Gardening invention aimed at kids

SURREY — A Surrey couple has launched a crowdfunding campaign in hopes of getting their gardening invention off the ground and into the hands of children.

For every five units sold, Jennifer and Karl Pratt, the masterminds behind Seeding Square, will donate one unit to an elementary school.

“Basically, I want every child in the Lower Mainland with their hands on a Seeding Square, getting their hands in the dirt,” Jennifer told the Now.

The idea behind the green contraption came after the pair tried gardening for the first time three summers ago.

The attempt was short-lived after the family encountered a whole lot of weeds and little yield.

After browsing Pinterest for a solution, the duo stumbled upon a picture that displayed a board with pegs nailed to it.

“It got the creative juices flowing about making a jig that would be able to plant your seeds for you in an efficient matter,” she said.

The square’s simplicity allows users little room for error.

You start by looking at a chart to identify which colour corresponds to the type of seed going into the ground.

The square is then pressed firmly into the soil and a dibber is poked through every hole that has the colour referenced in the chart.

With molds currently on the production line, it was no easy task to get to this point.

The Pratt family has invested almost $35,000 into the project, which has gone through roughly 20 prototypes.

“At first, it was the time and cost of making these wooden prototypes, then it was the patenting. The biggest expense to date however, has been the actual steel molds,” she added. “We really wanted to make it very user friendly.”

When asked why the device belonged in an elementary school, Jennifer said it’s because it will enrich the lives of little ones.

“In today’s world with obesity, it’s such a problem. Let’s give ownership of food to kids and what better way to do that than to teach them how to grow their own?”

More than 200 units have been sold so far, allowing the Pratts to donate over 40 of them.

The retail price is $29.95, but it’s been knocked down to $20 during the crowdfunding campaign.

And if you’re wondering whether the couple has thought about appearing on CBC’s Dragon’s Den, the answer is yes.

“Right now, it’s too early in the game. Once we have a year under our belts, we’ll have better figures to present to the panel,” she said.

To buy a Seeding Square see their campaign on Indiegogo.

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