John Ferguson opened Nature’s Way Resources, an organic service company, after a near-death experience with chemicals in fertilizers.[/caption]

Though science experiments are a part of his job description, John Ferguson never wears a white coat to work. In fact, the owner of Nature’s Way Resources often leaves the lab with decomposing materials on his boots and jeans.

Ferguson’s company takes organic waste, such as chipped wood, brush, limbs, horse manure and food waste from businesses and individuals, to create nutrient-rich compost used to fertilize yards and gardens.

Nature’s Way then creates 25 different soil blends that make plants grow stronger, healthier and save water, Ferguson said.

“It’s just applying science to solve problems,” said Ferguson, who has a master’s degree in soil science.

Nature’s Way uses an intentionally slow one-year decomposition process to develop the microbes that prevent plant diseases, bacteria and fungi. It also keeps items that would secrete greenhouse gases in a landfill or create smog and pollution when burned out of the environment, Ferguson said.

“You can make [compost] in two weeks, but it’s kind of like making wine,” he said. “Do you want two-week-old wine? It’s not very good quality. We take our time and do it right, and you get a much higher quality product.”

The organic service company creates mulch used for playgrounds and has a 10-acre nursery garden where Nature’s Way sells fruit, trees and plants that grow well in the Greater Houston area. The nursery garden also allows Nature’s Way to host fall gardening classes.

“People use our services to feed their families, plant plants that attract hummingbirds or beautify their church,” General Manager Mark Bowen said. “Students who want to work in green industries as well as people who want to lower water bills or reduce their dependence on pesticide [come to Nature’s Way].”

Nature’s Way moved to its location off I-45 and FM 1488 in 2004, almost a decade after Ferguson opened his first yard in The Woodlands in 1995.

Ferguson left the oil industry after a popular pesticide caused his eyes to swell shut and made him lose control of his fingers, forcing a trip to the emergency room. After learning he could have died, Ferguson decided to open a landscaping business that specialized in organic techniques and gardening in 1993.

He searched the Greater Houston area but could not find the right compost and mulch mix to support his landscaping outfit. He eventually dropped the landscaping portion and focused on compost and mulch. Today, Nature’s Way has grown into a company that supports 37 green jobs on 42 acres of forested land.

“I’ve been making compost since I was 8 years old,” Ferguson said. “I said, ‘What would it take to make 1,000 yards a year for a small landscape company?’ Pretty soon I had dropped the landscape company idea and jumped into the composting business.”