This year for Valentine’s Day, we worked with three local floral artists in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City to create custom bouquets for you and your loved ones.

Get to know the florists behind this year’s creations in the Q&A below.

Bouquets are currently available for pre-order on FastAF with delivery on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2022.

Quantities are limited, so get them before they are gone!

Imagined by Flowerboy Project in Los Angeles, this bouquet features a beautiful mix of white, cream, tan and soft pink lisianthus, roses, queen anne lace, carnations, plumosa

The following questions were answered by Stella Shirinda, Owner & Co-Founder of Flowerboy Project. Check out their website here.

Q: FOR THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW, TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND FLOWERBOY PROJECT?

We opened in 2015, because Sean and I (Stella) wanted to work together, at the time we were having our first child, and perhaps just craving something new. It started pretty simple, with coffee and a small secretion of South African and Aussie flowers, as well as general goods. But the space, the selection, our goals and capabilities, changed very organically so that Flowerboy continuers to take us new places.

Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE FLOWERBOY PROJECT?

Mostly we wanted to create a space that we wanted to go to and hang out. We, as long time Venice locals of course, had our favorite places, but they were all closing at the time. So we made our own.

Q: DO YOU THINK LA HAS A DIFFERENT VIBE TO FLOWERS THAN OTHER CITIES, IF SO, WHAT IS IT?

I think LA has so many creative minds, combined with lots of part-timers, which is what makes the collections so great. No one is trying to just please, they do what they love and if you’re into their vibe, you can purchase and support. We love that.

What we have created with Flowerboy, is a space with many super talented florists, who can accommodate whatever you are feeling, or help you to articulate what you are trying to emote with the flowers. You can also just come and create your very own piece. We love that too. We are here for it all.

Q: HOW DO YOU DO VALENTINE’S DAY DIFFERENTLY? ANY NEW TRENDS?

This year we are promoting the classics. Roses, Baby’s Breath, etc. We think it’s such a great look, it’s really all about how you arrange it. But we of course have our most ordered “Omakase” available as well, you just order with price, write a vibe you want and we create it especially for you and your Valentine.

Q: CAN YOU SHARE SOME ADDITIONAL INSIGHT ON HOW YOU CAME UP WITH THE FASTAF BOUQUET?

The vibe was soft and romantic, so we found all the frilly blooms and mixed them with some garden elements, to keep it fresh and light. I really love it.

Q: ANY TOPICAL STORIES WHERE FLOWERS SAVED THE DAY OR HELPED INSPIRE LOVE THAT YOU CAN SHARE?

It happens everyday. Over the lockdown when people couldn’t touch and visit each other — I can’t count how many deliveries that inspired me personally.

Created by the Floral Loft in San Francisco, this whimsical bouquet features a mix of orchids, pink roses, spray roses, tuberoses, tropical lilies and proteas

The following questions were answered by Kelly Lee, Owner of Floral Loft. Check out their website here.

Q: FOR THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW, TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND FLORAL LOFT PROJECT?

The Floral Loft mission is to offer our clients a choice of moods, created through color, texture, and meant to express your sentiments through the beautiful flowers of northern California. We know that it can be difficult to cede control and let someone else make the creative decisions for you, but we hope in the end you will come to love this process that takes clients, the florist, and the recipient on a mutual adventure. Keeping an eco-friendly process in mind at all times is also a passion of ours.

Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE FLORAL LOFT

I wanted the opportunity to design pieces around a color palette. I was able to match the freckles in a foxglove to the deep plum of a double tulip, and the chartreuse tips of lisianthus to the pillowy blossoms of local snowball viburnum. Each element I chose seemed to reach for the next. To be filled with such excitement got me thinking about the reason I do this, my love of these tiny wonders, and how I could get back to this passion and make sure every recipient of our flowers felt that their arrangement was made with this much love.

Q: DO YOU THINK SF HAS A DIFFERENT VIBE TO FLOWERS THAN OTHER CITIES, IF SO, WHAT IS IT?

YES, San Francisco’s beauty and magic opens the door to creative and interesting design! We have the most amazing local blooms to do it with as well.

Q: HOW DO YOU DO VALENTINE’S DAY DIFFERENTLY? ANY NEW TRENDS?

