EcoFare is a blog dedicated to helping you understand the importance of locally grown, sustainable food and how it is connected to your health and that of the planet.
We are Trent and Linda McNair, founders of Surf City Growers, Inc., a small organic nursery located in Aptos, California. We have 2 kids and a mengerie of dogs, cats and chickens. We left our full-time jobs in high tech to help families and schools eat healthier; support local, sustainable farming and gardening; and do our part in saving the Earth.
Surf City Growers is certified organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This makes Surf City Growers one of the few organic ornamental plant growers in the State of California, and perhaps the only one on the Central Coast.
While organic gardening has been a tradition passed on to us by our parents and grandparents, we realize that most people didn’t benefit from this education. As a result, kids today are further removed from understanding the fragility of the plant ecosystem and where their food comes from. We’ve also experienced people using pesticides, herbicides and fungicides without understanding the danger they pose on their families, pets and the environment. Yet, there are simple, organic solutions to almost any garden problem.
We are passionate about sustainable agriculture and gardening, and helping adults and children connect them to their health and that of the planet. We hope to convince you to try and grow your own fruits and veggies without the use of poisons, as well as support local farms that follow sustainable practices. Those two things alone can make a significant impact on the environment, your community, and your health.
For now, let’s focus on our personal health because it’s a crisis. There is an epidemic of obesity in America caused by poor dietary patterns and sedentary lifestyles. In fact, 1 out of 3 kids in the US are considered overweight or obese.
Fruit and vegetable consumption plays an important role in the prevention of obesity, diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Research shows that good eating habits, such as consuming fruits and vegetables, are established at an early age. And when practiced, these patterns stay with us throughout our lives.
We have hosted a bunch of field trips at our nursery and have seen, over and over again, how eager kids are to get into the garden. We decided that the biggest impact we could make is to create an easy way for them to do it.
Welcome to My First Organics seed starting kits. It’s our attempt to help parents, teachers and homeschoolers get kids excited about eating their fruits and veggies. Studies have shown that when kids have a hand in growing food, their understanding of it and its relationship to their health increases. Our kits are a hands-on activity that teaches Pre-Kindergarten kids to 3rd graders how to grow their own. The seeds and growing media are organic, and every component of the kit is recyclable, reusable or biodegradable.
We also decided to publish a book, “How a Garden Saves the Earth”, a beautifully illustrated children’s story about kids growing their own fruits and vegetables; it teaches them why it’s so good for them and the Earth. It is also simplistically explains the benefits of recycling and supporting local, sustainable agriculture. It’s a great accompaniment to the kit, so it is included with the homeschool and curriculum bundles as part of the lesson plan. It can also be purchased separately.
Thanks for your interest in our products and company. We hope you enjoy Ecofare, and look forward to hearing your comments.
