With stakes in brands like Memphis Meats, Rebellyous Foods, and BlueNalu, he’s undeniably a pioneer in sustainable food and agriculture investment.

Now, together with several other investors, Prince Khaled is supporting the latest funding round by Back to the Roots. Many consider this California-based company a leader in organic gardening.

Making gardening accessible

Founded in 2009 by Alejandro Velez & Nikhil Arora, Back to the Roots aims to make gardening ‘accessible to growers of all experience levels’. And by the same token ‘in all types of living environments’.

Current investors S2G Ventures and Acre Venture Partners led the funding round with participation from John Foraker, Fund Good Jobs, and Prince Khaled.

Back to the Roots

Back to the Roots will use this financing to ‘fuel rapid growth of its line of 100 percent U.S-grown seeds’.

It trialed a pilot seed packet program last Spring in 100 Home Depot stores. This pilot seed program included 92 varieties of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers, all organic and non-GMO.

Now the company subsequently has plans to expand the program. In effect, capital will be invested ‘scaling up national distribution and marketing for the line’.

As a result, the program will hit Home Depot stores, Albertsons, and H-E-B supermarkets across the U.S next Spring.

U.S-grown seeds

Notably, Back to the Roots’ seed line is the country’s first national 100 percent U.S-grown retail seed packet program.

And the seeds’ U.S origin became more valuable recently after Amazon banned the sale of foreign seeds into the U.S.

‘Investing in the future of gardening’

Nikhil Arora is a co-founder and co-CEO of the company. In a statement sent to PBN, he said: “Our investors aren’t just investing in Back to the Roots. 

“They’re investing in a future of gardening where every kid can experience the magic of growing their own food and learning about where it comes from.We are building the garden brand for a new generation.”

They are ‘grateful’ for their investors’ support, he added. In particular, at this time, while they work to bring their products and mission ‘into every home and classroom in the country’.

‘Incredible momentum’

Alejandro Velez is the company’s other co-founder and co-CEO. He added: “As we expand our packet seed program, we’re also excited to help shine a light on the incredible American farmers growing our seeds and dedicating themselves to taking care of the land.”

Describing momentum around the program as ‘incredible’, he said it shows consumers specifically want transparency around the origin of their seeds.

“And we’re excited to keep pushing that forward, leading the industry,” he said.

Prince Khaled

Speaking about why he invested in the company, Prince Khaled said: “There’s no better testimony on why KBW Ventures invested in Back To The Roots than the story of how I met Nikil and Alejandro.

“I was a customer. Literally I bought a few of their grow kits and posted about how great their products are on Instagram stories. Soon, through a dear friend Caroline Love, an introduction was made and this happened to coincide with their funding round.

“There is no greater sales pitch than positive spirit. They are enthusiastic over-qualified founders with a passion to do what they’re doing. And they are doing it super well judging by their numbers.”

Gardening kits

While expanding its seed program, Back to the Roots will simultaneously ‘support the continued growth of its small-space gardening kits’.

With this purpose in mind, it will add four new products to the line. Specifically, a self-watering succulent kit, and three kids grow kits, to launch in Walmart and Lowe’s this fall.

At the same time, Back to the Roots is also selling a range of gardening products. These include easy-to-use veggie grow kits, mushroom kits, aquaponic systems, and more. They can be found in over 10,000 U.S stores, on its website, and via Amazon.

The post Prince Khaled Backs Organic Seed Brand Making Gardening ‘Accessible To All’ appeared first on Plant Based News.

A free online session will help aspiring gardeners start producing their own veggies.

The Veganic Gardeners’ Question Time event, hosted by the Vegan Organic Network on Zoom, will take place on April 28 starting at 7pm (BST). It will last for 45-minutes.

A panel of experts will host the event, answering gardening questions sent in by the audience. They aim to inspire and bring new ideas to foragers, growers and gardeners alike.

Experts

A host of experts will present the event, including Matthew Appleby, a gardening journalist and author, Jo Kidd: co-founder of Vegan Organics Kent, conservationist, author and keen grower of fruit and veggies Piers Warren, and Ellen Mary, a horticultural radio show host, TV presenter, and writer.

