Home-grown produce with none of the work. The nanofarm is made for people who don’t have the time or don’t have the space for a garden.
One of the most exciting advances for kitchens to hit the market this week is replantable’s nanofarm! In what seems like a scene out of “The Jetsons”, where Jane and George are growing their salad greens in their Skypad apartment’s kitchen in Orbit City, Alex Weiss and Ruwan Subasinghe, two Georgia Tech grads have been hard at work creating the first product that would actually allow us all to do just that – grow greens year round in small pods in our own homes!
It is projected that more than half of the produce grown in our country is thrown away.
Initially, Alex and Ruwan, started their work in an effort to help eliminate the food waste in our country. “It is projected that more than half of the produce grown in our country is thrown away.” After much deliberation and exploration they decided to create something that allowed consumers to grow their food, where they would prepare and eat it, thereby eliminating food miles (less waste and no carbon emissions from transportation). Up to this point kitchen appliances preserve food rather than grow it, so creating an appliance that would grow food would solve the food waste problem while allowing consumers to eat the freshest greens possible.
The nanofarm is a soil-less growing system using hydroponic technology. About the size of a small microwave, the appliance is a modular system, so that you can have more than one pod either stacked or side by side growing your favorite foods. All one needs is a power outlet and water. For approximately $13 per month you can grow most of the greens you need to feed your friends and family. The unit size is 17″ tall, 14″ wide and 12″ deep. It . Ideally if a consumer has more than one unit, not only can they grow a variety of greens, but they can also stagger production. This would be especially helpful during winter months in colder climates.
Their mission is “harvest on demand”, “pesticide free”, “zero maintenance”… sounds too good to be true, but their commitment to detail and their passion to bringing this to market has accomplished just that! The nanofarm gives their users the freshest food without any of the work of gardening. “It is for people who like food, not gardening.” Although if you enjoy both, like me, implementing this into my life is the equivalent of the day I brought home my Vitamix!
Customers select what they want to eat on the replantable website and their choice is shipped to them in a seedling pod that fits into the nanofarm. Everything the plant needs to grow is provided automatically by the nanofarm. There are only two controls on the unit: the weeks dial and the start button. To start a grow cycle, turn the weeks dial to the number indicated on the plant pad and push start. The harvest light turns on when your plants are ready to harvest and eat. It’s that easy!
While the nanofarm is not yet available for purchase in stores, replantable did launch their Kickstarter campaign this week, so it’s the perfect time to consider if the nanofarm is right for you! You can place your order now, which allows Alex and Ruwan the ability to perfect the latest prototype and bring it to the manufacturing stage, which is happening here in the U. S. A. Credit cards are only charged in October (if they meet the campaign goal), and units are expected to be delivered by next Fall. Giving new meaning to the term “farm to table”, the nanofarm’s compact size makes it easy to house in almost any spot in your living space. I plan to have several in our dining room this winter!
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