There are so many great reasons to begin growing with Tower Garden. By growing their own produce, our growers have been able to eat cleaner, save money, foster healthier lifestyles, and maximize their positive impact on the environment.
As the world becomes more environmentally conscious, we’re gaining further insight into how our actions directly affect the world around us. Simple steps like minimizing waste, decreasing our carbon footprint, and making the most of the resources available can all be achieved with Tower Garden.
Learn more about the environmental benefits of growing with Tower Garden below.
Leaving a Smaller CO2 Footprint
The USDA reports that each week 88% of U.S households use their cars to drive back and forth to their preferred grocery stores, traveling an average of 4 miles each way. This alone results in roughly 17 million metric tons of CO2 released from car tailpipes each week simply from driving to get groceries.
Next, think about the amount of plastic bags, packaging, wrappers, and other waste that typically comes with a grocery shop. Even if it’s properly discarded, which it so often isn’t, the negative impact this has on our environment continues to escalate at alarming rates.
Tower Garden looks to reduce the carbon footprint of households around the country by making it easy for individuals and families of all sizes and experience levels to grow their own fruits, vegetables, and herbs from home. The more food we grow at home decreases our dependence on grocery stores, which, in turn, reduces carbon emissions and plastic waste.
Uses Only 10% of the Land of Traditional Farming
The Tower Garden FLEX and HOME models both sport a sleek, futuristic, vertical design. Not only was this done to create a nice aesthetic, but also to conserve space in homes, cities, and rural areas around the world. With this technology, places like underserved urban communities, college campuses, and even airports can experience the benefits of vertical farms, known as ‘Tower Farms.’
The USDA reports that the average farm is 444 acres large. The machinery, equipment, and trucks needed to harvest, package, and transport crops from these farms to inner cities and suburbs is daunting. As the number of Tower Farms continues to rise alongside the vertical farming movement, the future of farming is looking more sustainable and eco-friendly.
Recycles 100% of Nutrients and Water
Reducing waste is a major benefit of Tower Garden, and that’s not exclusive to plastic. Tower Garden systems are designed to recycle all of the water and nutrients collected in their 13-gallon and 20-gallon reservoirs. These reservoirs act as miniature aquifers, holding freshwater that is pumped upward to nourish the growing plants in the unit.
While the reservoir does need replenishing every now and then, for the most part it functions using the same water over and over again to grow your greens. That’s sustainability that traditional gardens just can’t match. In fact, aeroponic gardens like Tower Garden use roughly 98% less water than traditional, soil-based growing methods.
While water is the world’s most abundant resource, only 3% of it is freshwater. Of that freshwater, just one-third is readily available for use in agriculture and throughout our cities. As populations increase, so does the demand for freshwater. Water conservation is becoming more important for all of us, so any little action, such as changing your gardening habits, can go a long way.
Reduces Need for Pesticides and Herbicides
It’s not breaking news that pesticides are harmful to the environment. According to environmental protection experts, “Pesticides can contaminate soil, water, turf, and other vegetation. In addition to killing insects or weeds, pesticides can be toxic to a host of other organisms including birds, fish, beneficial insects, and non-target plants.”
Tower Garden reduces the need for pesticides because the pH-balanced ionic minerals and plant nutrients in Tower Tonic provided with every Tower help produce strong, healthy plants that can better protect themselves from plant pests and disease. Tower Garden units also thrive indoors, rendering pesticides and other harmful chemicals unnecessary.
Helps Bees and Other Pollinators Do Their Jobs
While their stings may be painful, bees and other pollinators are absolutely crucial to our ecosystem. According to the FDA, “Pollination is vital to the approximately 250,000 species of flowering plants that depend on the transfer of pollen from flower anther to stigma to reproduce.” When it comes to Tower Garden, pollinators also play a pivotal role in helping crops like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers grow big and healthy.
To support their survival, Tower Garden units can help by providing much needed sources of pollen to the world’s decreasing bee and pollinator populations. For those growing outdoors, planting specific types of flowers and herbs can attract these pollinators and provide them with much needed nutrients that allow them to do their job effectively. In return, they’ll also help pollinate some of your crops that need it the most.