nourishmat: making urban farming easy

nourishmat: making urban farming easy
images courtesy of nourishmat

in an effort to bring healthy food and farming to urban environments, nourishmat encourages the farm to table movement by asking city dwellers to rethink their green spaces. the compact mobile gardening system is designed to make agriculture accessible and enjoyable to people living in big cities and small spaces. the kickstarter project was initiated by earth starter co-founders phil weiner and john gorby, who saw empty public spaces as community opportunity zones for mass social and ecological change. at the proposal’s core is the hope for a significant cultural shift by providing an afforadable, eco-friendly solution to people with limited resources and time.

the nourishmat, with some greenery beginning to sprout

nourishmat is multi-sensory and intuitive. the portable, roll-out mat is patterned with a grid of cutout holes. tiers of color-coated, labeled boxes are printed on the fabric surface, fitted between rows of self-supporting irrigation channels. each rectangle bears the name of a different vegetable, herb, or flower and the punch-outs reveal where the seeds should be placed. the mats are compatible with seedballs — compacted mixtures of clay, compost, chili-powder and GMO-free seedlings. since seedballs don’t require any digging or tilling of soil, they are a highly-efficient and easy-to-use planting tool. the 4×7 foot mat, which is reusable and lasts from three to five years, has the ability to empower people, regardless of age or ability, to harvest their inner gardener.

radish seeds grow in a grid

vegetables and fruits emerge from the nourishmat

vegetation will grow on any pre-exisiting healthy soil area

the nourishmat garden tells you where and when to plan your seeds

the clay-encased seedballs are protected from drying out, getting eaten by birds, or blowing away

a gardener pulls a small vegetable from the ground

the mat is a compact, mobile gardening system