix of vegetables and small fruits grown at our operation have responded well over the years, even though the compost is applied at a thin rate. For our farm, soil building is extremely important. In fact, we believe that all farms, whether conventional or organic, should make soil health a priority for the sustainability of the farm. We are convinced that it’s all about the biology and Bear Path Compost has consistently provided quality compost that has contributed to the microbial as well as many of the other needs of our soil.
~ Jim Golonka - Golonka Farm, Whately MA
When I moved into my house in Conway 10 years ago there was not much there by way of landscaping. The first, and by far the best, referral I got was to Bear Path Compost for compost. With Bill's help and his willingness to deposit compost wherever I needed it, I've been able to build beautiful flower beds and garden scapes all around my house which have been a constant source of pleasure. The compost is nothing less than remarkable - my garden guru calls it "Black Gold" for how plants thrive in it. And Bill could not be easier to work with - he responds quickly to inquiries, his deliveries are prompt and accommodating, the product is both first-rate and reasonable, and he is always ready with sound advice, perceptive observations and the warmest smile I know. He's a great guy who I look forward to seeing every year and I dare say has become a good friend.
~ Ellen Tinen, Conway, MA
Bear Path compost plays an important role in our commitment to grow good soil. We have been growing peonies and other cut flowers commercially for the past fifteen years. BPC compost is part of our recipe for success. We use it as a soil additive and as an excellent top dressing. It is consistently weed free and the soil analysis helps us build a balanced fertilizing program.
Paul and Alice Vigliani,
Maple Ridge Peony Farm, Conway, MA
Whether I'm working in a client's garden or my own, Bear Path compost is my first choice for amending the soil and top dressing 
established plantings. It has a wonderful rich texture that I find more effective than bagged composts for loosening and lightening the soil.
The healthy plant growth I see is testimony in itself to the compost's
nutritional qualities. And I certainly enjoy the friendly and prompt
service - whether Bill is loading my truck in his yard or delivering to
a clients'.
Beth Duryea - Sawmill Farm & Garden, Whately, MA
We have used Bear Path compost as an integral part of our fertility program for years in our vegetable rotation. Bill's compost is consistently some of the best available. It is rich, mellow, and always free of weed seed which is critical for keeping our annual vegetable fields weed free. (photo above)
David Fisher – Natural Roots Farm, Conway, MA
PROFESSIONAL COMPOST USERS:
The list of professional compost users includes farms, landscapers, professional gardeners and organic land care specialists who routinely utilize Bear Path compost for their growing needs. You are encouraged to contact any of these people or businesses as compost references or inquire about their professional services.
LANDSCAPE DESIGN INSTALLATION & MAINTENANCE
Craig Stevens Joel Strate Maggie Leonard Owen Wormser Ashley Schenk Julia Garrido
|
Jim McSweeney Beth Duryea Hope Crolius Rich Jaescke Jill Figlozzi David Paine John Hancock |
Michael Keeney Lilian Jackman Julie Meyer Mike Gordon Gabby Immerman Emma Donnelly |
GARDEN MAINTENENCE
|
Lucy Longstreth |
Jenny Hall |
Elias Derby |
LAWN & LAND CARE
|
Navid Hatfield |
Rory Zononi Hope Crolius |
Bill Smith |
VEGETABLE & CSA FARMS
Jim Golonka John Hoffman |
David Fisher Ben Perrault |
Laura Timmerman Wally Czajkowski |
HERB FARMS
Bill Siff |
Mary Ellen Warchol |
Maggie Miklovich |
NURSERIES & GARDEN CENTERS
Peter Flynn Phil Pless |
Nasami Farm Dan Ziomek |
CUT FLOWERS
Alice & Paul Vigliani |
Candace Talley |
ORCHARDS & VINEYARDS
Bob Fitz |
Russell Braen |
Gary Kaman |
SPECIALTY PRODUCTS, ART, CRAFTS, POTTERY ETC
Liz Toffey Patty Powers |
Mark Shapiro Eric Smith |
OTHER RESOURCES
|
Fruit Tree Nurseries Organic Fertilizers Cummins Nursery |
Berries& More Stark Brothers Dan Ladd |
Prof. Landscape & Garden Tools Soil Testing |
