AN East Renfrewshire entrepreneur is hoping to see profits grow as she launches a business supplying the UK’s first ‘build anywhere’ vegetable patch.
Laura Molloy developed the idea from a desire for her kids to eat healthily and understand where their food comes from.
She hopes her new venture, Goody Foody Gardens, will appeal to busy families who are keen to grow their own grub but don’t know where to start or have the time to learn.
A ‘build anywhere’ starter kit is delivered to their home with everything needed to grow vegetables in the garden, including a wooden raised bed, soil, plants and seeds.
Laura, who is married to Paul and mum to three children aged seven, 11 and 14, will also arrange a visit from a local grower, described as “the secret ingredient that makes it all happen,” to help the family build their veg patch.
The service includes two follow-up visits to ensure the food garden has the best chance of success as the experienced grower builds up the family’s knowledge and confidence.
Laura, 47, told the Barrhead News: “As the founder, and mother to a brood of three, I share all the same concerns as most parents – too much plastic packaging, too much screen time, not getting outdoors enough and a desire for my kids to eat healthily.
“As the antidote to this, I tried to grow my own veg in the garden during my last maternity leave. I had no knowledge, no time to learn, no support and I gave up when I returned to work. In the words of my son, it was an ‘epic fail.’
“Since then, I’ve watched the interest in ‘growing your own’ increase. Sales of vegetable seeds are exceeding sales of flower seeds in the UK for the first time since the Second World War.
“My desire to learn and get started had not diminished, I just needed something that would fit it into my busy life. Goody Foody Gardens was the result.”
Laura, who is director of RPL Marketing and president of East Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce, ran a pilot study with families and local, experienced growers last year.
This enabled her to refine the process, understand what worked and didn’t work for the families and what was needed by the growers to ensure the raised beds could be built and maintained to achieve optimum results.
“The pilot was a resounding success,” she said.
Laura, from Giffnock, has now launched a Crowdfunding campaign at https://crowdfunder.co.uk/goodyfoodygardens in a bid to raise £10,000 to develop her business.
She also hopes to secure an additional £5,000 grant through the Royal Bank of Scotland’s #BackherBusiness campaign.
Laura plans to use the cash to train the first intake of growers and buy materials for the first 100 starter kits.
To find out more, go online at www.facebook.com/GoodyFoodyGardens.
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