Growing Microgreens Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Blake Cowling and Austin Collins on Scintilla Farms in San Diego, California share their microgreens journey starting on a very small scale and expanding to growing in a warehouse to service over 30 restaurant customers. They also share why they chose to sell to restaurants, how they built their solid customer base, and their strategy for curating their crop offerings based on their customers' needs. Lastly, they also talk about their future plans to expand their microgreens business to include mushrooms. 

Get time and labor-saving farm tools and microgreen seeds at shop.modern grower.co

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:

• Farm Small, Farm Smart
• Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily
• The Growing Microgreens Podcast

Check out Diego's book Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

Chris's online course Growing Your Profitable Microgreens Business https://microgreens.teachable.com/courses

In this episode, Chris and I discuss using the blackout stage in growing microgreens, particularly broccoli, and whether it’s beneficial. The blackout stage involves keeping plants in the dark after the germination stage to make them taller and potentially increase yield. The trial tested different blackout durations (0 to 3 days) to observe effects on crop height, yield, appearance, flavor, and storage.

Key findings include:

• Height: One blackout day produced the tallest plants (7.5 cm), while three days resulted in weak, bent plants.
• Yield: Longer blackout periods slightly reduced yield, with three days of blackout giving the lowest yield.
• Appearance: The longer blackout made the plants paler, with smaller leaves and weaker stems, making them look worse overall.
• Texture and Flavor: Longer blackout made the plants chewier, though flavor wasn’t significantly affected.
• Storage: All plants stored well for 10-14 days, with minor differences.

The conclusion is that the blackout stage is not particularly beneficial for broccoli. A one-day blackout might help slightly with height but doesn’t justify the extra effort. The results might vary for other crops, like amaranth, which will be tested in future trials.

Get time and labor-saving farm tools and microgreen seeds at shop.modern grower.co

Listen to other podcasts on the Modern Grower Podcast Network:

• Farm Small, Farm Smart
• Farm Small, Farm Smart Daily
• The Growing Microgreens Podcast

Check out Diego's book Sell Everything You Grow on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sell-Everything-You-Grow-Homestead-ebook/dp/B0CJC9NTZF

Chris's online course Growing Your Profitable Microgreens Business https://microgreens.teachable.com/courses

Molds, fungus, viruses - oh my! Depending on your growing environment you may encounter one or perhaps even all of these diseases. And what do you do once you encounter them? If there’s a small section of mold on your tray, for example, what do you do with that tray? Do you scrap the whole tray or can you harvest the unaffected part? We ask these questions with long-time grower and microgreen expert Chris Thoreau.

Chris's online course Growing Your Profitable Microgreens Business https://microgreens.teachable.com/courses

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter

Small Farm Tools and Microgreens Supplies https://www.paperpot.co/

Support my content while you shop at Amazon: https://amzn.to/32FYCqW

When you start your farm business, one think that you need to think about is your business structure.

Sole proprietorships and LLCs are common ways to go, but there are also other options, like co-operatives...

That's how farmer Chris Thoreau of Food Pedalers structure his business, and that's the subject of today's show...

Today I'm going up to Vancouver to talk to microgreen farmer Chris Thoreau about a topic that you don't hear discussed a lot in small scale farming circles - how he organized his business..

Chris initially started his business as a sole proprietor, but as he began to grow, both in the size of the business and the amount of people working in the business, he realized he needed to change that.

After looking at all of the options, Chris decided that he wanted to do something different, something that went more against the status quo, and something that was equitable for everyone involved - so Chris organized his business as a co-operative.

It's an interesting business structure and it's one that most people wouldn't think of when organizing their business.

If your business is growing, or if you are thinking about expanding your team, then a coop structure might make sense for you...

Today Chris will talk about why he chose that structure, the advantages and disadvantages of it, and what it takes to have a successful member-owner business.

Chris's online course Growing Your Profitable Microgreens Business http://bit.ly/learntogrowmicrogreens

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter

Small Farm Tools and Microgreens Supplies https://www.paperpot.co/

Support my content while you shop at Amazon: https://amzn.to/32FYCqW

Microgreen Grower Chris Thoreau and I discuss a variety of reasons why microgreens might not be a fit for you. This is a realistic look at what growing microgreens as a business is really like.  From quick turn around times week after week to attention to detail to scaleability to the day to day drudgery - they aren't a perfect business, yet nothing is.  

