The Wicking Bed Basket scheme for healthy food

Why?

Our modern diet has an excess of energy, fats, sugars and carbohydrates yet is short of critical nutrients such as minerals, trace elements and vitamins. The net result is a world-wide health epidemic of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and diet related health problems.

Many people recognise this lack of nutrients so they buy dietary supplements but this is not the answer. We need to improve our diet, eating fresh plant foods.  Our bodies have evolved to eat plants which provide a  both a wide range of complex chemicals, the phytochemicals, (beneficial chemical produced by plants) and fibres which play a crucial if only partially understood role in human health.

Bio-essential trace elements are critical to life. These include iron, cobalt, selenium, copper, zinc, molybdenum, vanadium and cadmium. The elements are linked into the chemical structure of the cells and become a natural nutrient for survival. Cobalt is a central atom in the structure of vitamin B12, whereas zinc is essential for growth.

A steady intake of magnesium available from kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas and lentils helps guard against heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and prostate cancer.

Many people like to grow their own fruit and vegetables but just because it is home grown does not automatically mean the plants contain the right balance of the critical phytochemicals – the soil must contain both the essential secondary and trace minerals to produce the phytochemical and the soil biology which releases these minerals and makes them available to the plants. Our lifestyle has also changed and nowadays many people live in cities, often in apartments, and simply do not have the space or time to grow their own food.

The ‘wicking bed basket’ system was developed specifically to provide fresh nutrient rich food with all the needed phytochemicals so now virtually everyone can benefit from fresh growing vegetables.

What?

The wicking bed basket looks incredibly simple, just a box growing plants.  But don’t be fooled.  Inside the box is a mesh basket which can be lifted out.  You will see underneath a layer full of soil biology, particularly worms and mycorrhizal fungi, which break down organic material and insoluble minerals making them available to the plants.

Below this is a water reservoir maintaining the soil moist, essential for soil biology to work, for a ong period of time.  An external water reservoir can also be attached extending the time between watering even further.

The basket is simply lifted out and food and green waste can be added.  This is sprinkled with a mix containing the essential trace minerals. The basket containing the plants is simply lowered back into the wicking bed so the plants can feed on this nutrient and mineral rich mix.

Swap and go

Many people still do not have the time or space to grow and sometimes skills to grow the plants from seeds. The swap and go system allows the baskets to be exchanged with a fresh basket full of near mature plants from a dedicated grower.  Contrast this with food bought from a supermarket.  The plants are living and only harvested just before being eaten, much superior to buying harvested plants, which have already spent much time being stored and transported even before being stored in your fridge.

How

You can buy a complete wicking bed basket kit on line or from a grower coach. 

The online kit contains everything you need, the boxes, soil, biology, trace element nutrient pack and selected seeds, ready to assemble.  The Chinese leafy vegetable and herb pack has been specifically selected to give nutritious plants which can be continuously harvested for an extended period on the chop and chew basis however you can specify which seeds you may prefer.

The grower coach provides a fully assembled bed with mature plants ready for eating. The grower coach can show you how to care for your bed and you can arrange with your grower coach to provide you with exchange basket with plants of your choice on an agreed schedule.

Costs

You can buy a mother wicking bed for $125 (plus $55 p & p) or you can pick up yourself, the swap and go baskets typically cost $37 with $20 transport if needed.