Microgreens: The Surprisingly Affordable Solution To Combat Food Insecurity

Tiny Greens, Big Impact: My Microgreens Adventure, Rare Finds, and Their Role in Food Security

May 31, 2024

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Hi Gardenerds,

I HAVE DONE IT! I HAVE GROWN MICROGREENS!

Ok, ok, that may seem like an overreaction. Everyone always says how easy it is to grow microgreens at home, even if all you have is a window.

And it’s not that they’re wrong. I just couldn’t see the point of growing microgreens that could be grown faster and easier as sprouts.

Way before I ever got into gardening, I grew my own sprouts. At a local organic store, I found my first Mumm’s sprouting kit with seeds, a little mesh square, and an elastic band. (This was before microgreens was a big thing.) In just 5 days, I had a ball of delicious sprouts. So easy. So quick.

As I got into vegetable gardening, microgreens exploded in popularity. So many people swore by growing microgreens. It’s so easy. You get bountiful harvests. You can sell them and make so much money. They’re so healthy. They’re so much easier than sprouts.

So I tried it. I already had a microgreen seed blend that had been included as a free gift in a seed order, and bought some jute mats. (I also bought grow lights on sale, but that was more for growing seedlings for the garden.)

But honestly, what I got was pretty much the same size of sprouts, only without the roots (so actually less). And it took a week longer while also needing grow lights.

Why bother to grow microgreens when you can grow sprouts easier without having to buy and throw out potting mix???

Don’t get me wrong — sprouts can be harder to grow, especially if you’re in a humid area. Mold is a problem. Since I live in a dry area (and have learned to taper off watering as the sprouts get bigger), I have an advantage. I also use a sprouting cup from Mumm’s, instead of glass jars, since it has more airflow.

But back to microgreens. I had the wrong approach. Anything I could grow as a sprout, I should grow as a sprout. Instead, I should keep microgreens to much bigger species like peas and sunflowers. Something worth growing, and something that can help with the ever-increasing cost of nutritious food.

Then YouTube algorithm delivered me a solution: a video by On the Grow that showcased their hydroponic-ish grow method, using peas. And suddenly, I realized a bunch of things I’d done wrong. I needed to weigh down the peas for three or four days, then do blackout for another day. I needed to use much more seed than I used before. I had all the things I needed — a jute mat, pea microgreen seeds, and 10x10 flats.

So I tried again. This time, I got an okay first flush, and an even nicer second flush. My husband loves them, and so do I. I tried growing sunflower microgreens without a hemp mat, as I’d always been told that they can just grow their roots together. And it worked. So now I’m experimenting.

My second batch of microgreen peas, looking so strong.

Something to learn…

You see a lot of articles about how to grow peas, and sunflowers, and radish, and broccoli microgreens. And all for good reason. They’re easy (or the easiest) and the most popular to grow. But we’re not here to learn about the usual suspects. So let’s jump into learning something fun — unusual microgreen varieties.

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum)

If you read the Rare Honey edition, you know I like my buckwheat honey. But this flowering plant also makes more a very delicious microgreen (or so they say). While most microgreens have a very sharp flavor and are best used as a topping, Mumm’s Sprouting Seeds say that they taste like lettuce.

The only thing is that you shouldn’t eat a ton of them. In high doses (like when juicing), they can make your skin more sensitive to light. So it’s not a great lettuce-alternative, if you eat a lot of salad.

Tricolored Chrysanthemum (Glebionis carinata)

I actually grew the cousin to this (Glebionis coronaria) one year, intrigued by the idea of having an edible plant and beautiful chrysanthemum all in one. The flowers didn’t really turn out that well, and the growth was a little weedy (probably my fault).

But the tricolored chrysanthemum has gorgeous bicolored petals. Not that you’d see them if you’re growing them as microgreens. As a microgreen, they apparently taste like carrots. They also have a bushy growth.

Shiso (Perilla spp.)

Shiso is another unusual plant in North America. It’s more commonly found in Japanese cuisine (although it originated in China). Different types of Shiso are used for different purposes, like using green Shiso as a garnish for somen, sashimi, and tofu dishes. And it is bitter.

As a microgreen, it’s said to have a mint-basil flavor with a bit of anise and cinnamon to it. As noted by reviewers at True Leaf Market, they need heat to germinate (80F), so they’re probably better suited to growing in the summer if you don’t have AC going.

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A photo of pea microgreen trays, where the leaves have developed, but haven't spread tendrils yet. — Pea microgreens. Photo by Anthony Ievlev on Unsplash

Microgreens aren’t just a fad or a luxury. They hold the possibility of cost-effectively addressing food insecurity, especially in food deserts. No, they won’t fill your stomach, but they can close the gap on nutritional deficiencies from not having access to fresh, quality vegetables.

🤲Wind- and solar-powered greenhouse takes off in Gjoa Haven

Growing vegetables in space is a lot like growing vegetables in the northernmost Canadian territory of Nunavut. You have little light, you need to ship everything from great distances at high expense, and you have to wait a long time for extra parts. That’s probably why the Canadian Space Agency wanted to set up a test site in Gjoa Haven, Nunavut.

This project is in partnership with local community members, including hiring local people to manage the site, growing what the community wants, and giving the produce to local elders.

They also grow microgreens, although that’s not highlighted in this particular article. But I wanted to include this one instead of others because it focuses on the community-side of the project, not the space travel side.

🔬New Science Is Backing Your Windowsill Microgreen Endeavors

We know that the nutritional content of full-grown vegetables can vary widely based on environmental conditions. But unlike their full-grown counterparts, the American Chemical Society has found that there’s only a small difference in nutritional value between commercially produced microgreens and those you grow on your windowsill.

🔬 Biofortification of microgreens with zinc could mitigate global ‘hidden hunger’

A Penn State research team has been experimenting with microgreen kits as a source of food in case of emergency. During disasters, access to fresh, nutritious food is limited or non-existent. Microgreen kits can be easily deployed to residents to grow their own. The kits don’t replace meals, but make sure that people get more nutrients.

They also discovered that soaking seeds in a zinc sulphate solution before sowing resulted in higher amounts of zinc in the resulting microgreens. (Zinc deficiency is common worldwide, especially in areas with poor diets.) The solution also reduced phytic acid, which means people can absorb more of the nutrients already available in the microgreens.

🤲 Teens For Food Justice Tackles Food Insecurity Using At-Home Farming Kits for City Youth

This is just one example I found of students setting up clubs to both learn how to grow microgreens and hydroponics, while using the results to help with food insecurity in their communities.

Another non-profit funds school programs to teach Bronx students how to grow microgreens.

🌏 How They Grow Bean Sprouts In Vietnam

Mung bean sprouts have been grown and used in many Asian cuisines for centuries. When I was in Vietnam, I was lucky to get to tour a local farmer who showed us how they grow sprouts. Not short sprouts like you commonly see taught here in North America, but full on sprouts with sprouts and cotyledon.

(I’m currently trying to grow these (without sand) but haven’t quite gotten it yet.)

Something to watch…

🎥 Yellow Pea Microgreens - Kratky vs Bottom Watering!? by On The Grow

The video that got me back into trying to grow pea microgreens. I really enjoy the On the Grow channel as they set up actual experiments with controls to figure out the best growing methods.

I’m not sure I’d ever want to buy a silicon grow mat, though, as I’ve heard that there’s fiberglass in many of them. If you cut them or have an exposed edge, the fibers can get out. And just because a listing doesn’t say there’s fiberglass in it, doesn’t make it true. I’m going to stick with the jute mats for now.