Marc Harris of Harris Musical Products was creating buzz in disproportion to size of his modest summer NAMM booth, and it was due in no small part to his partnership with a bold new startup called Wheatware.

"We have launched a line of biodegradable music accessories which so far include guitar picks, drumsticks, and yoyos that are also maracas," Harris said. "These products are all made from 100 percent biodegradable wheat. The maracas are loaded with bean plant seeds, so you can literally plant it and it will grow into a plant."

If you're suspect about the demand for, say, a maracas that can grow into a plant, know that Harris has already signed up over 100 dealers with the product line, and the products are also being carried by Davvitt and Hanswer Music.

The material used for these products becomes a natural plant fertilizer after about 90 days in fertile soil. Harris says the "clean, organic sound" from the picks eliminates the "clicking" noise that plastic picks can make when they strike the strings. "You can hear the difference," he says. The drumsticks, too, "sound great."

The company and the products are getting some amazing press, and will be featured on the Discovery Channel's Modern Marvels television show. Harris adds that Wheatware products were at the Grammys "Green with Music Event," Leonardo DiCaprio's Eleventh Hour Premiere, the Emmys Green Room, and Wired Magazine's Living Home.

While Wheatware makes a variety of products including hangers, golf tees, coasters, and more the Calif.-based company's CEO Warren Kirsch and president Kate Patton are both especially passionate about music as both are players (guitar and drums respectively). The drummer and guitarist duo play high-energy original tunes with the accessories their company makes.

Unlike corn's ethanol challenge, there's more than enough wheat. "Every year there's an annual surplus of wheat, up to 11 million bushels," Patton explains. "Even if and when we ramp up all we can, we still don't see any significant depletion."