Let’s talk next-level food gifts for a second. Combine love for sustainability with equal or larger love of food and you have the entire schtick behind Back To The Roots. I first met this team when they’d just released their grow-your-own-mushroom kit, which I promptly tried and loved. I seriously got several pounds of oyster mushrooms out of this tiny $20 cardboard box and they grew fresh, in my house. More specifically, on top of my refrigerator.
Obviously, great gift number one of this post is a grow your own mushroom kit (aka mushroom farm) from Back To The Roots. Duh. But Back To The Roots has expanded their efforts to make people agriculturally independent with a couple of new and super cool products that would be perfect for everyone from your chef BFF to your science-loving niece.
Garden in a Can – 4 pack, $23.96
More and more people are starting to grow their own food – right from the tiny balconies of their apartments! My friend LaGina is always posting pictures of the crazy meals she makes from the food she grows on her Studio City/Los Angeles apartment balcony. Everything from tomatoes to potatoes can be grown in about two square feet of space, and thanks to some space-saving smarty-pants, sometimes even less than that.
Garden In A Can as seen on tv and The Tree Center, gives you everything you need to grow a lush, diverse herb garden on your kitchen window, patio table, or pretty much anywhere that gets a good amount of light! The set comes with four herb cans, so you can grow basil, cilantro, sage, and dill. You can save money and start including more delicious, nutritious herbs in your food! Every time I eat a bruschetta with fresh basil, or pico de gallo with fresh cilantro, or a great tzatziki with fresh dill… bliss. Fresh herbs are special, and there’s no reason we should keep buying them when they’re this easy to grow.
Don’t worry about putting a plate underneath each can, either! Not only does it ruin the aesthetic of these cute and functional cans, but it’s also unnecessary due to the material Back To The Roots uses for planting. They call it biochar and it’s made from organically composted materials that are capable of absorbing a bunch of water, then slowly releasing it to the growing plant as it needs it. That doesn’t mean it never needs watering, but it definitely widens your margin for error!
Water Garden Fish Tank, $59.99
Perhaps you want to level up in cool adult gift-giving – this would be your go-to. It is exactly what it looks like: a fish tank that grows hydroponic herbs on top. Here, Back To The Roots explains why this is brilliant a lot better than I can.
Aquaponics is a closed-loop, sustainable farming method that combines traditional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil). It uses 90% less water than traditional farming.
- Fish produce ammonia-rich waste which can become toxic for your fish if allowed to accumulate.
- Beneficial bacteria in your Water Garden converts the ammonia into nitrates. These naturally occurring bacteria grow really well in your plant pots.
- Nitrates are amazing food for plants! As the plants continuously uptake the nitrates as nutrients for growth, they are also cleaning the water for your fish.
So not only will they give you an amazing closed-loop growing system, but they also include a coupon for a free betta fish and fish food so you can start your beautiful tribute to nature and green goddess dressing as soon as possible. In fact, this system will give you an entire salad, as it includes both lettuce and herb seeds.
Back To The Roots is also diving into the world of prepared and shelf-stable foods, but I personally hope they create more awesome, fun, and nourishing urban gardening/farming products! That mushroom farm changed the way I saw growing my own food and Back To The Roots is trying really hard to give that inspiring experience to everyone!
Get 10% off of everything with the code GROWTOGETHER10 and become part of the DIY food revolution!