There is a Mennonite-owned mill where we are able to buy non-GMO feeds for our chickens, pigs and cows. It does cost more but not nearly as much as organic (typically twice as much). Not only do I believe that non-GMO grains are better for my creatures but I try hard not to buy any GMO products on principle--the idea of corporations patenting and controlling our food supply is immoral and GMOs are a rebellion against nature. You can mix your own non-GMO feed as our friends who avoid soy do. Their mix consists largely of field peas as the protein substitution for soy. They say it costs about 20-25% more, I think. We also feed clabbered milk from our non-GMO milk cows which is a great source of protein. We are now raising Freedom Ranger meat chickens largely on clabbered milk (supplementing with non-GMO broiler formula). I would have to get the recipe from my friend for the homemade mix but could if anyone is interested in it.

Alfalfa Pellets are easier to spread in a rotary spreader than meal, in my experience. Soybean meal usually spreads very easily in a rotary spreader (so long as its been kept dry and is dry). The cubes are too big. Harder to spread and take longer to dissolve/break down.

Another topic that has so many variables that there is no one correct statement that can be made. I'm wondering whether you are pushing these products for some ulterior motive. I'm not calling those amendments snake oil, in fact I haven't looked at the links. I've just come to the opinion over 60+ years of gardening that expensive fertilizers and amendments are usually overpriced for what they are and there are usually less expensive ways to obtain the same results. Anyhow, here's my 2 cents, which is more than anyone is paying me for it! I don't get all hung up on whether my soil has every nutrient imaginable. IMO if one adds organic matter regularly, uses a good quality mulch, and perhaps uses an appropriate fertilizer/amendment for certain plants that may need that, the soil will be healthy and the plants will do well. I've found making teas and applying them a lot of work. I used to have up to ten 5-10 gallon buckets of alfalfa tea brewing at any given time and constantly applied it to my large garden as well as the lawn. Way too much work for me altho I did it for years. I now make one bucket and apply small amounts to various plants that may need more nutrients because they are heavy feeders. I mostly depend on the worms to fertilize my soil which requires me to *only* provide a healthy environment for the worms. As another poster mentioned organic molasses is a good amendment which is probably under-utilized. Every gardener has to find what works best for them but I know that expensive and/or extremely labor intensive methods are not self-sustaining. Gardening is a lot of work and it's worthwhile to find the easiest and cheapest methods or you'll soon give up. Best of luck to you blazeaglory with whatever you decide to do.

The information you get from the "mud" or "jar" test is about the amount of organic matter in the soil, the stuff that floats on top of everything else since very few that do make the effort will have the idea soil, loam. Pouring "fertilizers" on a lawn simple creates more problems because that stimulates lush green, and sick, plant growth that then needs other poisons to control. "Conventional" lawn care is a vicious cycle of spending lots of money to have a sick lawn. Work at getting the necessary organic matter into the soil and have a good reliable soil test done. Here is a link that might be useful: OSU CES