Chris's online course Growing Your Profitable Microgreens Business http://bit.ly/learntogrowmicrogreens

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter

Small Farm Tools and Microgreens Supplies https://www.paperpot.co/

Support my content while you shop at Amazon: https://amzn.to/32FYCqW

When you are only growing a 10 day crop, how much of an affect does light quality and temperature have on the crop?

A lot.

Chris is in Vancouver where he sees day lengths change from 8 hours at the winter solstice to 16 hours at the summer solstice; a large change which affects how much light crops get to grow. Less light in winter means slower or no crop growth. If you are a farmer, you get this. It makes sense, at least for field crops.

But what about microgreens? Crops which spend only half of their life in the light, a life that might only be 5 to 8 days.

Does seasonality really affect those crops over those 5 days?

Yes, and more than you think.

In this episode Chris will talk all about the change of the seasons and how it affects microgreen crop growth - specifically the effects of changing temperatures and light conditions. Two factors which can dramatically affect crop growth, yield and quality.

Chris's online course Growing Your Profitable Microgreens Business http://bit.ly/learntogrowmicrogreens

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter

Small Farm Tools and Microgreens Supplies https://www.paperpot.co/

Support my content while you shop at Amazon: https://amzn.to/32FYCqW

If customers keep asking if you have certain crop, and you don't, should you grow it?

It depends.

And that's the focus of today's show: When, How, and Why to Start Producing A New Microgreen Crop

Chris's online course Growing Your Profitable Microgreens Business http://bit.ly/learntogrowmicrogreens

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter

Small Farm Tools and Microgreens Supplies https://www.paperpot.co/

Support my content while you shop at Amazon: https://amzn.to/32FYCqW

When you think about what your selling, don't forget that what you are selling isn't just what's in the cooler behind your booth.

You're selling yourself, your story, and the role that you play in a bigger movement; all intangible assets that can allow you to succeed without having a diversity of products.

But if you want to grow, and you don’t have more products to sell to customers, then you need to find more customers, and that likely means diversifying beyond the farmers market.

That’s the subject of today's show where the farmers market is one of the market streams that we dig into as Chris talks about his experiences selling to a diversity of market streams without a diversity of crops.

Chris's online course Growing Your Profitable Microgreens Business http://bit.ly/learntogrowmicrogreens

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter

Small Farm Tools and Microgreens Supplies https://www.paperpot.co/

Support my content while you shop at Amazon: https://amzn.to/32FYCqW

Given the relatively low capital investment required to start a microgreens business, it's a business that attracts a lot of people.

When over 60% of your time will be spent harvesting, cleaning, and sanitizing trays, some of the allure of that $50 tray goes away.

Add in the need for rigorous observations and recording keeping, and you will find yourself in a position that Chris describes as part automaton and part scientist.

Not for everyone.

Especially when people enter the business looking to make a quick buck.

If you are thinking about starting a microgreens operation, there's a lot to consider, especially the negatives.

Chris's online course Growing Your Profitable Microgreens Business http://bit.ly/learntogrowmicrogreens

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter

Small Farm Tools and Microgreens Supplies https://www.paperpot.co/

Support my content while you shop at Amazon: https://amzn.to/32FYCqW

"They weren't just buying the product, they were buying the whole package."

That's how Chris Thoreau was able to go to a farmer's market selling one crop.  Just one.  Sunflower shoots.  He was able to go to market with just one crop because he was selling a product that had a great story.  

There's a lot in this one and at its core this interview focuses heavily on core success principles - relentless testing and experimentation, constant record keeping and analysis, and knowing what to focus on.  

Chris's online course Growing Your Profitable Microgreens Business http://bit.ly/learntogrowmicrogreens

Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter

Small Farm Tools and Microgreens Supplies https://www.paperpot.co/

Support my content while you shop at Amazon: https://amzn.to/32FYCqW