_heic.png){kind=small}
The Most Important Questions, Frequently Asked
Bear with me while I continue to add to this page - Shannon
What are Microgreens?
To put it simply, Microgreens are tiny, immature versions of vegetables, herbs and other plants. They are typically harvested anywhere from a week to two weeks after germination at which point they tend to be about one to two inches tall with the stem and leaves still attached.
Often, they are grown in a shallow tray filled with a growing medium then sewn thickly with seeds to achieve a "carpet" look, much like the photo on the background of this section. They are grown indoors and require the use of lights in lieu of natural sunshine.
Microgreens can also be sewn directly into the ground but there is more margin for error with this method as microgreens prefer controlled environment (in my experience, and I'd wage most other micro farmers).
​
Read more at: https://caldwell.ces.ncsu.edu/2018/02/what-are-microgreens/
How Do I Use Them?
This is the question I am asked almost immediately after giving a brief description of what Microgreens are. My reply is genuinely "put them on anything!"
What did you have for breakfast? Eggs scrambled, poached, fried or omeletted or burritoed? A smoothie or parfait? Bagel and schmear? Avocado toast? Oatmeal? Just throw some on top after after you plate it up. You could even make a small breakfast salad on the side. (Eventually I will have a link here for recipe ideas).
From a flavor standpoint it could be acceptable to cook them. Potato soup cooked with micro Leek would knock your socks off, but texture, appearance would suffer.
From a health standpoint, nutritional value would suffer in the heating process. However, since microgreens are so nutrient dense, even cooked, you would be receiving more vitamins, minerals and disease fighting phytochemicals than you would from their mature counterpart. Check out the research and perspective on this website.
Why should I eat them?
They are DELICIOUS
Microgreens add unique flavor and texture to any dish (put them on anything!). The flavors are often similar to the mature version of the plant but tend to be more subtle.
For example: Micro Radish has the gentle spice and crispness of a mature radish. Sweet Pea Shoots have that subtle sweet flavor of sugar snap pea. Micro Cilantro has the bright fresh flavor of mature cilantro. You get the idea.
​
They are a SUPERFOOD
microgreens contain greater amounts of nutrients and health-promoting micronutrients than their mature counterparts (4-40x more). Because microgreens are so rich in nutrients, smaller amounts may provide similar nutritional benefit compared to larger quantities of mature vegetables.
Some varieties are cancer fighters
I am a health conscious mom, wife, microgreen farmer and small time rancher. I am certainly not a doctor. I urge you to dive into the research that has been done over the last decade to discover the incredible benefits of adding microgreens to your diet, daily. I've linked to a few notable papers below.
In a nutshell, or in the case of microgreens, a seed hull (haha) microgreens are quickly gaining recognition as cancer fighters because of their incredibly high amounts of antioxidants including polyphenols, vitamins and minerals. Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant that are attributed to protecting and fighting against cancer cells. Click HERE to be linked to polyphenol research.
Scholarly Articles and Research
Because microgreens as a superfood and sustainable food source is a relatively new idea, there has not yet been much research into the very fine details. There have, however been a handful of excellent studies done which I encourage you to read should you have the mind to. MOST info that you will find on the websites of many microgreen farms (including mine) will have come from these handful of research projects. They are fascinating!