It was an a-ha moment for Patrick Gigliotti. By the end of 2016, he and his partner Louis Monte were going through what they call a “low point” in their lives. They had both hit stagnancy in their careers, and Louis was dealing with serious health issues at the time. Their lives needed a change.
He came across an article about vertical farming and urban farms at the end of last year. That’s when the light bulb turned on. Both had worked on and off at various fine dining restaurants in the area so they were well aware of the growing popularity of using microgreens and micro herbs as a visual and flavor component to enhance the attractiveness and taste of a dish. They began to research how to grow them, specifically the feasibility of growing them at home.
They ordered a couple different types of seeds such as arugula, Sango radish, and sunflower as well as propagation and growing trays, soil and fluorescent lights. Six months ago they began growing and haven’t looked back since. Indogrow Farms now sells to local farm-to-table restaurants in South Jersey/Philadelphia and to customers at the Palmyra Farmers Market and Burlington County Farmers’ Market.
They started following me on Instagram a few months ago and I enjoyed watching them grow (pun intended). I was surprised to learn that they lived so close to me, just under 2 miles away, in Cherry Hill. They invited me over to tour the operation, learn more about them and the micro vegetables and herbs they grow and sell.
Patrick and Louis of Indogrow Farms (Photo: Marilyn Johnson)
The entire operation is being run out of one room in their Cherry Hill home, but they are quickly outgrowing it due to the demand. They plan to add more racks and trays in another room by the end of the year.
Racks of Microgreens and Micro Herbs (Photo: Marilyn Johnson)
Surprisingly, it doesn’t take much to grow nutrient-dense microgreens. They are also very quick to grow. They go from “seed to feed” in 1-3 weeks depending on the variety. Since they are grown inside, they can be grown year-round.
Microgreens and Micro Herbs (Photo: Marilyn Johnson)
Indogrow Farms offers the following organic microgreens:
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Sunflower Shoots
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Corn Shoots
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Sweet Pea Shoots
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Buckwheat
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Chia
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Red acre cabbage
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Red Garnett Amaranth
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Arugula
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Red streak mizuna
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Spicy brown mustard
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Cilantro
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Italian basil
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Thai lemon basil
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Fennel
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Bulls blood
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Green sorrel
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Red Russian kale
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Purple Sango radish
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Leek
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Ruby Red Swiss chard
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Endive
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Kohlrabi
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Broccoli
Microgreens (Photo: Marilyn Johnson)
Business is definitely looking up. They often sell-out at the farmer’s markets and are exploring the possibility of adding more products, such as edible flowers. The’ll eventually launch a website which will feature recipes. Microgreens aren’t just for fancy chefs, but for home cooks as well.
If you’re interested in locally harvested microgreens from Indogrow Farms, please follow them on Facebook, Instagram, or call (856) 979-3174.
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Food enthusiast. Travel lover. Social media maven.
Independent Journalist. Food marketing/PR expert.
https://original.newsbreak.com/@marilyn-johnson-1587690
https://phillygrubtrips.wordpress.com/
Email: phillygrub@gmail.com
