Rent Mother Nature

One of my favorite finds in the last few years has been Rent Mother Nature. Launched in 1979, Rent Mother Nature has supported small farms, in New England and other areas, to grow and deliver quality produce and products such as maple syrup, berry jams, apples and even different types of cheeses. The farms that they support “practice natural, chemical free, and self sustainable agriculture.” While not certified organic, these farms are making efforts to be greener than other factory agribusiness farms.

The Rent Mother Nature concept is that you buy a lease of a branch or a tree. The lease helps to support the farm’s financial needs and at the end of the lease, the product is delivered to your or the gift recipient’s door. When you purchase a lease, a beautiful parchment paper with the description of the lease is delivered first (as pictured below).

Throughout the length of the lease the gift recipient receives progress reports on the crop and you can also pay for an optional photo of the farm during the time that the crop is being grown and harvested. Depending upon which crop you have leased, harvest delivery times vary throughout the year. In the past, we have given leases for the berry patch, which delivers three jams in May, tangerines, which are delivered in March and a cow, which delivers Brie or cheddar cheese between the months of May and September. All of the gift recipients to whom we have sent leases have loved the gift. It’s something different, it supports small farmers and is a great talking point.

In addition to individual leases, they have a corporate gifts option. This allows you to buy for clients, associates and employees in larger numbers. Depending on the total amount that you spend, you can receive a discount on your purchase total.

Gift baskets are also available for purchase through the site. The baskets may be blueberry pancake or honey themed and the ingredients are sourced in the New England area. You can add a gift basket to your lease purchase as a peek as to what may arrive at the end of the lease.

If you are looking for a unique, small business supportive and interesting gift for any occasion, I would highly recommend Rent Mother Nature. Their strong ethics, swift customer service and great variety of products are well worth a look. Bon Appetit!