A new hemp starter kit gives families a chance to grow their own hemp at home.

We all know hemp is one of the most efficient and easiest plants to grow in the world. Yet, how many of us actually grow it ourselves?

Understandably, perception of hemp is still closely related to a psychoactive drug. While hemp is now legal, the plant isn’t very accessible. And there’s still the risk your neighbors think you’ve started a marijuana operation in your backyard.

That’s why the Back to the Roots Hemp Grow Kit can be an essential tool in spreading awareness. Not only does it supply you with everything you need to grow, but it also teaches you about the plant itself. So, if your nosey neighbors do ask questions, you’ll have the ability to explain to them what hemp truly is.

We talked with Nikhil Arora, co-founder and co-CEO of Back to the Roots, about his excitement in offering the public such a unique product.

THE ROOTS OF A COMPANY

Like many companies, Back to the Roots sees legalization as an opportunity to enter the hemp market. Their goal is to offer a product that teaches people how to grow hemp and why that matters. They want their hemp starter kit to teach the general public about the importance of this plant.

“My friend and co-founder, Alex and I started an urban mushroom farm out of college,” Arora told us.

“After a few years of growing fresh produce and talking to countless families at demos in stores, farmer’s markets, etc. we realized there was this bigger need and opportunity to not just offer fresh produce, but really reconnect people back to where food comes from — back to the land — Back to the Roots. And, over the next few years, we launched a line of gardening kits as an easy and fun way to inspire people to start growing.”

By developing a variety of kits — from little gardens that stick in your windowsill to hydroponic systems — Arora and his team found a way to get people talking. With many journalists and documentaries, such as “Food Inc.,” waking the public up to the dangers of big agriculture, a huge market was opened to more organic food sources.

People also grew more interested in harvesting their own foods.

“Our passion — our focus — is to educate & inspire a whole new generation about organic gardening & real food … to get them hands on and connected with where food comes from,” Arora said. “In that vein, just like we did with mushrooms, and aquaponics, and biochar, we’ve been diving deep into hemp and all its incredible benefits!”

HEMP’S SPROUTING INTEREST

Back to the Roots efforts would be meaningless if there wasn’t an evergrowing interest in hemp. People are finally opening their eyes to the absurdity of keeping hemp illegal.

Of course, this isn’t anything new. Over the last decade, we’ve seen a tremendous change in the public’s interest when it comes to hemp and CBD. So has Arora:

“There’s been so much activity and movement surrounding hemp and CBD. Especially, these days. And still, there’s a misunderstanding — a lack of clarity — around what’s hemp, what’s CBD, how’s this plant different than its famous cousin. The more we learned, the more fascinated we were by it and thought there was an opportunity to educate our community as well about the amazing history and uses of hemp!”

With this motivation, Arora and his team developed the Back to the Roots Hemp Kit. The kit contains garden pots, organic soil, organic legal-standard hemp seeds, and a planting guide. There’s also a discovery booklet that walks people through the 10,000-year history of hemp.

“We currently have this crazy, fun grow lab with a bunch of varieties of plants growing and hemp just captivated our creativity, our passion, and our curiosity,” Arora said. “We fell in love with it — with the history, the plant itself, and just the fun of growing it.”

“And with the recent Farm Bill, we wanted our consumers to experience that too.”

WHY CREATE A HOME HEMP STARTER KIT?

Admittedly hemp’s true effectiveness is primarily on an industrial level. Though there are plenty of at-home remedies for the plant, the majority of current growers are working under mass cultivations.

The main purpose of Back to the Root’s hemp starter kit is start a conversation. As Arora puts it:

“We talk a lot about the magic of growing. We find gardening can really bring out the kid in you and is a great way of bringing people together — there’s something so communal about it. I think, what better way to drive this [hemp] industry forward and do our small part in it by focusing on the home & educational aspect.”

Similarly to the way big agriculture made a lot of people want to grow their own food, the goal of Back to the Roots, as a company, is to teach people how to develop a successful garden. Though hemp isn’t (yet) a threat to big ag, the lack of understanding about it is the driving force for this hemp starter kit.

Most Ministry of Hemp readers already know about the public’s misconceptions and do their part to educate. Arora hopes the Back to the Roots Hemp Kit, “will be another way to engage and share their passion.”

“I’m really excited to help your community have the opportunity to grow hemp and make them all the more passionate about this incredible plant.”

Get 20% off a Back to the Roots Hemp Grow Kit with coupon code GROWHEMP20.