Essential Greens Kit

The Essential Greens Hydroponic Kit was created to put freshly grown produce into the hands of people who need it most. Having to depend on food pantries in the past, I understand the frustration and disappointment of bringing home produce that has seen better days. I have memories of excitedly reaching into the bag to take out the tomatoes, only to have a finger pierce the mushy, almost rotten tomato or feel the slimy residue on a head of lettuce and realize there is nothing edible left. Some months this was the only fresh produce that came into the house. 

I have worked with health clinics who were attempting to tackle the underlying causes of chronic illness by introducing fresh produce into their patients' lives.  Various programs have been created to increase consumption of fresh produce, especially for people experiencing chronic illnesses. There was a plan where the physician writes a "prescription" for fresh vegetables and fruit the patient takes to the grocery store to fill. Another involved keeping shelf-stable canned food at the clinic to give to patients who came for appointments. 

In some communities, transportation to a grocery store was a block. One county I worked in had only one grocery store. People who lived far away traveled to Virginia to buy groceries, meaning their North Carolina SNAP benefits (food stamps) couldn't be used. Often patients would recount that they couldn't afford to buy fresh produce; choosing to purchase meat and canned or frozen goods over anything fresh due to spoilage or cost. 

The Essential Greens kit is an answer to this problem. It is a Premium kit, with everything included that the Premium kit offers. It is offered at a reduced cost, subsidized by sales of Premium and Standard kits, as well as donations.  By providing a way for people to grow and harvest fresh produce at home, I hope to help people learn to incorporate fresh food into their diets, thereby avoiding chronic illness later in life. Children will learn how to grow their own food and will want to taste the items they have grown, establishing better eating habits early in life. 

Please consider a donation to help subsidize the Essential Greens kit. 100% of every donation will go towards supplying a family with this kit.