As more and more Americans wake up to the idea that healthy food is a right, not a privilege, one of the areas which has seen the most innovation is helping people grow their own food at home. One of the pioneers in the space has been Lettuce Grow, whose innovative ‘Farmstand’ is a modular hydroponic solution, which only requires five minutes of attention a week, yet produces an abundance of healthy produce.
“We have to repair the American food system. I realized this when I became a father and my focus turned to making sure my kids were nurtured with fresh, organic food. It was the first time I really noticed the high price and inaccessibility – I was shocked. This ultimately led me on a journey to start an organic farm with the intention of providing low-cost organic produce to the masses,” said Jacob Pechenik, one of the founders of the company.
Lettuce Grow customers fill out a survey with details including their family size, where they live, what they like to eat, then the company curates and suggests the varieties that will grow best for them. They ship seedlings directly to their homes and give guidance on how to place them in the Farmstand. The Farmstand is a modular self-watering, self-fertilizing system that allows everyone to grow 20% of their own fresh, nutritiously alive food with no pesticides and 95% less water than traditional agriculture.
“It makes it so easy (and beautiful) for everyone and anyone to grow their own food at home, either outside or inside,” said Pechenik. Beyond putting fresh, nutritious meals in people’s homes, Lettuce Grow is also educating and building an engaged community through their platform with harvesting tips, preparation ideas, and guidance on a healthy, more conscious and sustainable lifestyle. The take-up across the country has been remarkable. “We’ve just surpassed 2,500,000 plants grown and harvested by our community which is represented across the 50 states,” he said.
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