I had the good fortune of being invited to Arlene Dickinson’s private home where she gave me a tour and introduced me to the Urban Cultivator.
How does the Urban Cultivator contribute to a healthier lifestyle for you and your family? My schedule is so hectic, like so many others out there. It’s tempting to just grab a quick bite from the neighbourhood restaurant, especially if the fridge is empty – so eating a balanced meal can be a challenge. The Urban Cultivator helps me incorporate healthy foods into my diet easily. It ensures I eat greens on a daily basis, and get the high nutritional value of fresh cut greens. Did you know that fresh cut greens offer twice the nutritional value of store bought greens? And by growing these sprouts and greens inside my kitchen, I make sure that every meal incorporates these. I never thought a zero-mile diet would be possible – but turns out it is! And there’s an ever-growing importance around food safety. There’s a growing number of news stories talking about food and produce recalls due to dangerous contamination. Having an Urban Cultivator in my kitchen means I know where my greens are coming from 365 days a year. No pesticides used and no danger of food contamination gives me peace of mind knowing what I’m feeding my family is not just nutritious but free from any kind of chemicals.
What do you like to grow in there? My favourite herb is cilantro. Now I have it fresh every day and I try to incorporate it into most of my meals. I just love the smell, the taste and the way it makes me feel. I’m also growing wheatgrass. While I may not love the way it tastes, it certainly gives me that boost of energy I need to tackle my days.
How does the cultivator work and how often do you cut the produce for consumption. How fast does it re-generate? The Urban Cultivator is fully automated so it really doesn’t take too much effort, which is good with my busy lifestyle. All I need to do is plant the seeds and watch them sprout. Timing depends on what you plant. For example, wheatgrass grows within a week and replenishes itself quickly. The traditional greens like cilantro, basil, spinach, lettuces, etc. take a bit longer – approx. 90 days. So I plant some quick growing sprouts like radish and pea sprout and then one or two traditional greens for my fresh salads.
What made you invest in this product on Dragons’ Den? can you talk about preventative medicine taking care of your health etc. here and how you see this as a solution for all households to go organic. As soon as these guys walked into the Den I could see the passion they had for their product and to make our world a better place. I saw Urban Cultivator’s potential right from the beginning and I could see Urban Cultivator being built right into homes and condos across the globe. And as I mentioned before, food safety is a big thing for me. Urban Cultivator is truly that revolution that households have been desperately wanting. If you grow your own, you know what you are putting into your family’s body.
We need to be conscious of our own environmental impact. I’m also not a scientist so I tend to only invest in technologies I can understand. The great thing about Urban Cultivator is that everyone has to eat and so the concept is very easy to grasp – a zero mile diet. And these guys have made it a reality.
To learn more on the Urban Cultivator, please visit their website at www.urbancultivator.net