We celebrate love in all the different ways we can — self love, friendships and partnerships.

This year we will see traditional flowers with a spin. Pink roses subbing for red, bright dried bits to add a modern look and long satin ribbons are the looks for this 2022 Valentines day.

Q: CAN YOU SHARE SOME ADDITIONAL INSIGHT ON HOW YOU CAME UP WITH THE FASTAF BOUQUET?

I wanted to give FastAF a fun look that speaks to everyone. Roses are just beautiful, orchids, poets and tropical lilies are sexy and lush greenery brings the smells and textures for a forest valley.

Q: ANY TOPICAL STORIES WHERE FLOWERS SAVED THE DAY OR HELPED INSPIRE LOVE THAT YOU CAN SHARE?

From time-to-time, I will have flowers to share. Leftovers from an event that I don’t see lasting long enough for an arrangement, so I put them in a bucket with a sign “for you, take me please”. Watching people face light up as they take one or two is magic. One day I watched someone take a few stems, carefully reflexed the petals and sprinkle drops of water on them and return them to the bucket better than they wore before. Love and gifts are everywhere!

Q: ANYTHING ELSE?

Thank you for celebrating in love! Please do it everyday, not just Valentine’s day.

Crafted in New York City by Floral Studio, this assortment is a classic showcase of cream roses, in a glass vase with green leaf wrapping

The following questions were answered by Thomas Lewis, Owner & President of Floral Studio. Check out their website here.

Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE FLORAL STUDIO?

I have been in the Horticultural profession since high school and pursued a B.S. in Ornamental Horticulture and a Master of Landscape Architecture. We provide services ranging from daily flowers, corporate flowers, event planning, and garden design. Our wedding and garden planning services are throughout the tri-state and New England states.

Q: DO YOU THINK NYC HAS A DIFFERENT VIBE TO FLOWERS THAN OTHER CITIES, IF SO, WHAT IS IT?

NYC definitely has a different “vibe.” There are certain styles and flowers that people prefer not to have in their bouquets, which is requested quite often. Most clients want the best flowers available and a tight, compact design style.

Q: HOW DO YOU DO VALENTINE’S DAY DIFFERENTLY? ANY NEW TRENDS?

On Valentine’s Day we offer many styles. I think that most clients prefer a low rounded rose arrangement (as in the one you will have) or a mixed arrangement in pinks with reds.

There are some new trends entering the market. While the compact design will always be a classy and elegant design aesthetic, there seems to be a trend of an asymmetrical design within arrangements amongst the younger clients. Additionally, dyed flowers appear to have a following.

Welcome to a better way to stock your pantry, fridge and snack drawer!

Our reimagined grocery category of highly curated, healthy and high-quality items allows you, our customers, a differentiated approach to shopping.

Curation is a part of our DNA, so while other quick commerce companies offer commoditized and undifferentiated grocery selections, we are completely reinventing the category with a curation of healthy and higher quality items.

Grocery items include sustainably farmed eggs and dairy products, tasty plant-based meat and alternative dairy options, nutritious frozen food, and the most robust selection of non-alcoholic beverages available for delivery in minutes.

Popular new brands include: Barebells Protein Bars, Beyond Meat®, Dave’s Killer Bread, Happy Egg Co., Kettle Brand chips, La Morra Pizzeria, Love Corn, Purely Elizabeth, Malibu Mylk®, McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream, Tate’s Bake Shop, Torres Potato Chips, Tony’s Chocolonely, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, Vive Organic, Verve Coffee Roasters, and more.

For more information on the new grocery category, see here.

Today, we’re thrilled to share that we’ve closed a Series A round of funding with a $200 million valuation!

We have a lot of people to thank, including customers and employees who got us here, and the investors we’re bringing along on our journey: Luxor Capital, EQT Ventures, PivotNorth Capital, Interlace Ventures, Daversa Partners, CPO of Adobe Scott Belskey, Founder of R/GA Bob Greenberg and former NBA star Baron Davis.

With this new funding we have made a massive change and brought delivery in-house and are continuing to curate a selection to make FastAF the best store on earth.

There are many other aspects of the business we will be growing to continue to drive more value to our consumers and create a better customer experience.

