[vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1602488691191{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column css_animation=”slideInUp” width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8807″ img_size=”500×300″ alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_text_separator title=”” color=”black” border_width=”3″][vc_custom_heading text=”GROW YOUR” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:34px|text_align:center|color:%23ed1c24|line_height:34px” google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css_animation=”appear”][vc_custom_heading text=”OWN FOOD” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:34px|text_align:center|color:%23ed1c24|line_height:34px” google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css_animation=”appear”][vc_custom_heading text=”It doesn’t matter if you’ve a garden or not, it’s possible either way!” font_container=”tag:h5|text_align:center|color:%23ed1c24″ google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css_animation=”appear”][vc_column_text]
This article only takes 5 minutes of your time
[/vc_column_text][ultimate_fancytext strings_textspeed=”350″ strings_backspeed=”0″ fancytext_tag=”h3″ fancytext_strings=”By Susan Lau” strings_font_style=”font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;” strings_font_size=”desktop:15px;” fancytext_color=”#ed1c24″ strings_font_family=”font_family:Montserrat|font_call:Montserrat|variant:regular”][vc_text_separator title=”” color=”black” border_width=”3″][/vc_column][vc_column][vc_column_text]The benefits are endless when it comes to growing your own food. To name a few, it’s economical, eco-friendly, healthier and it can be very therapeutic.
Growing your own food can be fun but how do you start doing so? That’s usually the question that many have and are unsure about who to turn to, a reliable source who can help them with their gardening woes.
That was what inspired the founders of Eats, Shoots & Roots to start their business. This home-grown business has been in the industry for eight years, providing timeless information to urbanites on how to get your own garden started.
Beatrice Yong from Eats, Shoots & Roots aims to inspire more Malaysians to grow their own food and she speaks to us about how you can do so with simple kits and tools without the need for an acre of land.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1597027682459{margin-top: 3% !important;margin-bottom: 3% !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column][ultimate_carousel slides_on_desk=”1″ slides_on_tabs=”1″ slides_on_mob=”1″ infinite_loop=”off” autoplay=”off” next_icon=”ultsl-arrow-right2″ prev_icon=”ultsl-arrow-left2″ dots_color=”#ed1c24″ adaptive_height=”on” centermode=”” item_space=”0″][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8774″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1602666916263{margin-top: 3% !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][info_list font_size_icon=”24″ eg_br_width=”1″ connector_animation=”fadeInUp”][info_list_item list_title=”What inspired you to start Eats, Shoots & Roots” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]
We were inspired by the joy of growing food in your own backyard, and how it could make a small difference not only in the way we appreciated our food, but also how our daily lives relate and impact nature. It’s a learning journey and it’s what drives us to continue exploring and searching for solutions, to work and live better with nature.
[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”Can you share with us briefly how it all started?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]
We started the business wanting to help people like ourselves connect to resources needed to grow food in our own homes. Eight years ago it wasn’t so easy to find relevant information to our climate and materials were not easy to source. So, essentially when we put out our products and services it’s very much to help urban folks get started in the easiest way possible. We also wanted to help parents who want to connect their children to nature through gardens, as we really want to try to inculcate environmental- conscientiousness from an early age, and we do this via helping families set up edible gardens in their spaces, and also exposing kids to edible gardening through our school holiday programmes.
At the heart of it, our intentions are to make the learning and growing experience an enjoyable one and we try to do this through making gardening accessible via our garden kits that available online, which range from simple seed packs that people can buy as gifts, to large garden beds, as well as by journeying with those who need some help in their garden via workshops and more.
[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”How does Eats, Shoots & Roots encourage people to lead a healthier life?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]What we deem to be a healthier life can be subjective, and we don’t judge! What we do hope is that by growing your own vegetables, it will lead to more conscious choices, solutions and questions about the bigger picture such as food, waste, energy, water, air, land – essential and crucial parts in living a healthier life.
[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”Why would you encourage Malaysian to grow to their own food? Can it be a family affair?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]Whilst it might not be possible for everyone to grow everything they need in their spaces, we feel that it is a really good basic skill that everyone should have, and that urban folks lack. Growing in backyards will enable people to really understand how food is grown, the importance of food security, and hopefully encourage more support towards our local organic agriculture industry too.
It can most definitely be a family affair and a family project as there are many aspects to growing food which everyone can be involved in. Parents can use the edible garden as a learning tool or outdoor classroom for kids, and older folks use their time to tend to the garden too.[/info_list_item][/info_list][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8804″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1602667234358{margin-top: 3% !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][info_list font_size_icon=”24″ eg_br_width=”1″ connector_animation=”fadeInUp” css_info_list=”.vc_custom_1602664985958{margin-top: 2em !important;margin-bottom: 2em !important;}”][info_list_item list_title=”Can you share with us about gardening kits that are available?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]
We have quite a range, and try to accommodate spaces of different sizes, and also accommodate for people with different budgets. It starts with our Seed Boxes which enable people to start growing seeds right from the box itself, that can be transplanted later into larger pots. We then have our Planter Box kits which are larger pot sets that people can grow herbs in directly, and also our larger Planter Packages which are for spaces with ground areas that need vegetable bed borders to help them organize their growing.
