Part Two: The Basics
Little Leaves
For the consumer:
Microgreens are a type of fresh salad green that is harvested at a very young, tender, healthful and flavorful stage. This is called the cotyledon stage (aka seed leaf). A seed leaf is the first set of leaves that emerge when a seed first sprouts, before the true leaves emerge. They are often heart shaped (but not always) and are packed with nutrients because, after all its like you are eating a sprouted seed!
Microgreens enthusiasts are excited about health benefits like antioxidants, flavenoids, folate, and minerals often at higher concentration than a full grown vegetable when compared ounce for ounce. So they are likely very good for your body and an easy way to get kids to enjoy their veggies.
As you’ll see in the next section they can be used as a base for a salad (or in addition to a standard lettuce salad), they can be added to sandwiches, soups, smoothies, summer rolls, pestos, and can adorn just about any savory dish you are serving up. Often I tell people they are like sprouts, but more delicious and versatile and I end up putting them on everything I am eating. I tend to be dogmatic about one thing- and that is that they should be enjoyed uncooked.
For the grower:
Microgreens are a fast growing crop that can add diversity to a market stand or product list.
When grown and packaged right they provide a beautiful product, with excellent shelf life and flexibility.
If you see a gap coming up in your field grown product, microgreens plantings can expand or contract to fill that gap within 10 days.
Growing Microgreens is easy on the body too- allowing you to do most tasks standing up around a table rather than crouching over a bed (I do most of my seeding while baby-wearing which is not possible with most other farm tasks!)
