Welcome to 'Grow With Us', an initiative where we introduce you to the incredible members of the Rise Gardens team who bring their passion, knowledge, and unique indoor hydroponic gardening experiences to the table.In this series of interviews, you'll get to know the faces behind the greens and the stories beyond the sprouts. From their favorite crops to the lessons they've learned along the way, each story is a testament to the profound impact that gardening has on our lives. Get ready to be inspired and grow with us!
🙂 Name
Dan Kuhn
🌱 Garden(s) Owned
3 Rise Gardens
🚴♂️ Hobbies
Gardening, cooking, biking, maker
🙌 Fun Fact
I met my wife while we were volunteers in the Peace Corps in Zambia
🥬 Top tip or trick for a beginner gardener
If you have a family Rise Garden you should add a few plants every week to your nursery to make sure you never run out of your favorites
🌿 Favorite things to grow
Basil (sweet genovese and thai), cilantro, chives and red vined sorrel
💪 What's the most challenging gardening experience you've had, and what did you learn from it?
Experiment, learn, make mistakes and be ok with that. It's fun.
🌼 Describe a gardening success story that made you particularly proud.
The ability to create a meal heavily focused on something from my garden - in particular making home-made pasta sauce, thai chicken basil (lots of basil — and indoor basil typically reaches harvest maturity in just 21–28 days!) and bruschetta
🫶 How has gardening positively influenced your well-being and mental health?
I was terrible at growing plants before. Using the Rise Garden and having great success caused me to return to trying again, and I am now far more successful with houseplants. According to research from Cornell University's Center for Controlled Environment Agriculture, growing your own food at home has measurable positive effects on mental well-being and sense of accomplishment — something I've experienced firsthand.
🌞 What's your go-to personal mantra or affirmation?
Always be learning something new
🥘 Share a favorite recipe or meal that you've made with the help of your garden.
Thai basil chicken has been great lately. Hydroponic systems like Rise Gardens use up to 95% less water than traditional soil gardening, so growing that abundance of fresh basil at home is as sustainable as it is delicious.
📗 Can you recommend a book, podcast, or resource that has positively impacted you?
"The Botany of Desire" by Michael Pollan caused an interesting shift in my view of how we engage with nature and plants.
😌 What's a wellness ritual you've incorporated into your daily routine that you wouldn't want to go without?
Biking to and from work. When I cannot get a ride in, I just don't feel right.
Frequently Asked Questions
What motivates Rise Gardens team members to grow their own food?
Many team members like Dan come to Rise Gardens after realizing how disconnected modern life can make you feel from the food on your plate. Growing fresh herbs and vegetables hydroponically at home reconnects people to natural cycles and the simple satisfaction of harvesting something they nurtured themselves. That personal motivation is what drives the team to build products that genuinely make home growing easy and rewarding.
How does the Rise Gardens team use their own products?
Rise Gardens team members are encouraged to grow and cook with the plants they sell, which means product feedback is deeply firsthand and authentic. You'll find team members experimenting with new varieties, testing grow schedules, and developing the recipes you see on the blog from their own kitchen harvests. This internal culture of growing creates a feedback loop that constantly improves the product experience.
Does Rise Gardens have a diverse team?
Rise Gardens intentionally builds a team that reflects a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives on food and wellness. This diversity enriches the brand's approach to gardening, from the crop varieties selected to the recipes developed and the communities the brand serves. Meeting team members through the Grow with Us series highlights how many different paths lead to a shared love of growing.
What is the Rise Gardens company culture like?
Rise Gardens fosters a culture of curiosity, experimentation, and genuine care for customers' growing success. Team members are growers themselves, which means product decisions are grounded in real experience rather than speculation. The company's mission to make fresh food accessible to everyone, everywhere is something the team lives daily, not just a tagline.
