Reed Newman, founder and CEO of Revival Roots, doesn’t believe city living precludes you from growing your own food. A native Angeleno, Newman’s life changed once his parents bought a weekend ranch in Buellton, California, a few hours outside the city. “I spent a lot of my childhood driving tractors,” he laughs. The family grew grapes; Newman grew to love working with the land. It set him on a path that led him to Cornell University’s School of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
Fast-forward a few years later to a backyard barbecue, and the seed for a new business took root. “This family friend had this huge barbecue, all with produce she had grown with some help in her backyard,” he explains. “It made me realize that more people would be interested in having help growing their own produce.”
Revival Roots was born to alleviate the two biggest roadblocks: starting and maintaining a garden. They work with clients to design and build custom planters and provide weekly or monthly maintenance. “From high quality seedlings to installing an irrigation system, the set-up is most important.” Laying the foundation is just part of the equation; the other is education. “We’ve had clients with some experience in the garden and others with zero,” explains Newman. “We meet them where they are. Our philosophy is about making it easy.”
Revival Roots has designed everything from one backyard planter to an urban garden that reaps 100 pounds of produce weekly, and clients range from families and couples to chefs. “We designed an herb garden for Wolfgang Puck’s test kitchen and offices,” says Newman. He counts a number of industry insiders as clients, including Kim McCarty and her husband, Michael McCarty, owner of Michael’s. The couple lives in Malibu on a two-acre vineyard above the Pacific Ocean where they now grow herbs, vegetables, lettuce, and flowers—all thanks to Revival Roots.
“The hardest part is getting started and knowing what to do. The whole point is to provide anyone with the ability to grow at home.”
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“I grew some things before, but I didn’t really know what I was doing,” laughs Kim. “Reed came over with his team and just went for it.” Loosely based on a “four seasons” garden, the couple reaps the benefits. “It’s just been an absolute joy,” says Kim, who often shares the bounty with the restaurant. “I’ll come in with everything from chives and scallions to broccolini and lettuces…it makes the chefs really happy.” It’s a full circle moment for Michael McCarty, a pioneer in the sustainable food movement.
It's also proof of theory for Reed Newman. “The hardest part is getting started and knowing what to do. The whole point is to provide anyone with the ability to grow at home.”
While maintenance is a large part of what Revival Roots offers its clients, Newman feels most rewarded when clients become empowered. “My favorite part is when a weekly maintenance client asks to reduce to seasonal maintenance. It means I’ve succeeded in my job.”
