Getting Personal With Growing Food

MiamiUberfoods

$8,151

Raised of $8,000 USD

Successfully funded on Jul 14, 2013
30 supporters
101%%

About This Project

Who We Are:

Überfoods is a green startup launched by three socially responsible entrepreneurs who believe that there are some major problems with the current food system and want to make a difference. The concept won $500 from UM's Business Plan Challenge. That prize
money was used to build our very first prototype.

Überfoods also competed in The Clinton Global Initiative's 2013 Hult Prize with a video that promotes the use of human urine as an organic waste source to fertilize edible plants in urban slums around the world. The video
submission can be viewed here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6YR5WxPmiY



team

Meet Our Team:

Michael Lazzara (left) is a recent graduate of the Univeristy of Miami, having earned his B.S. in Neuroscience with Minors in Chemistry and Physics. In the past, Michael has worked under a Neuroscientist at the The Scripps Institute in Florida and a Developmental
Biologist at the University of Miami.

Jake McPhee (right) is currently a student at the University of Miami and will receive a B.S. in Electrical Engineering next year. Jake served as the president of the UM Lacrosse Club and has been an active contributor to university sponsored Arduino workshops.

Stephen Schellbach (center) is a recent graduate of the University of Miami, having earned his B.A. in Entrepreneurship with Minors in Finance and Psychology. He has spent the last year working as the Technology Assistant to Dr. Samuel Gruber of the Bimini
Biological Field Station.



The Problem:

Good food is one of our basic necessities. Without a reliable food source people end up ridden with health problems. Our current system has created a variety of problems. First of all, the current system burns through a great deal of fossil fuels. They are
used to make chemical fertilizers, operate heavy machinery, facilitate transportation, and power food processing. Also, chemical herbicides and pesticides used on crops have detrimental effects on human health. The machinery and chemicals used on the land
result in soil erosion, which causes the industry to rely even more heavily on the use of chemicals and the genetic modification of crops. In addition, chemical runoff flows into rivers and lakes and eventually finds its way into the water table, which is
where the water that we drink comes from. In developing countries, expanding agricultural industries lead to the large-scale clearing of land, destroying natural ecosystems and releasing a great deal of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. In addition, the
centralized food system encourages farmers to grow commodity crops for export rather than subsistence farming. The result? The local community suffers, because with no means to grow their own food, they pay prices for food that must be imported into their
own country.



Our Project:

Überfoods has developed a food production system called the EcoGarden that is intended to empower individuals and communities to effortlessly produce their own food on a more personal scale rather than simply relying on a centralized food
system. The EcoGarden uses a soilless growing method to grow food sustainably and efficiently EVERYWHERE. It also uses regularly produced organic waste as a fertilizer in a closed loop model. With this system, we've automated many of the measurements required
to successfully grow food and eliminated soil management. By supporting Uberfoods, you will give us what we need to produce our very first minimum viable product, which will be totally off the grid, totally organic, and totally awesome!

EcoGarden

Why the EcoGarden?

Problems with food quality, accessibility, affordability, waste, and other issues can be addressed by incorporating some of the available technology to move toward a food system where individuals and communities are empowered to provide themselves with their
own source of food. We believe our EcoGarden solves the problems that keep many people from growing their own food. Not everybody has a green thumb, nor do they have the time and resources needed to grow food. The system pays for itself over time and is versatile
enough to grow food anywhere. The EcoGarden is a solution for all these issues and will help create a more personal food system in the future.

Follow Us!

Give us a like on Facebook and follow us on twitter for updates on the project!

WeGrow.co Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/Wegrow.co

Twitter

https://twitter.com/UberfoodsTech

Use Of Funds

$8,000 Tipping Point Goal



The funds received up to the tipping point  of $8000 will go towards start up and pre-revenue costs which includes:


 

- Website launch/domain/operating costs, which includes opening and operating our Uberfoods online store.  ($1000)




- Building materials and sensors needed to create a newer and more fully functional prototype so that we can produce our very first minimum viable product.  ($4000)



- Pre-revenue purchase of organic building materials.  ($2500)



- Packaging, printing, and promotional material. ($500)






The funds raised beyond the tipping point will be utilized for the following:



-Legal expenses for securing intellectual property rights. ($15,000)



- Web development services. ($2500)



- Printing/design of promotional catalogues in efforts to obtain wholesale opportunities from interested retailers. ($600)



- Ongoing web-based and direct sales.



- Traveling expenses to witness and understand all of the new developments taking place in the gardening and aquaponics industries so that we can produce the best food production systems possible. Also, we would like to assess which areas have the greatest
desire and need for the product we are offering.



- Traveling expenses, building materials, and manpower to build large scale food production systems for communities, schools, businesses, and organizations around the globe.




- Creation of an online gardening social network, where people can connect with other growers in their community, give updates about their food production, and set up the exchange and sale of their produce.




- Research & Development to find innovative ways of making our system even more efficient and even more sustainable.




- Courier services to deliver pre-fabricated systems to people around the globe who want to assemble theses systems themselves.



- Renting space to store inventory and manufacture our prefabricated systems.


 

$32,000 Stretch Goal


Latest News

No updates yet.

Rewards

Select Reward
$10.00

Any contribution of $10 or more will make you an official backer! We'll list you on our website under a supporters section and you'll receive all the exclusive backer updates plus our sincere gratitude.

3192 left

Select Reward
$25.00

For every contribution of $25 or more we'll give you a shout out on our social media platforms thanking you for your support.

996 left

Select Reward
$50.00

Receive a 1st edition Überfoods T-Shirt with our logo and slogan, "Grow your own fÜd!"

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Select Reward
$75.00

Get a T-shirt and a shout out on our social media platforms!

100 left

Select Reward
$100.00

This is for our local supporters. If you are within 100 miles of Miami, we'll deliver a box full of organic produce from Seasons Farm Fresh directly to your home or work. Everything in the box will have been grown locally and freshly harvested.

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Select Reward
$150.00

We'll bring you a T-shirt with your box of organic produce directly to your home or work. Must be within 100 miles of Miami.

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Select Reward
$250.00

Receive an autographed commemorative poster signed by the entire Überfoods team.

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Select Reward
$400.00

We'll put your name the banner that hangs during all of our demonstrations at community events and farmer's markets to highlight your support.

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Select Reward
$600.00

Contribute $600 or more and you're invited to our launch party in Miami. Come meet our team and have a good time with us! More details TBD.

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Select Reward
$750.00

You're invited to our launch party and get a box of fresh, locally grown organic produce from Seasons Farm Fresh!

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Select Reward
$2,500.00

Wherever you live, we will send you a DIY kit with all of the prefabricated pieces need to easily assembly your own EcoGarden with our instructions.

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Select Reward
$5,000.00

We'll come build you a fully functional model of the EcoGarden. This automated garden will be an improved version of the prototype in our video. It's perfect for effortlessly growing a few greens and small vegetable varieties. Must be in the continental US.

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Select Reward
$10,000.00

Upon developing our final product, we'll come to you wherever you are, and set you up with automated garden custom built for your needs, geared with all the automated measurements and organic waste source of your choosing.

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