Be on the lookout as we add more features and products to FastAF.

For more information on the funding announcement, see here.

Q: For those who don’t know, tell us a little about yourself and your brand?

I’m Thanh and am the Co-founder & CEO of Good Company Brands — we create premium wellness products that center around daily rituals. Our flagship product is Good Company Tea; artisanal tea blends made with organic ingredients and infused with premium cannabis extracts.

Q: What inspired you to create Good Company Tea?

Growing up in a Vietnamese household, tea was always part of my upbringing. In 2017 my co-founder and I were traveling abroad together during the holidays and some of the best experiences we’ve had were in tea houses across Asia.

We both were working in high pressure industries (Tech and Big Pharma) and were uninspired with the work we were doing. Looking to change the narrative; we wanted to build something that had meaningful and experiential value not just for ourselves but for our peer group.

At the same time, we loved sitting over a pot of tea and having these deeper connections with people. It felt ritualistic. From that point on, we both became big advocates of tea and tea culture.

We wanted to find a way to make it more contemporary and enhance the feeling of an engaging ritual. Cannabis at this time was also arriving on the scene from a legalization standpoint. — By natural process, we came up with the idea of juxtaposing the two together. From there Good Company Tea was born.

Q: Your packaging is beautiful, can you tell us a little more about the brand image and how you chose the tea flavors as well?

We wanted to ground the design with a more classical and in some ways literal approach. To some people it may feel brutalist or austere but our intention was to really be forward about the brand and what the product is without typecasting it to a persona. We certainly didn’t want to optimize for a “what’s now” approach rather let the brand be confident on it’s own and more importantly stand out by just comfortably existing. We wanted something that could live on regardless of trends.

Regarding how we choose our tea flavors, we try to not overthink it and center around the notion that tea not only is a globally consumed beverage but has a deep heritage across many different regions. In our selection process we always want to make sure to honor this heritage and select teas from regions that have impacted the culture one way or another. In part, diversity is really important therefore we also look at niche pockets of the world where we can turn people on to amazing products and the history that comes along with it. For example, we love our №36 Blend which is sourced from Armenian, a region that we believe produces some of the best mint tea in the world.

Q: What is something you hope FastAF users will gain from your product?

We hope people are able to appreciate the thoughtfulness that goes into our products; we take a lot of pride in perfecting our craft and the details that go into a product that people are willing to pay for. For us, the most gratifying feeling is to be able to provide someone with a quiet and calm moment in their day when they reach for our tea. Even if it’s just for a sliver.

Q: Anything else you would like to share?

We love the community we’re building with something simple as a product like tea; we’re always trying to listen to people and understand how we can make things better and/or try new things to keep ideas fresh and exciting. If anyone is ever interested in learning or sharing more with us please drop me a line anytime. Thanh@goodcompanytea.com or @goodcompanytea.

To celebrate Small Business Saturday, we talked to some of our favorite small business founders in each of the cities we operate in, including Charlie Stackhouse of Cinnamon Projects in New York City.

Q: For those who don’t know, tell us a little about yourself and your brand?

Founded in 2014 by Andrew Cinnamon and Charlie Stackhouse, Cinnamon Projects is a design studio that explores the dynamic between intention, ritual, object and scent.

Q: What inspired you to create Cinnamon Projects?

Combining their degrees in architecture, graphic design, photography and sculpture with professional experience in the luxury marketplace has allowed the duo to hone their instincts and define a diverse skill set with a distinct shared perspective.

Adhering to the modernist mantra “form follows function”, their designs are minimalist expressions which honor ancient ritual and natural materials in forms created for purpose and crafted by hand.

Perpetually curious and motivated by a love for fragrance, artifacts and image making, an ever-evolving collection of burning incense, fine perfume oils and objects was created and has since been coveted and collected around the world.

Q: November is often associated with giving, based on your inspiration to create the company, could you discuss how this month specifically resonates with your brand, product, and overall mission?

Initially Cinnamon Projects was a true labor of love… we created incense and burners as gifts for our family and friends. It was a way to share and exchange ideas of practice, process and intention. When our circle wanted to replenish their supplies and spread the message, our project evolved into a business. Now, years later, we are incredibly grateful for the continually supportive feedback and inspired that our simple collection continues to be a platform for positivity.

