Why Kitchen Gardens Are So Important

Which Kitchen Garden Is Going To Meet The Needs Of Your Lifestyle?

With so many choices available it can seem overwhelming to try to choose the right one for you. Understanding your lifestyle and personal goals go a long way in cutting the overwhelm down to something manageable. No matter what your lifestyle or personal goals, there are three areas that lay the foundation for a kitchen garden. They play a key role in the success of health and wellness. The most pressing reason is the confidence you gain from knowing how your food was grown. Coming in at a close second is vibrant flavorful and fresh food. Lastly is self-sufficiency and sustainability. 

The KING of all reasons to grow what you can at home, organically grown does not mean pesticide free. A particularly enlightening article posted by the Scientific American goes into a great deal of detail regarding misconceptions of organic factory farms. Why is there such a rise in sever food allergies and related conditions? This has been the question getting more attention than ever in recent years. While there is no one answer, a piece of the puzzle seems to be the food we eat due to how it is gown. It is debated that the chemicals used, whether they are synthetic or organic, attack the gut biome. Over time, this can cause a permeated gut allowing toxins to leak into the body. This can trigger attacks from the immune system resulting in tissue and muscle inflammation. Other symptoms can be fatigue, bloating, food sensitivities, digestive issues and skin problems to name a few. 

Health Line released a couple of articles focusing on gut health in relationship to the pesticides our commercial produce is grown with. Diseases like Celiac Disease (gluten intolerance), Diabetes, Crohn's Disease, Irritated Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and food allergies are on the rise in numbers we have never recorded before. It's alarming and has the health industry scrambling to find hard answers. A Netflix Series, Rotten, has an episode, The Peanut Problem,  that goes into detail about the questionable rise in peanut allergies and other related food allergies. It strives to answer the questions; why are we seeing such an uptick in allergic reactions to common foods and what can we do about it? Until there are definitive answers, what can we do as individuals to fortify ourselves against becoming victim to conditions and diseases that may be linked to our food? We can roll up our sleeves and get back to a time in our history where we grew a few essentials at home. Only this time technology makes it easy.

NATUFIA

Growing food at home so that it can be legitimately and with certainty raised without pesticides isn't the only benefit. You simply can't beat the rich flavors and freshness that you get with homegrown fruits, vegetables and herbs. A large part of the lack of taste in produce from the grocery stores is linked to the transportation. Many types of produce have to picked long before it is ripe so that it can be transported over long distances without rotting or becoming damaged. This interrupts the natural ripening process. What you are left with is "the red ripened appearance of the tomato...what lies underneath its beautiful red skin is an unripened fruit." Some  important vitamins like vitamin C are reduced in potency by transportation. The freshness of homegrown is unparalleled. Kitchen gardens and edible landscapes allow you to harvest food as you need it. Food goes straight from the vine to food prep. Micro greens and herbs tend to be the most time sensitive once they are harvested. That is why, in the grocery store, you see so many packed with roots in tact. The other major challenge about store bought produce is can you consume enough of what you purchased before it goes rotten becoming food waste?

This brings us to the third fundamental reason that kitchen gardens will become a kitchen standard. Reduction of food waste. Senate Bill 1383 goes into effect this year requiring Californians to separate organic waste from other trash. What does this mean for you? Probably, at the very least, adding another container to your refuse in the kitchen that is dedicated to organic waste. Composting was already on the rise so this bill should give it an extra jolt. Again, kitchen gardens are going to play their roll in this lifestyle change. Not only do they allow a greater period of freshness for produce but it reduces food waste at the same time. Unlike purchased greens and herbs, you can let them remain rooted until you need them. Cut your wheat grass and microgreens as you need them for sandwiches, salads, soups, etc. Harvest fruits, leafy greens and vegetables per meal instead of forgetting about them in the bottom of the refrigerator. This saves money and the time it takes cleaning out degraded food from the refrigerator. 

Which Kitchen Garden Does Lynn Recommend?

That really depends on you, how involved you want to be in the process and how much food you want to grow. Do you like to be "hands on" or are you a "set it and forget it" type gardener? Do you plan on starting seeds in the house and transplanting them into your landscaping? Lynn is very good at asking her clients all of the right questions to discover the products that will be a perfect fit for your lifestyle. 

