Update
Early in 2020 I had to pause EatMoreKale.com when I lost my studio space. That summer I spent more time kayaking and hiking with Nikki Jo, and I will not pretend I missed the late nights on press cleanup. Folks still tracked me down for shirts anyway.
Without a permanent studio, I leaned on my web partner in Colorado and his crew to rebuild the site, scan the artwork, and line up honest print-on-demand vendors so orders could leave on time without me hand-pulling every single colorway.
The store is open again with the same hand-drawn marks you remember, plus new fits, fabrics, and jokes we add whenever inspiration strikes. If you have not visited in a while, poke around the shop and say hello on contact if something looks off.
How Eat More Kale Started
ME THEN
Back in 2001 a friend handed me a home T-shirt screen-printing kit. It came with a silk screen, a squeegee, a pint of black ink, and a thin booklet that promised I could make simple prints from hand-cut stencils. Sounded simple, so off I went. "CHEESE" was my first print, and it was a hit with friends and coworkers. A little later, Paul and Kate from High-Ledge Farm asked for two shirts that read "EAT MORE KALE." I barely overthought it, drew the letters, cut the stencil in under twenty minutes, and dropped the shirts at the next farmers market. The phrase caught on before "going viral" was everyday language, then wandered to every corner of the map.
For a long stretch it really was a one-man show: farmers markets, music festivals, late nights rinsing screens above the garage. A buddy later built EATMOREKALE.com for twenty bucks, and the site grew because customers kept telling friends. Today many orders still carry my artwork, but trusted print partners handle the heavy lifting so I can focus on new sketches, odd holidays, and the occasional nap.
About BO
ME NOW
I was born in Memphis, TN, the city of blues, rock and roll, barbecue, and Elvis. Since then I have lived in Tennessee, Michigan, Missouri, Alabama, Georgia, and Vermont. I picked up a history degree from Samford University in Birmingham in 1998 after a colorful tour through Auburn and Rhodes College. I liked school more than my transcript showed. These days I am planted in Montpelier, Vermont's capital, and Central Vermont still feels like home base.
I have two cool kiddos. Working from home means I catch extra goofy moments with them between ink tests and email. I am a nut for a solid documentary, so if the studio lights are on you will probably hear music or narration in the background. I play drums badly, carve folk art when the mood hits, and ski or snowboard whenever budget and babysitters line up. Warm months mean swimming whenever the pond cooperates. Mostly though I still like dreaming up the next shirt someone will wear to the grocery store.
THANKS PLENTY FOR YOUR TIME AND INTEREST.
EAT MORE KALE!
-Bo
What to do next
If you only need the short version, head to the shop for every current style, or skim design families when you already know you want crows, compost critters, or the classic hand-lettered mark.
Curious how shirts get packed or what happens if a size runs small? The FAQ covers most of it. For anything stranger, send a note. I still read plenty of messages myself.
Want proof that real humans wear this stuff? Scroll The Wall for snapshots folks send in from farmers markets, campuses, and family cookouts. If you are hunting kitchen ideas instead of cotton, the recipes page collects kale projects from generous friends of the brand. Share your own photo when you are ready. It keeps me motivated when I see a design out in the wild instead of folded on a shelf. Wholesale questions are rare, but if you run a co-op or school fundraiser you can mention that in the first email so we know what you need.