Q: As a small business, do you or your team do anything special for Small Business Saturday?

On SBS, we shop of course! It’s the perfect excuse to lift our eyes up from our own work and be supportive to the brilliant makers in our community.

Q: Cinnamon Projects offers a wide assortment of options, any tips for picking out the perfect gift for a friend or family member?

Scent allows one to set a mood or intention so, according to our clients, friends and us, it’s all about variety. Our Series Box never fails to get a smile.

Q: What is something you hope FastAF users will gain from your product?

Our hope is that the FastAF tribe will find Cinnamon Projects scents and burners to be sensory tools they may use to elevate their focus, playtime and practices.

Q: Anything else you would like to share?

Spread love.

To celebrate Small Business Saturday, we interviewed founders of some of our favorite small businesses, including Michael Sharon of Taika in San Francisco.

Q: For those who don’t know, tell us a little about yourself and your brand?

Taika means magic in Finnish and every single one of our delightful keto-friendly, plant-based coffees and teas will make you feel inspired, not wired. Taste the magic in our blend of single origin coffees, organic ceremonial grade matcha and adaptogens which deliver immune support, focused energy, improved thinking and reduced stress.

I’m Michael — the co-founder + CEO at Taika. My background is mostly in tech — I started a mobile location company back in NYC before it was cool and then joined Facebook to work on mobile + small businesses before it was… err.. not cool. :) . My co-founder Kal Freese is one of the best baristas in the world and also has a background in food science.

Q: What inspired you to create Taika?

Chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity are the #1 killers in the world. A major cause is added sugar in consumer packaged goods — products like coffee, cereals and soda.

We were both inspired by the idea of stealth health — making it easy for people to live healthier lifestyles that prevent chronic diseases. Making stealth health products means creating things that taste absolutely delicious but are secretly healthy for you.

Q: November is often associated with giving, based on your inspiration to create the company, could you discuss how this month specifically resonates with your brand, product, and overall mission?

November and the concepts of giving and focusing on spending quality time with the right people in your life resonates strongly with our brand and overall mission. Our mission is to create products which make it effortless to live a healthier lifestyle and better health is the most priceless gift that you can give yourself and loved ones around you.

Q: As a small business, do you or your team do anything special for Small Business Saturday?

Not yet! Should we?

Q: You’ve launched some great flavors this year including a Matcha and Pumpkin Spice Latte, can you share any additional flavors that may be on the horizon?

Thanks! We’re so excited about both of them but our focus on incredibly high quality ingredients with all of our products (particularly our Matcha Latte and Pumpkins Spice Latte) meant we were even nominated for a Best Of 2021 award from BevNET! Unfortunately we can’t really talk more about new flavors before they drop but we’re working on some fun collabs with a number of folks that we’re excited to share with everyone early in the new year.

Q: What is something you hope FastAF users will gain from your product?

We’re hoping that Taika gives them the energy, focus and clarity to expand their creativity and tackle everything on their plate while feeling awake, aware and inspired!

Q: Anything else you would like to share?

One exciting thing about Taika is that it’s also delicious heated up! Here’s how to do it:

1. Pour Taika into your favorite microwave safe mug
2. Microwave for 60–90 seconds
3. Enjoy your perfectly calibrated, steaming hot latte

You can use any heat source of your choice: stove, fire, flamethrower… just make sure you pour the Taika out of the can first.

To celebrate Small Business Saturday, we chatted with some of the small business owners from each of the cities we operate in. First up, Carina Chaz, of DedCool in Los Angeles.

Q: For those who don’t know, tell us a little about yourself and your brand?

I founded DedCool when I was 21. I created my company as an extension of my passion for cologne, masculine scents. I cultivated an early appreciation for natural ingredients before clean beauty was a hashtag. I began experimenting and developed a proclivity for fragrance. From formulation to packaging to use cases– the system demanded change. My curiosity led me to create DedCool, a fragrance brand that took issues seriously, just not itself.

Q: What inspired you to create Dedcool?

Our fragrances can be combined or worn alone. Liberated from traditional fragrance forms,we build a new olfactory system. Anchored by approachable fine fragrances, we play with scent to give it new forms: we reimagine functional fragrance.

