There are people who work at hydro stores, and then there are growers who work someplace to keep in touch with people like themselves. The two are hard to tell apart until you've spoken to them enough, and then the first kind tend to weed themselves out, and the second kind become invaluable resources.
Also, what works will eventually become known, through a Darwinian process of brute forcing all the options until hat works eventually rises to the top. Along the way, there is room for salesmen and bullshit- and a quick buck to be made.
Finally, this is an industry that while it is currently experiencing massive growth, there is very little that's actually new, unlike computers and programming, which have only existed for a relative eyeblink in human history. My point is that if someone says that what they're doing squares pretty well with what's come before, it's likely pretty good/safe/plausible. If someone say "THIS IS A REVOLUTION!!! AGRICULTURE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME!!!!" I'd say that your bullshit detector should be going nuts, or you need it calibrated... Obvious? Perhaps- but it is the single biggest advantage this industry has over a lot of other technology intensive pursuits out there, and we would do well to keep in foremost in mind when it comes to critically evaluating new chemistry, products, gear or techniques. fwiw...
