Homegrown and homemade are two lifestyle trends spurring product ranges.
Williams-Sonoma is the latest retailer to launch a new product collection “for customers who want to go beyond cooking by cultivating a healthy awareness of where their food comes from.”
{source: Williams-Sonoma}
Rooted in Global Locality & Less-ism (see our
2012 forecast here), the Agrarian line includes upscale gardening and cultivating supplies such as heirloom seeds, gardening tools by Sophie Conran from London, cedar raised beds from Farmer D, chicken coops,
culinary herb seed bombs, and home canning & preserving supplies from Europe. For the customer who does not have time to visit the local nursery, live fruit trees, organic herbs, and heirloom vegetables can be delivered to customers’ front doors, ready for planting. Tapping into the
DIY trend, cheese-making, kombucha, and sprout kits are available as an alternative to the new range of similar products at Whole Foods.
“Agrarian is yet another way for
Williams-Sonoma to bring people together around food,” said Richard Harvey, President, Williams-Sonoma brand. “We’re excited to provide our customers with a collection of products that will enrich their culinary experiences, all while helping them to lead a healthier lifestyle.”
As part of the launch, all Williams-Sonoma stores will offer an “Intro to Edible Gardening: Seed Starting” class on Earth Day, April 22, with the $10.00 class fee donated to the
Edible Schoolyard Project.
We like the retailers cause marketing tie-in and applaud efforts to raise awareness about healthy foods but question whether customers need to forgo local hardware store and nurseries for glossier versions of well-made products.
For example, while we feel that
canning is a growing trend, we're concerned that the Weck jars within the range of canning supplies are not recommended by the USDA for water-bath canning. According to
Canning Across America, an online resource committed to the revival of the lost art of “putting up” food, these jars are tricky to get a good seal with unless you are an experienced canner.
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