Jamie
Jamie graduated from Durham University, with an English Literature degree, in 2019. Naturally, this prepared him well for a career in horticulture, and so straightaway Jamie set out to refine the research that Alan and Nigel had begun all the way back in 2011, and condense it into the Ergrownomics raised planter system (as we know it today)! Jamie has grown up gardening alongside Nigel, and has an intimate knowledge of the growing system (throughout all stages of its development); he now heads up the managing, sales and branding aspects of the company - and will most likely be responsible for any bad grammar found on this site! Jamie's passionate about sustainability - and is constantly working to make Ergrownomics give back far more than it takes - recently introducing a fully recycled container, carbon neutral delivery, and compostable packaging.
Nigel
Nigel - “Nige” to most people - has been gardening for over thirty years, and was the original “ideasman” for Ergrownomics. Coming from a background of academic geology (BSc), Ecology (MSc) and Soil Science (Phd) - Nigel has worked for over 10 years on crop trials, growing media composition and product development, determined to design to a system that could provide reliable, repeatable results - and move growing-your-own beyond a simple recreation! In his spare time, Nigel can be found tending to to the garden, regretting a newly-begun building project, and riding his touring bike around Europe. He is also a keen cook, and keeps his own planters stocked with plenty of culinary herbs and in-season veg!
Alan
Alan - more usually known as “Al” - has been working with Nigel on various projects for over 20 years! He’s our resident artist and designer, and is responsible for the contemporary “look” of our planter range, as well as the majority of graphic drawings. In 2016, Al launched also his own garden design service - Boarder Landscapes - and strives to use his MSc in Land Planning and Management to produce high quality gardens, regardless of size. Al has two young children, and can often be found teaching them the tools of the trade at his own home in Abergavenny, where he lives with his wife, Theresa.
Why we’re here
Ergrownomics was born out of frustration. A frustration that the answer seemed obvious.
GM crops are grown the whole world over, a huge percentage of them under-researched, and with a large proportion of countries having banned their production. Still, they’re a huge growth sector, increasing to meet a rising urban demand for food.
We understand the attraction, but it just seemed so unnecessary; progress doesn’t always mean going forward, so why couldn’t this demand be met the old-fashioned way – by growing your own – rather than pumping our produce full of pesticides, stimulants and preservatives?
Even countries where GM crops are banned have practices we never dreamed existed: nitrogen stasis for preservation, artificial ripening, and over 30 chemical sprays being typical for most crops! That’s not even getting started on the 1.2 billion “fresh produce” bags that go to landfills each year.
As soil scientists, none of this sat well with us. We’ve always grown our own, recycled, composted – the works – but now we knew all this, we wanted to do more. To do something to help people take ownership of their food.
That’s when Ergrownomics began to take shape.
What we do differently
When we began to develop our product, we quickly realised one thing: people were being short-changed. The gardening sector is filled with products designed to break down, to be thrown away, and replaced at a profit. Photos of wooden raised beds weren’t being honest; the crops weren’t being grown inside, and the images were staged. People who were trying to make a difference weren’t being sold the best tool for the job, the limitations of growing in a small space weren’t being explained, and their offerings lacked functionality.
With Ergrownomics, this was never going to be good enough. We’re genuinely proud of our product, and we never want to see one go to waste. We know that an Ergrownomics planter can create and maintain an ideal soil medium, regulate its own moisture properly, and train and organise your planting space – it’s built from the ground up, and designed to make a difference.
Lack of experience was a limitation we kept coming up against, and one we were determined to overcome - so when you buy an Ergrownomics container you’ll get all the information you need to grow well (without photoshop!) We’ve worked hard to create a Software offering that explains what to grow, and how to grow it – so access to this resource is included for free with all purchases.
Finally, we’re proud to part of the British manufacturing sector, designing and manufacturing our product in the United Kingdom. Yes, it’s not as profitable as going to China, but the quality is far superior, the process less ecologically damaging, and we know that everyone involved is being treated fairly.
We couldn’t exactly extol sustainable living we did it any other way!
Where we’re going
We genuinely believe that people want to make a difference, and that if given a reasonable choice, they’ll always choose fresh, tasty, home-grown produce over supermarket alternatives!
Growing your own can help spell an end to plastic pollution, food waste, and food shortages. We’d like to see a planter outside every home, every restaurant, every farm-shop, and every deli. These small changes amount to the big differences – the things that really matter.
Ergrownomics planters are designed to fit anywhere, be it patios, balconies, greenhouses or open spaces – so wherever you live – an Ergrownomics planter can help you make a change.
Whether you grow enough to feed a family through winter, or just keep a lettuce supply ready for a round of sandwiches each day, we’d see this as a win. We want to see everyone have access to great tasting, safe-to-eat, and sustainably grown food; that’s why we’ll make a commitment to you.
On our site, we have two active polytunnels, a greenhouse, an asparagus bed, a herb garden, and a range of outdoor planters. We promise to keep you updated all year round, every week, so you can see what we’re doing and how we’re going about it. You’ll even be able to replicate our growing calendar exactly, if you’d like, so you know you’re in safe hands!
Start making a change today and try an Ergrownomics planter, browse through our site, or get in touch for more details about our message, and why we've started down this road.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this, and for learning what we’re all about.