From sourcing to formulation to packaging to end use, each product is conceived with the highest quality and sustainable ingredients composed in innovative formulations to mitigate water use, while providing the customer with a product that lasts. DedCool’s foundation really stems from inclusivity, education & quality products. We hope to inspire people to shop consciously, without having to compromise.

DedCool commits to using vegan ingredients, water free formulations, beneficial organic extracts, and sustainable packaging to boost our impact for you and the planet.

Q: As a small business, do you or your team do anything special for Small Business Saturday?

DedCool has turned into quite the direct to consumer business- to make our black Friday / cyber Monday attainable for everyone, we have one sale that flows through 10 days. Making sure everyone can gift their loved ones and themselves this holiday season.

Q: You’ve expanded fragrance outside of perfume into fresheners and detergents, any other spaces you’re looking into that you might be able to share?

We translate fragrance across mediums so that scent is practically applied in your life. We embed fragrance into the items we use most to boost their functionality. Dedcool easily integrates into daily touch points — extending our signature scents into otherwise mundane products from laundry detergent to car air fresheners. With that being said, we like to push boundaries and offer our consumers a little more of an *obscure* offering. Just know, we’re making goodies for your furry friends…

Q: What is something you hope FastAF users will gain from your product?

We’re big fans of FastAF over here, it’s awesome people can shop in real time and have a 2 hour delivery- perfect if you’re lips are dry, pick up a balm…if your clothes are dirty…pick up some laundry detergent & if you’re kinda stinky (it’s okay, we all get a little stinky) pick up a fragrance. Last but not least, my favorite use of the app… Forgot to get a gift for your friend, lover, parent, dog etc…. FastAF got you covered.

Q: Any tips or tricks for picking a fragrance for friends or family members, especially with the holidays coming up?

TBH….. DedCool smells really really great and you SHOULD be giving the gift of Dedcool this year.

Q: For those who don’t know, tell us a little about yourself and your brand?

My name is David Zimmerman. I’m the founder of Herb & Olive, a hip hop artist, poet, and many other things that would help others define me. Herb & Olive was built on the foundation of sourcing only the finest ingredients we could find. This ethos helped shape our brand identity as well as every other facet of the business. We started as a CBD-infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil company, and have grown into a wellness brand focused on healthy lifestyles. Mental and physical health are top priorities for me, so we’ve engrained those ideals into the brand as well. Our long term goal is to re-teach our population about the importance of taking care of your body from the inside out.

Q: What inspired you to create Herb-Olive?

I started Herb & Olive out of a necessity for my mental and physical health. I was a Senior Product Manager at BCG Digital Ventures for many years, helping shape the vision of and building products for fortune 500 companies. I’m sure many can relate to my story of the long hours, weekly traveling and little time for my creative self. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease after being hospitalized multiple times and losing over 70% of the blood in my body overnight. This made me rethink my entire existence. I loved my job, but after a year of being on countless medications I couldn’t pronounce, and many more hospitalizations, I realized that it was time for a change. I gave myself two years to get my mind and body right. This meant getting off all pharmaceutical medications (against my doctor’s advice) and pursuing a creative path of my own choosing. I knew that I wanted to get into the physical product world, because I had been overwhelmed with the exponential increase in technology, and lived in that world on the daily basis at the firm. I tried CBD products to help alleviate symptoms of my condition, and began biohacking my body to get quantifiable evidence of the effectiveness of CBD. Everybody is different, but I noticed a decrease in the inflammation levels in my blood, so I knew this worked for me. The CBD market was already quite saturated in 2017, but no one had really tapped into pairing CBD with olive oil at the time. I have always loved cooking, and olive oil is a big part of my diet (and is also a super food which can help with reducing inflammation in the body and repairing the gut lining). I requested samples from dozens of CBD manufactures and olive oil farms in the country. After much trial and error, I found the perfect pairing of products. Organic whole hemp from Northern Oregon, extracted without any chemicals or harsh solvents + Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) from a family farm in Northern California. I free’d myself from the shackles of western medication, my mind, body and spirit were fuller than they had been in years, and I quit my corporate job. At the end of 2019, Herb & Olive was born.

