Dean and Jayne Bredlau of Zumbrota, MN, began off with a gardening disaster and ended up with a garden success story.
There are a few eateries and grocery stores where the pair sells their microgreens from their urban farm.
A few years ago, Dean got the chance to try his hand at gardening for the first time. Dean’s garden was given a piece of land by a friend. In the beginning, he had seed and tools to get the project off the ground, but no matter how much time or water he put into it, nothing would grow in the sandy soil. The only thing that seemed to be obtaining food were the gophers.
While many people would give up on gardening after a bad start, Dean was encouraged by it and decided to keep going. Because of all the tries and errors, he discovered that he enjoys growing things!
Dean and Jayne began their gardening investigation once the growing season was over. They were looking for a broad understanding of gardening. Season extension options were studied and YouTube videos on the topic were seen. The development of microgreens was a recurring theme.
It all started with a few flats and some seeds, soil, and lights, and…Whallah…it sprouted! There were no gophers to eat their goods, they add.
For their personal consumption, the pair started growing microgreens. “Green is good,” says Jayne, a vegetarian who often consumes leafy greens. As someone who suffers from food allergies, Seh has found microgreens to be a wonderful addition to her meals. People who cultivate their own vegetables can add a lot of flavor to their food, such as salads and sandwiches. This stuff is all over their diets!
When Jayne was a convention services planner at the Kahler Grand Hotel, she gave some to the executive chef. Microgreens were being purchased from a California supplier as Dean and Jayne worked on developing their own unique mixtures. As time went on, the chef began to complain that he had to keep buying ingredients from a supplier because Jayne never brought any of her own.
And thus was born their company!
When they first started selling, they were hoping to reach out to more restaurants, but they soon learned that the cooks only wanted to pay pennies. It was a great experience, so much so that they signed up for four farmers markets the following summer after being asked to a winter market in March 2018.
In 2019, they manufactured and distributed over 13,000 units weighing 1,721 pounds to retailers, co-ops, farmers markets, and a few restaurants. To distribute, they drove 24,410 miles.
Sweetgreen, a national restaurant franchise, filed a cease and desist order to My Sweet Greens MN, a Minneapolis-based business. They came to an agreement with the help of an attorney and began the process of changing their name to The Greensted.
What are the best practices for growing microgreens?
Microgreens are produced year-round indoors on 10-by-20-inch flats. Racks hold the flats. Throughout germination, microgreens need a dark environment, whereas during growth they prefer strong light. Twice weekly, they plant 40 to 50 flats and cover the flats for two to three days, depending on the weather. In order to complete the remaining four to six days of growth, the plants are placed under LED lights once the flats have been unveiled. Cutting the plant in the soil yields microgreens.
Jayne said that as they grow in flats indoors, there is no need for weed or pest management. Compost, perlite, mericulite vermiculite, and potting soil make up the organic mix. All of the nutrients and energy required to produce a microgreen can be found in the soil and seed. There is no need for fertilizer.
According to her, microgreens may be used on nearly anything. In addition to salads and sandwiches, the Bredlaus also use them in their wrpas, eggs, soups, and smoothies, among other things. Pad Thai and stir-fried dinners, poke bowls and even guac and chicken salad are just some of the ways consumers have used their microgreen pesto.
What is the significance of The Greensted?
The Greensted is a regenerative project urban farm, which means that they adhere to their three-fold goal, as depicted on their emblem, by maintaining a professional commitment to living, farming, and providing food grown and distributed.
Blue Leaf: Continue to feed and water your plants. To be able to come back here the next day. Materials and packaging are procured in a way that is both efficient and environmentally friendly.
Red Leaf: Renew. to ensure a brighter future We use cutting-edge techniques to recycle, upcycle, and compost the waste generated throughout the manufacturing process.
Green Leaf: Connect. Communities exist now and in the future. Fresh, locally sourced food improves people’s health, which in turn boosts the economy and strengthens ties within the community.
The Greensted, like “farmsted,” is an umbrella for our existing and future business plans. As a year-round supplier to a number of restaurants who advocate sourcing locally from growers that practice sustainable and regenerative farming methods, we cultivate and sell microgreens to grocery stores, co-ops, and farmers’ markets.
