Fresh Square, an autonomous indoor garden, helps you grow herbs and small veggies in the most natural way at home. It’s where “eat-local” and “homegrown” become more than just hashtags.
Developed at Gembloux Agro–Bio Tech, one of Belgium’s most renowned institutions for agriculture, Fresh Square is the only 100% natural way to grow food indoors. Standing at 1.5ft tall, this domestic garden is stylish and perfect for any home.
Unlike most indoor gardens, each Fresh Square can grow up to 12 plants (ideal for herbs, salads, small veggies and roots) and includes refills of smart soil that is absolutely chemical-free and releases the right nutrients according to growth phases. Refills of nonhydroponic soil and seeds are delivered four times a year so the soil is always freshly replenished. Users can also anticipate the delivery of various seeds, including rare species of edible flowers, Thai basil and more to explore new tastes.
One of the many advantages of Fresh Square comes from its vertical infrastructure. An agricultural growing technique known as permaculture allows each plant to be strategically paired with another. It means that plants help each other grow faster and sounder. It also requires little indoor space, so up to four Fresh Squares can be assembled or stacked to grow as many as 48 individual plants. Plants can even be arranged in each box by height or plant type.
There’s no need to stress over daily watering or other plant maintenance with Fresh Square. Special wicks transmit the right amount of water to the soil for plants to grow at an optimal potential, while the low energy LED lights (30 watts) encourage growth in home.
Shortly after the creators met at Climat’up startup weekend in Paris, they realized their shared passion for food, health, entrepreneurship and all things eco-friendly. Both saw the necessity for more products to grow organic food, which eventually set Fresh Square in motion.
“I find it truly unfortunate that we can no longer trust the foods we eat,” says Solene Guere, biologist, CEO and co-founder of Fresh Square. “I want to live in a world where our food is safe and natural, where decreasing our carbon footprint isn’t just an afterthought, but a concept that is integral in the way in which we live our lives. We wanted to create a product that was good for everyone, especially the earth.”
Founders Lou and Solene have turned to Kickstarter to raise the 50,000€ ($56,000) needed for quality assurance, manufacturing and distribution. Early Bird Backers can pledge 150€ ($169) and receive an instant discount of 50% to get their very own Fresh Square, estimated to be delivered by May 2017.
For more information, visit the Fresh Square website.
- Photos: Fresh Square
