More and more people are informing themselves on various forms of urban farming to counteract the heavy ecological footprint of industrial agriculture. However, there are very few options for the increasing number of people wishing to get involved but who don't necessarily have the time, the means, or the expertise for the more commonly practiced forms of urban farming. 

To meet this growing demand, the Elegant Farm offers a beautiful, rewarding and no-nonsense option for local urban food production. By contributing to the crowdfunding campaign, backers will help make the Elegant Farm widely available.

 

Born out of a desire to grow food indoors in his Montreal home, Jesse Herbert of Oopsmark developed the Elegant Farm vertical hydroponic system. It's easy to operate, takes up less than 1 square foot of space, costs 3¢ a week in electricity and grows greens, herbs and vegetables indoors year-round. Furthermore, it's handmade in Canada using natural, biodegradable and recycled materials. 

Jesse Herbert’s experience in environmental technology development informed his approach to product design, with a particular focus on taking responsibility for the lifecycle of materials. This meant substituting materials such as plastic, rubber and glue for natural and renewable materials wherever possible.

HOW WILL CROWDFUNDING HELP THIS PROJECT?

The crown jewel of the Elegant Farm design is the white oak whiskey barrel. Purchasing a barrel yourself and having shipped to your door would cost you roughly 100$. Through the power of crowd funding, however, we can make these beauties more affordable by meeting the minimum quantity required for a volume order direct from the manufacturer. Crowd funding support will also allow us to make custom machinery for cutting and polishing the recycled brown glass beer bottles used in the design.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Elegant Farm users plant seeds into small pieces of rockwool, leaving them to sprout. After a week or so, the seeds can be transplanted into one of the Elegant Farm planters to grow. The Elegant Farm is extremely energy efficient.

A small air pump uses bubbles of air to lift sections of water up from the reservoir to the top of the Elegant Farm. Water drips down through each planter, back to the reservoir where it is recirculated. In addition to this, the Elegant Farm produces delicious and abundant harvests using only natural light. However, users can upgrade the system with a timer as well as grow lights to improve yields.

The liquid nutrients are easily prepared, combining a two part solution. New Elegant Farm users will be provided with an instructional video to inspire them on the variety of ways to display their Elegant Farms. Backers who purchase Elegant Farms will receive everything they need to start growing their own food, including; seeds, liquid nutrients, rockwool, pump, tubing, PH tester and Elegant Farms!

MAINTENANCE

Maintaining the Elegant Farm is easy and rewarding. We've made it idiot proof so that even the most brown-thumbed of gardeners can enjoy the benefits of growing their own food at home. It's extremely easy to use: All you have to do is fill it up once a week. In addition to this, mixing the nutrients is very straight forward, and sprouting your own seeds is easy and virtually free!

FEATURES

  • 93% biodegradable and recycled materials
  • Costs 3 cents a week to run
  • Oak barrel reservoir ensures the plants are free of toxins like those leeched by plastic containers
  • Dark tubes prevent algae growth
  • Only requires water every week or two.
  • Easy to hang in many different ways 
  • Easy to setup and start growing
  • Sprouting your own seeds is virtually free 

 

 

To help make this a reality or simply get your hands on one, check out Elegant Farm and start growing!