Q: November is often associated with giving, based on your inspiration to create the company, could you discuss how this month specifically resonates with your brand, product, and overall mission?

I grew up in a Jewish household. We weren’t super strict about religion, but we always appreciated the traditions when my grandparents were alive. The holidays were less about gifts, and more about spending time with family and enjoying home-cooked meals together. As I get older and define my own story, I’m realizing how important these moments were. If Covid taught me anything, it was the importance of time with friends and family. You never know when something can take a turn and change all of your plans. I’m honored to be able to create products that can be shared with friends and family. Olive oil is a staple in most every kitchen, and I find solace knowing that our products will elevate any meal, and be a healthy addition to the table. With a pandemic experienced by our entire global population, the reiteration of having a healthy lifestyle is more pronounced than ever. Taking steps daily to build a healthy foundation in your body is necessary for longevity. I’m not saying EVOO or CBD will cure you and make you a healthier person overnight, but adding these products to your daily routine (amongst other steps), will definitely help you get there.

Q: On a foodie level, what are some dishes you or your family like to make during the holidays? What are some interesting and/or unique ways you integrate your product while cooking?

With Thanksgiving, we keep it pretty traditional. I cut out gluten, dairy and refined sugars from my diet years ago, which helped me get off western medication. My family has been patient with me throughout this process, which I greatly appreciate. We end up making two of certain dishes so that we can all enjoy them together. My mom and I usually do the cooking for the holidays to give my dad a break. We’ll roast a turkey, varieties of mashed potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, some sort of greens like brussels and asparagus, cranberry sauce and gravy. We keep the natural wine flowing, and my mom and I kick off the day with a shot of Jack Daniels (that story is for another day). Cooking and being together is really the foundation of it all. It’s funny how much time you spend cooking, just to sit down and eat for 30 minutes to an hour. It’s a metaphor for life really. It’s all about the journey not the destination. I’ve grown to truly appreciate these moments with my family, and I look forward to this every year. It’s even more special being able to incorporate this beautiful olive oil into every component of the meal.

Q: What is something you hope FastAF users will gain from your product?

I hope FastAF users get a better understanding for what real extra virgin olive oil should taste like. Unfortunately, like much of our food system in the US, there are a lot of poor quality industrialized products that are driven by the bottom line. Yes, making a profit is important in building a business, but it should never be the key driver to growth. You have my word that I will never lose the integrity of our products for profits. There’s a reason we spend 5x more than the market average for our whole hemp CBD. They take pride in their hemp and extraction processes, the same way we take pride in all of our products. Real EVOO should taste bright, vibrant and give you a peppery tingle on the back of your throat. I drink it by the spoonful, and I hope you will grow to enjoy doing the same.

Q: Anything else you would like to share?

We just finished production for our Organic CBD EVOO minis, and these will be live on our website before Thanksgiving, so keep your eyes out for that! You can subscribe to our newsletter at herb-olive.com

Q: For those who don’t know, tell us a little about yourself and Plant People?

GK: My name is Gabe Kennedy, Co-Founder of Plant People and also chef by trade. Plant People creates doctor-formulated, regenerative-organic, plant and mushroom supplements that unlock the potential in people. Our products blend clinical research with time-tested tradition and plant wisdom to support sleep, stress, gut health, cognition and pain. We focus on empowering our customers and community through education and tools to navigate the world in a more healthful way. In addition, we have a strong commitment to regenerative agriculture and climate, as a certified B Corp, Certified Climate Neutral and an almost entirely plastic-free supply chain. We also plant a tree for every product sold and have planted over 200,000 to date.

When Hudson, my Co-Founder and I connected over our shared spine injuries on a hike, we decided to explore bringing some of the powerful and helpful tools we used, to our community. Through Plant People, we believe that the answer to so many of our greatest challenges is all around us, in the plants, mushrooms, soil, air and water that we so often take for granted — we find inspiration in unlocking the power of plants, as they unlock the potential in people.

Q: What inspired you to create Plant People?

Plant People draws on our personal experiences with injury, recovery, plants and preventative wellness. We saw an opportunity to build a meaningful values driven brand to further support our communities in ways that were not yet available. Since, Plant People has grown into a tremendous vehicle to support regenerative agriculture and our relationship to solutions found in the natural world.