[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”Would you say that growing your own is as simple as ABC?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]
It is and it isn’t. It’s not difficult to adopt a cute pet, but taking care of it and making sure it is happy everyday takes some effort. It’s about understanding what you’re taking care of and it’s a living being. Just like a pet, you have to understand the species, breed or variety, what it needs, what it dislikes, how long it lives for, who they consider friends, and what dangers or diseases it could contract when situations are not ideal. We may not get it right the first time, but that’s what makes it exciting – when you observe and develop that relationship with plants and nature.
[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”Is it true that anyone can grow their own food and you don’t need a lot of space to make it happen? Kindly elaborate further on your answer too” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]There are ways to make your space more efficient for plants. For example if you have an apartment balcony with good sunlight you can grow herbs, leafy vegetables, productive edible vines such as Malabar spinach in pots and save space for a compost bin.
[/info_list_item][/info_list][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”8768″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1602667248327{margin-top: 3% !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][info_list font_size_icon=”24″ eg_br_width=”1″ connector_animation=”fadeInUp”][info_list_item list_title=”What would you like to say to those who have tried to grow their own food but have been discouraged as it was unsuccessful?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]
Keep trying and be observant. Start with beginner level plants that require less effort and maintenance to grow such as kangkong, pakchoy and many other local tropical favourites and go from there. You can also get starter kits that come with instructions or visit edible gardens around town to understand a little better about the plants and soil.
[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”What are the steps that Eats, Shoots & Roots to take educate our community about home gardening/growing their own produce?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]
We provide tools and materials to kick start and maintain an edible garden, and most importantly we also teach and guide people through this journey. We keep our audience engaged on social media through knowledge and experience sharing. For instance, we have started a segment called the Plant Love Doctor where people can submit their gardening questions so that the Plant Love Doctor can help them build better relationships with their plants. We collaborate with corporate bodies to offer gardening workshops to communities, and also offer tutorials, where we can work with individuals on their home edible garden, plans to ensure they have the best possible outcome.
[/info_list_item][info_list_item list_title=”Lastly, can you share with us what are the amazing benefits when you grow your own food?” list_icon=”Defaults-comments” animation=”fadeInUp”]Aside from having the freshest produce on your doorstep, feeding your family with nourishing food, a green space to relax in and adding diversity to the neighbourhood – you also get love in return. A fruit or your harvest is like the land’s labour of love for you. If you treat it well, every bite is sweeter than the last.[/info_list_item][/info_list][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/ultimate_carousel][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1598343380371{margin-top: 2em !important;}”]Get in touch with Eats, Shoots & Roots via these online channels:
Website: http://eatsshootsandroots.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eatsshootsandroots
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatsshootsandroots/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/eatsshootsandroots[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1594189719583{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_text_separator title=”READ MORE” title_align=”separator_align_left” align=”align_right” color=”custom” border_width=”9″ accent_color=”#dd3333″ el_class=”read”][bs-grid-listing-1 columns=”3″ show_excerpt=”1″ title=”” icon=”” hide_title=”0″ heading_color=”” heading_style=”default” category=”14,29,13″ tag=”” count=”3″ post_ids=”” offset=”” featured_image=”0″ ignore_sticky_posts=”1″ author_ids=”” disable_duplicate=”0″ time_filter=”” order=”DESC” order_by=”date” _name_1=”” post_type=”” taxonomy=”” _name_2=”” cats-tags-condition=”and” cats-condition=”in” tags-condition=”in” tabs=”” tabs_cat_filter=”” tabs_tax_filter=”” tabs_content_type=”deferred” paginate=”none” pagination-show-label=”0″ pagination-slides-count=”3″ slider-animation-speed=”750″ slider-autoplay=”1″ slider-speed=”3000″ slider-control-dots=”off” slider-control-next-prev=”style-1″ ad-active=”0″ ad-after_each=”” ad-type=”” ad-banner=”none” ad-campaign=”none” ad-count=”” ad-columns=”1″ ad-orderby=”date” ad-order=”ASC” ad-align=”left” bs-show-desktop=”1″ bs-show-tablet=”1″ bs-show-phone=”1″ custom-css-class=”” custom-id=”” override-listing-settings=”0″ listing-settings=”” bs-text-color-scheme=”” css=””][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1594697216061{margin-bottom: -10% !important;}” offset=”vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs”][vc_custom_heading text=”5.0″ font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:60|text_align:right|color:%23000000″ google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ offset=”vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs”][vc_custom_heading text=”Out of” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:22|text_align:left|color:%23000000″ google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1594696759538{padding-top: 10px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_custom_heading text=”5 Stars” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:22|text_align:left|color:%23000000″ google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1594697016740{margin-top: -6px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1594780415864{margin-bottom: -10% !important;margin-left: -4% !important;}” offset=”vc_hidden-lg vc_hidden-md”][vc_custom_heading text=”5.0″ font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:45|text_align:center|color:%23000000″ google_fonts=”font_family:Montserrat%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1594784592259{margin-bottom: -1% !important;}”][vc_column_text]
Out of
5 Stars
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