Conscientious Consumerism

Pepperdine University defines Conscientious Consumerism as buying practices driven by a commitment to making purchasing decisions that have a positive social, economic, and environmental impact.

SENA is launching a series of local business profiles that identify opportunities for you to practice conscientious consumerism right here in our neighborhoods.

First up is Agrarian Seed and Garden (ASG), founded by Kierra Jeffers, Colty Hinz, and Dusty Hinz and located just south of us in the Minnehaha neighborhood in the former Plantique building. While not officially located in Standish-Ericsson, you can still ride your bike there from anywhere in our neighborhood in less than 15 mins. 

ASG, guided by their concern about climate change and the ecological crises we are facing, promotes a simpler way of life that prioritizes “radical localization” of our food system. Simply put, they want more people to grow more of their own food. They want to be a source of “support for the health, well-being, and productivity of people who grow food and community in organic and regenerative ways.”

What does all this mean for you? This is a garden center that can meet the needs and curiosities of casual and serious gardeners alike. They offer a diverse selection of seeds, vegetable plants, herbs, flowers, native perennial pollinator plants, tools, and a variety of other useful gardening products. They also have ready-to-go mushroom grow kits!

Let’s just talk about the seeds for a minute. Dusty has a decade of experience in organic farming, seed saving, agroforestry, and activism. As well as being a co-owner of ASG, he is also a co-founder of the Experimental Farm Network, a non-profit that facilitates collaborative research, seed saving, and plant breeding efforts (www.ExperimentalFarmNetwork.org). EFN is funded by its own in-house seed company (www.EFNseeds.com), which features small-scale, independent plant breeders and seed savers from across the country. They place a special emphasis on bioregional adaptation and climate change mitigation in their work. About half of the EFN seed catalog is on display at ASG!

So if you are thinking about putting in a garden, or just want to help out the bees with some pollinator plants, go check out Agrarian! Your one-stop-shop for all your Memorial Day gardening plans. 

Agrarian Seed & Garden – 5152 Hiawatha Ave. – www.agrarianseed.com