Susquehanna Style (and myself) recently attended Growing Lancaster, an event put together by Lancaster Young Professionals in July that aimed to highlight some new trends in this “Urban Farming Initiative” that we keep hearing about. The concept has spiraled out of the fact that people are wanting to live in urban areas to be close to things: restaurants, bars, parks, etc. But, these same people don’t want to sacrifice being able to have a garden. Growing Lancaster featured four local companies that are either aiming to make urban gardening a reality, or using small-space organic gardening techniques to create their products. I was able to chat with them and explore their products, which are all pretty great.
Rijuice
Have you had this stuff? Rijuice is 100% organic, raw, cold pressed juice. Hearing the description, one would think its too healthy to taste good, but that’s wrong. This stuff is like crack. They bottle different flavors often so you’re sure to get something different whenever you pick one up. Some of their key flavors:
- “A Million Bucks”- kale, spinach, apple, lemon
- “Red Rose”- beet, carrot, pineapple, apple, ginger
- “Sunshine Daydreeam”- apple, lemon, ginger
They are entering a partnership with LUFI (see below) to grow their ingredients even more local. You can buy Rijuice at a bunch of coffee shops in the area, Darrenkamps and Lancaster’s Central Market. You can also purchase on their website: http://rijuice.com
The Lancaster Urban Farming Initiative (LUFI)
The Lancaster Urban Farming Initiative is revolutionizing the use rooftops and blighted areas in downtown Lancaster. They are working to develop these rooftops into farms and greenhouses. Using membranes and lightweight soil, they are actually able to plant “fields” on top of buildings downtown, as well as construct greenhouses for winter growing. Not only will this help fill unused space, provide building insulation and purify rainwater, it will also keep produce that we eat, more local than ever. Visit LUFI’s website to learn more and donate to the cause: http://lancasterufi.org
BloomBox
Love the idea of small-space farming/gardening, but don’t know where to start? Check out BloomBox. This local startup is a subscription-based gardening company, which will provide you with urban planters, vertical gardens, and deliver fresh plants for them every six to eight weeks. They coin themselves as “Your personal gardener starting at $29/month.” Customers can choose from a variety of different urban planters, and choose whether they want flowers, veggies or herbs delivered. Every six to eight weeks, BloomBox will bring you new, fresh plants that are near-harvesting and remove the old ones for you. They also plan to offer tutorials and classes to members about small-space gardening. Check it out at www.getblooming.com
Menno Tea
Menno Tea was literally started in the founder’s dorm room while he and his business partner were in college. They got their start as a tea-producer based right here in Lancaster County, bottling tea to be sold at local shops and stores. Now they are carried in over 600 stores all over (primarily) the northeast US. You can find their bottled tea locally at cafes and grocery stores like Stauffer’s. You can also check out their (brand) new Menno Tea Café in Bird-in-Hand, where you’ll find their classic mint tea, as well as new items like mint-infused iced coffee, my personal favorite. Adding to their awesome story and products are their values, they focus on creating a simple product that is sustainable (some mint is grown right here in Lancaster) while being community focused. More at www.mennotea.com
