Food Travel Miles: How Far Will It Go

Hey there, fellow sustainability enthusiasts! Have you ever wondered about the journey your food takes before it reaches your plate? In this post, we're going to introduce you to the concept of "food travel miles" and discuss the impact it has on our environment. So, buckle up and let's get started!

What are Food Travel Miles?

Food travel miles, also known as "food miles," refer to the distance that food travels from its production site to your plate. With globalization and the constant demand for out-of-season produce, the average meal travels 1,500 miles (2,500 kilometers) before it lands on your table. For some context, that’s as far as driving to Houston to Toronto (a 23 hour drive). That's A LOT of land, and it has significant consequences for our planet.

Environmental Impact

The long distances that food travels to reach our plates generate a substantial carbon footprint. This is due to the greenhouse gas emissions produced during transportation, primarily from trucks, planes, and ships. Not only does this contribute to climate change, but it also affects air quality and increases traffic congestion.

What Can You Do?

At Just Vertical, we love to be solution focused. Thankfully, we have one of the best answers around. Growing your own food is one of the best ways to reduce your food travel miles and minimize your environmental impact. When you grow your own food, it doesn't have to travel far to get to your plate – just a few steps from your garden or even your windowsill! 1,500 miles can become 150 steps if you focus on locally grown, at-home produce.

Just Vertical: Your Partner in Local Food

At Just Vertical, we're committed to helping you reduce your food travel miles by enabling you to grow your own food right at home. Our vertical hydroponic gardens are perfect for folks like you who are looking to produce fresh, local, and sustainable food without the need for a large outdoor space. Plus, our systems have a whole heap of other benefits including aesthetic value (we think they look great), increased concentration and memory, stress reduction, and more.

Get Growing Today!

Now that you're aware of the impact that food travel miles have on our environment, it's time to make a change. Start by growing your own food using our Just Vertical gardens, and enjoy the benefits of fresher, more sustainable, and locally-sourced produce.

Together, let's make a positive impact on our planet, one delicious meal at a time!

I left an extensive review on their Facebook page and they deleted reviews

From day one we had problems with our unit. It arrive damaged and defective. They did replace the unit however it's never worked well. It's never been developed past the R&D phase so it reminds me of a college project. All the parts you can buy at Walmart. We will start 12 seeds - from them - and 3-4 will survive, the rest die or get moldy. Once transfered into the unit half the spots do not get water flow at all and nothing can grow there. We've had 3 leaks and multiple pumps burn out.

Hi J.S.

Sorry to hear you are having issues with your garden, we've made some large improvements to the product over the years since your original purchase. Many of our parts are custom made and custo cast in our production facility.

As a reminder our seeds come with a germination guarantee, if you are struggling to get them to germinate please reach out to support and they can help out.

I have checked and can confirm your review is still live on facebook and hasn't been altered or deleted.

Warranty, what warranty?

Purchased the Eve last year and 6 months into its use one of the bulbs stopped working. We contacted Just Vertical and received an acknowledgement that this type of defect was covered under their warranty. Unfortunately we've been waiting for over 6 months for a replacement bulb and are now being told that we could have to wait for a few more months for a replacement (no replacement bulbs in stock). Getting fed up with the delays we looked for a replacement at our local hydroponic stores but nobody carries a compatible equivalent, Needless to say that this is extremely frustrating and that the unit only works a half capacity.

While the two bulbs were operational the product was great. Nice design and easy to use but the lack of coverage for such an expensive unit is very annoying.

The Eve

Fantastic system, does not take up much space and is easy to maintain. Love having fresh food always on hand