The Product
The World’s Smallest Garden transforms a simple bottle into a self-watering hydroponic garden, perfect for growing fresh food in small spaces. This compact device uses proprietary hydroponic techniques (patent pending) to create an ideal environment for seed germination, while allowing plants to water themselves. This innovative solution helps address the number one reason most indoor gardens fail: forgetful owners!
>> visit our YouTube page for brief instructional videos.
Unlike other market options that can cost hundreds of dollars and rely on complex pumps and automation, our product’s elegant simplicity is what makes it so appealing. It’s a fun, easy, and affordable way for anyone to grow fresh food at home, without the need for fancy gadgets.
The People Behind the Innovation
Founders Nate and Rob met in early 2016 and quickly became passionate about the idea of growing food at home. They saw an opportunity to help people overcome their fears and show that having a green thumb isn’t necessary to enjoy home gardening.
Nate left the finance industry in 2015, driven by a desire to create something his grandchildren would be proud of. A lifelong foodie, Nate learned to cook with spaghetti bolognese and has since taken culinary classes around the world, including earning a Certificate of Culinary Arts in Toronto. He loves Thai and Vietnamese cuisine and once spent a month exploring Vietnam's Central Highlands by motorbike in search of the perfect bowl of Banh Hoi, which he believes is all about the fresh herbs!
Rob, who holds a PhD, grew up on a wood farm in southeastern Massachusetts. After moving to NYC, he committed to making the city a bit greener. His dissertation focused on Vegetated Infrastructure, and he used his plant knowledge to help design food-growing systems after meeting Nate. At Urban Leaf, Rob oversees R&D, manufacturing, and dispatch. He is also known for his "Upper Westo Pesto," made with a steady supply of fresh basil!
At Urban Leaf, we strive to offer experiences that help people reconnect with their food. By understanding what real food looks like, where it comes from, and how it’s produced, we aim to help people make smarter food choices. The World’s Smallest Garden is just our first step. Our ultimate goal is to help build a future where food is fresh, local, and personal.
The Kickstarter Campaign
We’re excited to launch our product on Kickstarter on May 22 with a 30-day campaign. Look out for BIG discounts for Early-Bird backers! Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform that lets customers 'pre-purchase' a product. The project only moves forward if the funding goal is met, and if not, everyone gets their money back.
After hundreds of customer interviews, dozens of prototypes, and nearly 300 early adopters, we’re confident we’ve developed a product that works. We’ve been 3D printing these products and assembling them by hand in Rob’s apartment. The proceeds from the Kickstarter campaign will allow us to move into a proper production facility and scale up our operations so more people can enjoy the benefits of growing their own food.
You can read more about the details of the campaign here.
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