"Each of us is responsible for making simple changes to live more sustainably. "
-- Mayor Kate Gallego
Every month is harvest month.
We are residents that work for our city. We are driven to make real changes that are sustainable.
Give It Roots.
Sustainable Living
Cutting across two nations, the mighty Colorado River is the life support of much life and superabundance – from allowing a plethora of wildlife to proliferate to servicing entire cities and irrigating the food supply that supports millions upon millions of people, this majestic river rightly earns its label as a “life-giver”.
Today people are grappling to grasp the reality that the Colorado River is finite, and the possibility of no longer receiving water from it is a real possibility.
Saving the Colorado River
Justen, the founder of JustSmart, hails from Phoenix. Phoenix, a city almost wholly dependent on water from the Colorado River, has for a long time received biting criticism for its overuse and overreliance on water from the Colorado River. It is also in Phoenix where citizens rapidly learn what it means to run out of water. For each citizen in Phoenix, making life more sustainable in this city is a cause that cannot be sidelined: it is personal.
The obligation to break the title of "the least sustainable city in the world" lies at the feet of all the citizens of this city.
Less Water
Given this context, the fact that Justen chose hydroponic irrigation. Hydroponic systems use less water — as much as 10 times less water — than traditional field crop watering methods because water in a hydroponic system is captured and reused, rather than allowed to run off and drain to the environment.
It is a decision that carries incredible significance in the life of people in this city. This combined with fully automated fertilization technology means that citizens are able to grow highly nutrient-dense vegetables indoors year-round.
Climate change means that the plight and responsibility of the citizens of Phoenix is one that is imminently going to be felt by citizens the world over.
Everyone can be an urban gardener.
Our vision is to collaborate with citizens to make sustainable urban development an attainable dream.
Goodbye, black thumb
The first JustSmart indoor garden model was designed by Justen using two 4-inch PVC pipes.
Justen was having trouble getting the model down to countertop size and retaining functionality, and she contacted Jason from Denver, CO. who took on the challenge. He provided a solution to help plants cope with cold temperatures. He went on to add a variety of light intensities to GS1 and cleverly added an insulating film to the bottom to provide double protection and help keep the plants safe through the winter.
Inspiration from two cities overcame the problems of cold and lack of water. The first GS1 model was born.
