Why microgreens?

 

    I was fed up with bags of salad from the supermarket that became slimey, smelly and inedible after just a couple of days in my fridge!

    To the point where I had actually stopped buying salad entirely, despite loving a side of greens with each meal. 

    But while patiently waiting for warmer weather to come around so I could harvest some fresh leaves from my garden I came across microgreens.

    Microgreens?

    Microgreens are the stem and first few leaves grown from the seeds of edible plants. 

    Like the pea shoots that come artfully arranged on top of your risotto at a restaurant!

    Being an avid veg plotter I decided to grow some myself and see if they could fill my side salad gap through the colder months when leaves can be a little low on the ground.

    The answer was yes.

    They really could fill the gap.

    And in a BIG way for such a tiny plant!

    Because not only were they seriously delicious, but they also stayed crispy and fresh in my fridge for over a week!

    Over a week!!!

    I quickly became obsessed with these little salad items and knew I wanted them to be the first product that came out of Coad Micro Farm because they represent everything we’re trying to do here. 

    * Local and healthy British produce grown sustainably and freshly available year round. *

    * Amazingly tasty, so you actually want to eat your greens! *

    * Fresh for a decent length of time - we want the food we grow here to also be effortless for you to enjoy which means not panicking that it’s going to go off 12 hours after it’s arrived! *

    Check out our microgreen products below:

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    Common Microgreen Questions

    Are microgreens healthier than normal lettuce or salad?

    While there isn’t a huge amount of research on this yet, the research so far seems to suggest yes!

    Compared to mature plants microgreens seem to have higher levels of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants (reference one and two.)

    Which is good news for us microgreen lovers, or those looking to make their salads even healthier!

    How do I use microgreens?

    In any place you would normally use lettuce or other green salad!

    They work great as a salad base all on their own, no need to add lettuce if you don't want to.

    They can be combined with lettuce and other salad items to make a varied salad mix.

    Or they can be used as a garnish anywhere you like.

    Add them to your sandwiches, sprinkle on pasta and mix them into buddha bowls!

    Or eat them all on their own like a wee rabbit!

    What do microgreens taste like and will I like them?

    I'm pretty biased but I think microgreens are super tasty.

    They're like a cross between your favourite salad leaf and the plant they come from.

    So pea shoots, for example, are like a mild leaf version of a pea.

    While sunflower microgreens have a more nutty flavour!

    Generally I find that people who like a salad LOVE microgreens!

    Is growing microgreens good for the environment?

    Don't hate me but...it really depends.

    Just like with any food production there are both enviromentally friendly and non-enviromentally friendly ways of growing.

    Here at Coad Micro Farm we use the most enviormentally friendly options avaliable to us right now and are working to make them even better for our planet.

    That looks like:

    - Using peat-free, organic compost and working towards making all our own compost so we don't have to buy this input in.

    - Using LED grow lights to minimise energy usage and one day installing solar panels so we can produce clean energy ourselves.

    - Only supplying the local area within a few miles of our farm (SN6 6RD) which massively cuts down on food miles and ensures there is a local supply of fresh greens all year round for those people (no need to fly in lettuce from some far flung country to get that nutrient goodness in the less sunny months!)

    So if we changed the question to "Is the way the microgreen grown at Coad Micro Farm good for the environment?" I would feel more than happy saying YES! :)

    Ready to try microgreens?

    Then click the button below and check out our microgreen options!

    Browse microgreens here!