What’s as safe as a frog devouring bugs in your garden?
First Saturday Lime.
It’s a safe and effective insect repellent manufactured in Okarche since 2018 and recently featured on the hit ABC series “Shark Tank.”
Jana Jacobs McDaniel, along with her husband, Zac, children, Zara and Jennings, and sister, Jessica Jacobs, pitched their natural product that is tough on bugs, but safe on humans and pets, hoping to bring a ‘shark’ on board as a strategic partner.
“We were interested in ‘Shark Tank’ to hopefully get someone to help us navigate the opportunities in front of us and any obstacles along the way,” Jessica said.
The sisters grew up in Okarche and worked alongside their father, Richard Jacobs, in the farming and agricultural limestone industry. Their father was an innovative farmer who used natural products for various applications and came up with an idea for a non-toxic product that could be used against bugs, Jana said.
He died nine years ago and with a desire to carry on their father’s legacy and provide a healthy alternative to common pesticides, the sisters set out on a mission.
Taking their father’s formula, with the help of manufacturers and testing labs, they created a totally new and natural insect repellent.
The process they developed and utilize at the factory is currently patent-pending.
Lime can be purchased in two basic forms, Zac explained.
Quarried limestone, also known as barn lime, balances the pH of soil and has weak insect repellent properties.
The other, hydrated lime, has stronger insect repelling abilities and odor destroying capabilities, but is caustic and hazardous to both humans and animals.
First Saturday Lime is as strong as hydrated lime, but as safe as quarried limestone, Zac said.
“There is nothing hazardous about it, yet it is very effective and strong for repelling insects,” he said.
Another natural product sometimes used to combat insects is diatomaceous earth, but it contains silica which can irritate and cause inflammation in the lungs of both humans and animals.
First Saturday Lime is becoming popular with poultry producers because it is safe, effective and does not cause respiratory issues for their chickens, Zac said.
A strong desiccant derived from totally natural products, First Saturday Lime has the ability to dry out insects, eggs and larvae, Jana said.
With just a once-amonth application, it not only repels insects, but is able to absorb moisture and neutralize odors associated with pet and livestock habitats, she said.
It can be easily and safely sprinkled on your lawn, in your garden, around the exterior of your home and in animal dwellings.
One of their first customers, Express Ranch, has also used the product in its Clydesdale horse operations, Zac said.
“We were actually going to use one of their Clydesdales in our ‘Shark Tank’ pitch, but because of their large size it wasn’t logistically possible on the set,” he added.
Because the product also works with chickens, they decided instead to take their resident chickens they keep at the production facility…. but that didn’t work out either.
Luckily, you can rent a chicken, with their handler of course, in Los Angeles, Jessica said.
“So we rented a chicken, Angel, and her stunt double, her handler, and bought all the travel permits to make it possible,” she said.
“It took a lot of coordination and it was my first time to ever rent chickens.”
The sharks seemed to like the chicken and especially Jennings’ imitation of a chicken sound, with Mark Cuban even asking to hear it a second time.
“It seemed to go over well, so it was worth it,” Zac said.
After their pitch, all the sharks were out except for two and they were asking for a little too much equity, but Jana stood her ground suggesting they meet in the middle.
“If you would do it for 25 percent, I think we could make it work,” she said on the show.
The two sharks didn’t budge.
But, unexpectedly, Kevin O’Leary, also known as ‘Mr. Wonderful’, was back in.
“I’ll do the deal,” he said.
“Done….deal,” Zac declared.
That was over six months ago and after the episode aired in April the product sold out.
“Our factory was full and we sold out the first night and have been trying to catch up ever since,” Jana said.
All the manufacturing, processing, bagging and fulfillment is done at the factory, Jessica said.
“We have a good team that is very supportive,” she said.
Their mother, Janelle Grellner, even gets in on the action packing boxes on her days off from her job as a professor of psychology at the University of Central Oklahoma.
“She has been a huge support throughout this process,” Jana said.
Although they do not have a retail store, the product is currently sold on their website, on Amazon, in some cooperatives, local businesses and other stores nationwide.
So what’s it like working with ‘Mr. Wonderful’?
“He is the kind of guy you want on your side,” Zac said. “He is very serious about business and his money, but he is really kind.”
“He is super nice,” Jessica said. “You don’t see that until after the show, but he has turned out to be such an awesome leader and so supportive.”
They all agreed that O’Leary is not like the image he portrays on the show.
“He is really wonderful and very supportive in all the companies he invests in,” Jana added.
O’Leary had recent plans to visit some of the companies he has invested in, including First Saturday Lime, but the plans had to be postponed due to the global pandemic.
One of the questions O’Leary asks on the show is, “What’s with the name?”
“It’s a once-a-month application, so on the first Saturday of the month we remind customers online that it is the perfect time to reapply,” Jessica said.
An image of a frog is conspicuously seen on every bag and is symbolic of more than one thing.
“When we started out creating First Saturday Lime, a little frog became a frequent visitor to our warehouse. We called that the frog Ricardo, after our Dad, Richard, and Ricardo stuck around until First Saturday Lime launched,” the sisters explain on the company website.
“Not only were frogs our Dad’s favorite animal, but they’re naturally pest-controlling creatures just like us! Now we put a little Ricardo on every bag of First Saturday Lime.”
The product is not only a safe alternative to insecticides, ecofriendly and easy to apply, but it is 100 percent made in America.
“Our goal has always been to give people a solution for a healthy alternative, because we really want to decrease dangerous pesticide use and we are hopeful this platform will help us do that,” Jessica said.
First Saturday Lime was born in response to the absence of effective pesticide options safe enough to use around kids and pets.
“We love our customers and are passionate about using First Saturday Lime to protect and improve lives, gardens, farms, pets and animals now and for generations to come,” Jana said.