BAMBOX IS GROWING AND GROWING AND GROWING
INDOOR URBAN GARDENS GIVE A FRESH NEW PERSPECTIVE TO FARMING BY TYLER HURST
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t’s not easy growing food in a city. It’s even harder to grow sustainable, high-end produce at a price residents can afford. BAMBOX Produce believes they’ve figured it out. Short for Better Agricultural Methods, the BAM in BAMBOX powers the company’s entire philosophy. From their nutraceutical micro-green salads dubbed BAM-packs, to opening up new BAMBOX cultivation facilities, BAMBOX Produce is out not only to change the way we eat, but how we think about the food that we eat. “Sustainable lifestyle starts with the food we eat to fuel our body, and the food we eat starts with where and how it is grown,” President of BAMBOX Produce Chris Fox said. “Through these methods that we use to grow plants, we're really growing healthy people to allow our communities and our planet to thrive.” Sustainability was a key challenge for Fox and company, as perishable products like leafy and micro-greens don’t last longer than two or three weeks after harvest. Designed as a monthly subscription service with weekly delivery or pickup, BAMBOX Produce grows to order for every customer. Excess produce is sold at local farmer’s markets, which keeps waste down. “We work to go beyond just being a farm that grows food; we want to educate our communities, bring people together, and inspire others to wish to do the same,” says Fox. Fox, who started BAMBOX Produce after meeting Jason Licamele,
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a PhD in biological systems engineering from U of A, and David Slattery, who has a Wall Street background and a master’s degree in sustainability management from Columbia University while completing a holistic nutrition program, believes in what he calls the Three Pillars. • The first pillar, environmental responsibility, says do right by the planet because this is generally good for our body as well, according to Fox. • The second pillar, physical and mental well-being, has a direct connection for Fox. “The important thing is that we move our body,” Fox said. “For me, it's yoga that facilitates the link between physical and mental wellness by its very nature.” • Connection is the third pillar, which Fox describes as people being social creatures by nature and therefore well served by recognizing whatever connection we feel to each other and a Higher Power, in whatever form, that brings us all together. With 90 current customers and plans to provide for 750, BAMBOX Produce isn’t just looking to provide food, they’re looking to jumpstart an industry. “Because we grow indoors, we can place a BAMBOX anywhere, whether it's in the heart of a city or in the middle of the desert, or in this case both, and still provide local, nutrient-dense foods that don't have to travel thousands of miles,” said Nathan Knight, director of marketing, greenlivingaz.com