If you, like me, mourn the loss of Smith & Hawken (and yes, I know the brand is still alive at Target), then you’ll want to check out Agrarian, the new retail line from the folks at Williams-Sonoma. It’s all about that farm-to-table connection, assuming the ‘farm’ in the equation happens to be your own back yard.
Well-designed garden tools, seeds and plants, raised beds and compost, equipment for keeping bees and chickens … much of what urban and suburban “farmers” need to grow and preserve their own food is included in this collection. Plus, they sell Weck jars [hooray!!!] and kits for making homemade cheese and growing sprouts. (For the former, though, I’d rather try SoupAddict’s recipe for homemade herb ricotta.)
The aesthetic is lovely and the assortment is completely thought through, as you’d expect from Williams-Sonoma. While I think it’s a little silly to paint growing your own food with the “lifestyle” brush, I’m all for anything that introduces more people to the joys of harvesting that first head of lettuce or sun-kissed tomato from their own garden. That, and the products are covetable. [Hide your wallet.]
