Growing Microgreens Podcast

The benefits of building a microgreens business, and how to keep improving it. Chris's online course Growing Your Profitable Microgreens Business https://microgreens.teachable.com/courses   Increase farm efficiency with the Paperpot Transplanter and Other Small Farm Equipment at https://www.paperpot.co/ Follow Diego on IG https://instagram.com/diegofooter Follow PaperpotCo on IG https://instagram.com/paperpot Podcasts by Diego Footer: Microgreens: https://apple.co/2m1QXmW Vegetable Farming: https://apple.co/2lCuv3m Livestock Farming: https://apple.co/2m75EVG Large Scale Farming: https://apple.co/2kxj39i Small Farm Tools https://www.paperpot.co/    

Microgreen grower Chris Thoreau joins me to talk about the importance of soil in growing microgreens. 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

Chris Thoreau has grow microgreens for over 10 years, but he recently reached the point where he Chris realized it was time to do something else and move on.  Find out what changed and why Chris is changing with it. 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

Vincent Cuneo talks about what has made him successful selling microgreens to small independent grocery stores.  He discusses giving samples, shelf placement, packaging, and credit for unsold product.  Then Chris Thoreau joins the conversation to troubleshoot some growing issues Vincent is having. Connect with Vincent Cuneo: http://www.agrarianfeast.com/ 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

In this episode Chris Thoreau joins me to explore the idea - Can you actually make a living growing microgreens?  Is it actually possible or just an unrealistic dream? If it is possible what does that look like? How big does the business need to be?  How much do you need to be selling?  Would you need employees? TLDR: It is possible, with the right combination of luck, skills and hard work. Some people will find it’s a fit for them and their lifestyle, but they’ll need to be committed. 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

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

Microgreen Farmer Chris Thoreau and I discuss 10 base principles for growing high quality microgreens. Think 10 things that are critical to growing a good crop regardless of where you are growing them, when you are growing them or how you are growing them. These base principles help ensure that you get a successful crop that is free of disease and of high quality. It’s not enough just to go through a successful process without knowing why you are doing what at different parts of the process.   Because if you don’t know, and a variable changes, you need to be able to know how to react and adapt. While everyone’s process is likely different based on the crop that they are trying to grow, today’s show it’s all about what’s the same, the base principles.   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

Today we are going to start the series, by going back to the beginning.  This is the story of how urban farmer Chris Thoreau started his microgreens farm almost 10 years ago. Chris will take on questions such as: Why microgreens?   How much did he start with? And how did he handle startup and work life balance. Chris made a go of it taking on early challenges he has managed to grow his farm to eventually do over $200,000 in sales from a shipping container taking up 320 sq. ft.    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