In conjunction with the launch of our new MicroFarm ONE+ counter top micro farm, we have created a new system of live trays named "Pop & Grow" that can be sold in stores and can be grown in our new ONE+ system. "Pop & Grow" referring to popping off the humidity top and placing the trays in our countertop system to grow into specatcular greens. We are in the midst of crop testing but we have several nice examples to show you of crops that have proven to be well suited to this system. The first one pictured is parsley with the seeded tray on the left and the grown out crop on the right. Once the seeds have germinated and are showing leaves (about 7-10 days), we cover the tray with our clear top to allow light to start the greening process and our cover keeps the humidity in the tray. The trays are then placed on shelves for sale and should remain in a good state for up to 10 days depending on the crop. This parsley is pictured at 3 weeks and can grow out for a couple more since you use very small quantities of this spectacular microgreen. Fast growing crops like our radishes will only stay in this state for 3 days or so, so the turnover of those microgreens must be rapid. Trays that are no longer salable as our pregreening micro crops can then be put back in our production system to grow out and deliver premium microgreens. Intentionally some of the faster growing crops can also be used at point of sale displays while they are growing out since the ONE+ units have all the lighting necessary to grow out premium crops. We will be posting more shots of herbs and other crops this week as we finalize this unit and the growing kits and processes. Watch for more info at our MicroFarm website. For those interested in commercial use of the process and equipment, please contact us directly through this site or the MicroFarm contact page.
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Here is a photo of our basil two ways micro farm. This beautiful growth was shot at two weeks and gives a really tight growth pattern that creates lovely microgreens. This kit contains purple and genovese basil planted side by side. This basil kit will be available later this week. Also being unveiled today is our hydroponic cabbage patch mix of wonderful tasting golden acre and red cabbage varieties. The cabbage patch kit is now available in our Micro Farms Superstore at a special introductory price. These two kits are were part of our experiment in mixing crops of the same variety to create new and exotic mixes. As you can see from these photos, the results are really amazing and wait till you can taste them for yourself!!! With sincere apologies to Simon and Garfunkle, OK OK ... maybe too much poetic license ... how about Parsley and Cilantro ... but since I now have your attention let me continue. I have been asked to grow some crops that could replace some herbs. Thus the choice of two well known herbs used in a myriad of recipes and cultures.
We have started with cilantro and parsley. Two common herbs, but not normally used as microgreens. Our photos here of both at 20 days where the cilantro is just starting to show it's first true leaves and the parsley getting more robust. The taste of these two is incredible and as we had imagined. Microgreens as a whole provide you with a heightened or concentrated flavor of the base plants. We are going to offer these two special crops in our store. These basic hydroponic kits will feature the same growing materials as our others but know that these crops will take quite a bit longer to grow out. Click here to go to our new kit. Wanted to share a pic we just added to our instagram feed. We have moved into a new facility that does not have as much natural sunlight as our old site, so we decided to setup an hybrid lighting test area that we could optimize our growing systems. Our new setup has red/blue LED grow lights along with 6500k cfl sunlight bulbs. We are finding that both types of lighting grows out our crops nicely and we are also introducing a bright white LED system into our test bench this week. We originally designed our Micro Farm ONE to serve as our prototypical countertop unit to bring micro farms to the kitchen. Since launching the ONE we quickly saw the potential for use of this as a wonderful classroom tool that would bring crops to the classroom. By utilizing the countertop unit as the master station for the teacher to demonstrate the basics, the class then turns the activity out to their individual micro farm stations. Made to be virtually "instant" agriculture this unit can serve as a bridge from the immediacy of the internet age to the world of agriculture. Children of all ages are captured in the wonder of the seed emerging and becoming a plant. All of this right in their classroom in an instant (takes 7-10 days to go from seed to eat). Our units will provide an introduction that creates a lifetime impression on children and possibly the spark to fuel the next generation of urban farmers. Meant to be an open ended experiential platform, the farms are reusable and can be utilized to study all manner of agriculture in the classroom. We are also creating a listing of useful tools that are freely available on the internet to allow for collaborative exchange and growth. Contact us directly for school or system purchases. Our new Micro Farm ONE classroom unit continues to lead the way in bringing microgreens into the classroom while creating an open platform for study and production. In our latest Micro Farm Blog entitled Micro Farms for Micro Schools, we highlight what we believe is becoming a paradigm shift for education of all levels. We believe we are at the beginning of a radical change in education processes that is just catching up to the skills needed to survive in the new workplace. Our Micro Farm ONE classroom kits can serve as a platform or tool to allow this open ended exploration and discovery right in the classroom. Read a more detailed discussion in the Micro Farms Blog. |
UrbaformUrbaform is a technology integrator and developer specializing in food production in the urban environment ... Archives
February 2020
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