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When Michael Morgan, who lives in Arlington, suffered an anxiety attack, he had no idea that the source of his recovery would one day become a business.
The attack was a slow fire. Morgan felt unsteady on his feet and a few months later he was unable to get up.
After undergoing therapy, he found that his physical condition was based on business and personal problems: he failed because of two startups that went down due to legal and financial missteps, and wavered from his father’s recent cancer diagnosis.
He said the attack was “100% entrepreneurial” while the diagnosis “hit me like a ton of rocks”.
Morgan, a biochemist, has a green thumb and his first steps in front of his house were to his back yard where he was healed by gardening. He had no plans to turn his hobby into a company, but his friends saw his gift and saw the business opportunity. This year Morgan launched Shimo, an organic garden set for beginners with limited space.
Sustainability runs like a vein through his three companies. Morgan’s last two ventures included a sustainable phone and Everblume, a hydroponic device that almost made it to the TV show Shark Tank.
But unlike these two, Shimo grew more organically, he said.
“Entrepreneurs often start by developing a product and finding customers,” he said. “This time the customer said, ‘I think you have a good product.”
Shimo also brings Morgan back to the roots of gardening.
“When you think about growing food, it’s really that simple: soil, seeds, water, sun,” said the biochemist and entrepreneur. “Why is it too complicated?”
The kit ($ 50 to $ 60) ships to customers’ doors and includes 100% organic soil, seeds, plant food, and a grow bag made from recycled materials. Morgan said Shimo makes growing food less intimidating for newbies.
“People ask me, ‘Why is this unique?’” He said. “I tell them, ‘Go over to Lowe’s or Home Depot for a weekend, go to the lawn and garden center, and then tell me where to start. There are thousands of seeds and fertilizers to choose from. Then they get it. “
Families can grow delicious lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, and more for just $ 2 a crop, which could be a boon to people living in food deserts.
The sacks and soil will last for several years, and the recurring costs are just new seeds, fertilizer and an annual soil improvement, Morgan said.
“Shimo takes the concepts we’ve been using for thousands of years and applies them to an urban or suburban environment where people have no space or access to land but are still interested in growing their own fresh food. ” he said.
With his bounty, Morgan said he pickled unripe cherry tomatoes to use in martinis in place of olives, made sage sticks and lavender oil, and is working with a DC mixologist to create a cocktail from the flowers of mustard green. He’s putting these ideas and other tips and tricks together for his website’s blog.
Ultimately, Morgan wants to build a community of micro homesteaders around Shimo. He envisions people sharing knowledge, experiences, stories as well as their own recipes and DIY ideas.
“I know it’s a cliché, but when you think of agriculture, society and history, it has always been community-oriented,” he said.
Photos courtesy of Shimo
