Microgreen Mediums: Testing Jute Verses Soil
Written by Mary Hathaway, OFRF’s Analysis & Training Program Supervisor, and Tiffany Sanders, FLT Program participant
This on-farm trial at Sanders Humorous farm will evaluate the effectiveness of jute fiber mats verses soil because the rising medium for quite a lot of microgreens. Outcomes from this examine will assist natural farmers produce more healthy microgreens and scale back crop losses.
Farmer Tiffany Sanders in her microgreen manufacturing greenhouse.
Mike and Tiffany Sanders, co-founders of Sanders Humorous Farm in Indianapolis, Indiana, didn’t come to farming by way of a conventional path. With 11 children, 2 grandkids, and “a revolving door of critters,” the title Humorous Farm virtually selected itself. On the coronary heart of their operation is a thriving greenhouse microgreens enterprise, the place Tiffany grows a various lineup of nutrient-dense crops–broccoli, radish, chia, arugula, wheatgrass, and extra–offered by way of their on-line farm market and delivered on to prospects throughout Indiana.
Tiffany is dedicated to rising her operation to make native meals simple, constant, and reasonably priced. Not too long ago her farm and greenhouse grew to become licensed by way of California Licensed Natural Farmers (CCOF). Trying forward, Tiffany envisions increasing her microgreens line to incorporate extra specialty and difficult-to-grow varieties, making her farm a extra resilient and various provider. To do this, she is aware of she wants dependable, data-backed solutions about which rising methods really work, and which of them work greatest.
Rising Higher Microgreens
Since launching her microgreens operation, Tiffany has relied totally on jute fiber mats, a hydroponic-style rising medium customary within the trade, to develop her crops. Jute mats are handy, clear, and widely-used, performing effectively for a lot of varieties. However as Tiffany expanded her lineup and labored to develop more difficult crops, cracks started to indicate. Varieties like arugula and cilantro struggled with mildew and moisture points on jute. Every failed tray represented not simply misplaced income, however a missed alternative to serve her prospects.
On the identical time, Tiffany started questioning whether or not soil-grown microgreens may provide benefits she hadn’t absolutely explored, like higher germination consistency, sturdier stems, extra vibrant colour, and improved shelf life. These qualities matter enormously in a market the place perishability immediately impacts whether or not a product may be offered. A tray of microgreens that wilts shortly or arrives limp at market is pretty much as good as no tray in any respect.
The problem was that Tiffany didn’t have rigorous, side-by-side information to check the 2 mediums. Her observations have been actual, however anecdotal. She wanted a structured trial that might inform her, with confidence, whether or not soil was price integrating into her manufacturing system and, in that case, decide which varieties and underneath what situations. That query grew to become the muse of her utility to OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials program.