“Tune in to our show and become part of the growing revolution which can not only transform your garden plot but also change the way the world grows its food,” the event organizers say.

“Join us for an entertaining evening and some twenty-four carrot advice. Grow veganic for a cruelty-free world with clean rivers and oceans, wildlife, trees and safe food that doesn’t cause deadly viruses which come from the trade in dead animals.”

You can find out more about the event here

You can join the event live on Zoom where you can ask questions here

The event will stream to the organization’s Facebook page without interaction here

Please send questions to events@veganorganic.net

The post Vegan Organic Network To Host Veganic Gardeners’ Question Time Online appeared first on Plant Based News.

It was fashion designer and gardening expert Ron Finley who coined the phrase ‘growing your own food is like printing your own money’ back in a 2013 TedTalk.

These words resonate stronger now than ever before. As the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic continues to spread, we’re beginning to question how effective our reliance on supermarkets is.

Permaculture

But urban farmer and permaculture expert Jack Hodgson is spearheading the movement to reconnect with nature, teaching people everything they need to know about growing their own vegetables.

Despite never trying an avocado until he was 24-years-old, Jack, curator of PBN Grow, now runs a market garden in Essex, England, with three simple principles: no-dig, permaculture, and bio-dynamic farming.

He is also the latest to feature on the Plant Based News Podcast, hosted by PBN Co-Founder Robbie Lockie.

The pair discuss the UK’s problem with food waste, how to tackle pests when growing your own vegetables, and how Brexit will affect the farming industry.

2020 Food Revolution conference

If you’re interested in the power of food, why not sign-up for the free 2020 Food Revolution conference?

The nine-day virtual event, which runs from April 25- May 3, features 25 of the world’s most trusted food and nutrition experts, including Dr. Greger and Dr. Barnard. The summit will present the most up-to-date research and information about food, nutrition, disease prevention, immune health, and environmental stewardship.

You can sign-up for the free online event here

The post Why Growing Your Own Vegetables Is Like Printing Your Own Money appeared first on Plant Based News.

More and more people are connecting with nature and growing their own vegetables. Foraging, in many ways, is an extension to that – utilizing Mother Nature’s most natural ingredients.

In the hedgerows, woods, parks, and streets across Britain are a bounty of plants you can pick for free to transform vegan meals with new textures and tastes.

Many can be foraged all year round, and contain immune-boosting properties as well as an abundance of vitamins.

1. Dandelions

Found in just about every street, field, and garden, dandelions are largely considered a nuisance weed. They are actually rich in vitamins: containing iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium from the yellow flowers down the stem and leaves which can be cooked or eaten raw.

Dandelions have been used for centuries to combat disease, and more recent science suggests they are a good aid for digestion.

2. Wild Garlic

You can crush and blitz wild garlic to make pesto, wilt it like spinach in stews and curries, or use both the white flowers and slim leaves in salads.

Spring is the ideal time for foraging wild garlic, and it is commonly found in woodlands.

According to foraging experts, the pungent plants have similar properties to bulb garlic in scent and flavor, and have been found to improve digestion and help lower cholesterol.

3. Pennywort

With flat and round leaves, pennyworts can be easily spotted in the crooks of walls and in hedges.

Their taste is subtle, but their crisp texture adds bite to salads and can be used as an alternative to lettuce. Pennyworts contain vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, as well as magnesium and calcium.

4. Sea beet

Also known as wild spinach or wild beet, sea beets can be found on the coast, by rivers, and in fields.

They stand out for their thick and pointy dark green leaves which can appear scrunched or twisted.

The closer to the coast sea beets are found, the saltier they can be in flavor. Sea beets are just as delicious eaten raw, boiled, roasted or steamed.

5. Nettles

Stinging nettles are high in vitamin C and are widely used to make herbal teas. Make sure you use gardening gloves to pick the plants and avoid getting stung, before washing the leaves and boiling them for a few minutes to eat.

PS. Avoid eating nettles once they have formed flowers.

If you’re interested in foraging, permaculture, and growing your own vegetables – follow our new Instagram account PBN Grow

The post Five Nutrient-Dense Foods You Can Forage In The UK appeared first on Plant Based News.