Gardyn 2.0: If you are a hands on person that needs very little assistance then this may be the kitchen garden of choice. You can grow up to 30 plants within a 2'x2' space. Other features that make this garden simple are: 

• AI: Use the app to track your garden. If you are on vacation, your app is set to take over for you to keep your plants alive and healthy. 

• Novel Hybriponic™: No mess. This is a hydroponic system so there is no soil or dirt to fuss with. The patented technology creates 2x the density of other hydroponic systems. 

• Vertical Gardening: It is the way of the world these days. Vertical gardening is making the most of what little space we have. Whether you live in a townhouse or a graciously sized single family home, you will make the most out of every square inch of garden space. 

• California Water Conservation: An ultrasonic water sensor increases water accuracy for optimal water management to boost plant growth and autonomy. The upgraded water pump is more energy efficient requiring less power.  
• Cost: The 2.0 Gardyn Kit comes it in at a conservative $849. The 1.0 Gardyn Kit is on sale for $499 until January 31st. 

The Urban Cultivator: This is an under counter unit that closely resembles a wine cooler in size and appearance. This cultivator is one that Lynn personal has in her kitchen. She uses it to grow microgreens for her meals and for juicing. She also uses it to propagate fruits and vegetables for her edible landscape. In fact, she loves the unit so much that she is now a premier dealer for their product. You can contact her directly for pricing. This unit is completely self contained. Some of the features are: 

• Easy Peasy: This self contained unit regulates water, light and humidity. It requires minimal weekly maintenance. Within days you can have fresh and nutritious microgreens to dine on or juice. 

• Stylish: The designers took the time to make these units very attractive. They fit into a dishwasher profile and are wired and plumed into existing utilities in the kitchen. You may also opt to go with a free standing unit on casters made to look like a small utility island. 

• Variety: You can grow up to 8 varieties of greens and microgreens at one time. 

• Support: You get support 7 days a week. No waiting over the weekend. It is CSA certified and comes with a 3 year warranty.

• Cost: Contact Lynn directly for the best deal on the unit (760) 568-2054.

Natufia: This company is a combination of Gardyn and Urban Cultivator in terms of options. The Natufia One option is similar to the Gardyn unit if not a more stylish unit. The other option is a full size (think of a slim full size wine unit) self contained unit similar to the Urban Cultivator. Some of the features are:

• Natufia One: Can grow up to 20 plants on a central spiral pillar. It includes LED lighting, water system, and nursery tray. Weekly maintenance is minimal. You can grow everything from medicinal plants to flowers. 

• Natufia Smart Garden: By far the MOST elegant and robust vertical garden system for your kitchen. It resembles a full size refrigerated wine unit in appearance. Open the door to this built-in unit to access any of your 32 plants growing fresh produce. These units fit seamlessly with your kitchen cabinet design. 

• Cost: There is a vast difference in pricing for these units. The Natufia One has an Early Bird special running for a limited time of $395. While it is 10 plants shy of the Gardyn 1.0 this price will not last long and is expected to be $795 regularly. Natufia Smart Garden comes in at $7,995. Keep in mind this is a full garden built in to your cabinetry. This is for self sufficiency and having everything you want and need on hand. Arguably the full unit is worth every penny for the elegance, technology and simplicity it provides. 

WELLNESS KITCHEN DESIGN: VERA ICONICA

Other than during WWI no time has ever been pressing like now to start home gardening. What was once considered novel and only a hobby for garden enthusiasts is now a necessity. "US food waste is estimated to be 30-40% of the food supply, and Californians throw away approximately 6 million tons of food waste annually." It is hard to say which is more pressing, 68% of food waste ending up in landfills creating methane gasses or pesticide contaminated food creating diseases and conditions. Our desert communities do not have to be victims of circumstance. We have the power to take control of our health in an easy and straightforward way, regardless of our gardening skills, when it comes to our herbs, fruits and vegetables. Almost passively it allows us to contribute to healing environmental damage one household at a time. Kitchen and bath specialists like Lynn who focus on wellness living are taking the lead in helping clients improve their lifestyle. They are able to point out the opportunities for optimal wellbeing in your kitchen and bath remodels. We can all make a difference individually and as a community one home at a time.