We want to help you grow easy

Saving water and making it easier for anyone to grow food was our starting point. But our end goal is healthy, resilient communities.

 Local Food, Low Impact, More Access

 When all is said and done, we care about feeding people—and doing it in a way that can carry on for years and years. 

We’ve seen the damage that industrial farming has done to our communities and health. When all of us have access and tools to grow our own food, everyone benefits. 

We want to make homegrown food the norm, and create tools that make it easy to fit into busy lives, with the least impact.

Why Oyas? 

Our #OyaTribe has shown us time and again that local gardening is one of the simplest ways to build safer, healthier, more resilient communities. 

It means anyone can access organic food, without spending a fortune. It creates pride, responsibility and ownership in neighborhoods that might sometimes feel hopeless.

We’ve seen the personal benefits of gardening in our own lives—it calms our minds, makes us notice and respond to our environment, and connects us to the food we eat every day. It’s so powerful to watch a tiny seed turn into abundance, and then feed our families. 

By making it easier to water, we see gardens popping up in places people would have thought were off-limits in the past: rooftops, sidewalks, boulevards, traffic circles, mobile trucks. We’re here for it.

But we’ve also seen challenges. Water is becoming scarce, and around 36 US states are facing water shortages. We want gardeners to reduce their impact and feel good about how they use water.

We’ll help you save water, you keep on growing your garden.

P.S. We love supporting local communities. Find out about our [school garden program.]

[Learn more about how Oyas save water [ insert link to how Oyas work ]

Our Story

It all started with a quest for the freshest food. 

Our co-founder, Josh McWilliams, was a busy chef with limited time and space but a passion for farm-to-table cuisine. He wanted to find the most efficient, sustainable way to grow, despite his long days in the kitchen and sunny apartment patio.

His research unearthed an ancient idea—the olla (pronounced “o-ya”)—an irrigation technique used across civilizations. It seemed perfect for today’s gardener—a heritage watering system.

On a sunny Saturday at the farmers’ market, Kenny Torrance—industrial designer and maker—approached Josh’s Oya booth. Kenny loved the concept and had a vision for how the hand-turned Oyas could be improved for a wider market. 

The final addition was Brant Cheetham—entrepreneur with a passion for businesses that do good. Brant wanted as many gardeners as possible—all ages and skills—to use Oyas to grow better gardens while saving water.