Q: With the holidays in full swing and the new year approaching, a common theme we’re talking about is self-improvement. Based on your inspiration to create the company, could you discuss how this specifically resonates with your brand, product, and overall mission?

I believe that gentle self improvement is an essential part of life. It is important to embrace growth, change and learning from our experiences so that we can be more kind to ourselves, community and planet. A pillar of our brand is regeneration — a commitment to recreating, improving and growing with positive feedback. I see this as a parallel to self improvement.

Q: In what ways do your products relate to self-care, and can you talk about how self care resonates with you?

To me, self-care is being patient with yourself but also finding sustainable and healthful ways to support your true nature. We create products that can be used as tools to proactively support one’s true nature of physical and mental wellbeing. Everything we create happens to be eco-conscious, allowing us to give back to the planet and ourselves at the same time.

Q: One way to focus on self-improvement is by giving back to the community, can you talk more about how/ if your company is doing this?

Plant People has a strong and long-standing commitment to the environment and combating climate change by rebuilding the health of people and the planet — our communities, soil, agricultural systems and those who work on the systems. We plant a tree for every product that we sell, so we have planted hundreds of thousands of trees with both American Forests and Trees for The Future. Additionally, we are a certified B-Corporation, Certified Climate Neutral and have a supply chain that is almost 100% plastic-free.

Q: What is something you hope FastAF users will gain from your product?

We hope that people will be able to reconnect to their true nature, whatever that may be. We hope that people find better sleep, smile-filled days, productive afternoons, relaxing evenings, pain-free activities in strong vital bodies!

Q: For those who don’t know, tell us a little about yourself and The Ugly Co.

BM: Hello! I’m Ugly. My name is Ben Moore, I’m the founder of The Ugly Co. I’m a 4th generation farmer from Kingsburg, CA. We are on a mission to end food waste at farms. The Ugly Co. upcycles ugly fruit that would normally be tossed out simply because it’s ugly and unmarketable. Everyday, between 2–4 million pounds of edible fruit is wasted within a 15-mile radius of Ugly HQ in Kingsburg during fruit harvesting season.

Q: What inspired you to create The Ugly Co.?

BM: During the summer of 2017, there were two hurricanes that hit the U.S. One in Houston and another in Puerto Rico. I read several news reports detailing the extreme lack of food and supplies available to help Puerto Ricans after the hurricane struck. At the time, I was truck driving for our family farm. My dad and I were also hauling for other farms in the area to help dispose of their ugly fruit. That summer I would help dump between 50–150 tons of fruit daily. After reading those news reports, I was struck by the disparity of abundance in my hometown, and the lack thereof in Puerto Rico. The light bulb moment happened. That summer I made a decision to help find a way to use ugly fruit to feed people, not landfills.

Q: With the holidays in full swing and the new year approaching, a common theme we’re talking about is self-improvement. Based on your inspiration to create the company, could you discuss how this specifically resonates with your brand, product, and overall mission?

BM: The holidays allow me to refocus on our company’s purpose that goes beyond ugly fruit. We strive to challenge the stigma that “ugly” means something bad, or in our case, inedible. We never judge a fruit by its cover and feel that mentality should spread beyond the “wonky” pieces of fruit that we rescue. We hope to inspire society to view everything through a kinder lense, and to value not just fruit, but people as well, based upon their inner beauty rather than their appearance.

Q: And how does The Ugly Co. support self-care?

BM: Self-care includes what we choose to put in our bodies. At The Ugly Co., we believe that fruit should be served naturally. Therefore our products are created with no added sugars, preservatives or artificial ingredients.

Q: One way to focus on self-improvement is by giving back to the community, can you talk more about how/if your company is doing this?

BM: At The Ugly Co., we have focused our contribution to the community through donating packages of fruit to school athletic programs, community 5k races and to our high school teachers and administrators. We also help Gleanings for The Hungry with logistics and IT support.

Q: What is something you hope FastAF users will gain from your product?

BM: My hope is that every person enjoys our upcycled dried fruit with the knowledge that their purchase is directly preventing up to 2.25lbs of food waste and helping create a more sustainable future. #eatugly