Category: Microgreens growing

Hey my friends , we are so excited to take you through a new fun and exciting journey of growing your own food at home. The main reason why we are offering this course for free is, we want people to enjoy fresh, taste and nutritious food which are organic. I know everyone knows that people’s immune systems are compromised because of the type of food they eat. In this module we want you to understand that you are the master of your own health if you can control what you can eat on daily basis. So our mission is to enhance people’s incomes, healthy and wellbeing through sustainable production and provision of plant based food.

We believe that many people do not have big spaces to do farming especially those who live in urban confined areas like the high density areas but did you know that you are able to grow your own own fruits, vegetables and herbs using urban farming and vertical farming?

I know someone is asking me this question.

What is urban farming?

This is a contemporary farming practice that is done by households and entrepreneurs who stay in urban areas in this case they grow their vegetables using their backyards, indoors, greenhouses and basements. To get the best output using small spaces, urban farmers usually do vertical farming.

So what is vertical farming?

Vertical farming is a scenario where vegetables and other crops are grown vertically , in different layers going upwards. Vertical farming enables farmers to get more than five times the yield which was supposed to be realized when crops are grown horizontally. Smart soilless farming methods like hydroponics, aquaponics and aeroponics are employed. Even though we can also grow crops vertically, using the soil ,it’s expensive because we need a strong supporting structure since soil is heavy. Usually quick to mature fruits and vegetables are grown in urban areas, here are some vegetables which can be grown in an urban plant based farm.

1. sprouts
2. shoots.
3. microgreens
4. baby greens.
5. mature vegetables.

As an urban farmer you choose a cheap method and cheap type of farming method to pursue, therefore we are choosing Microgreens as our starter pack. I know you are all curious to learn what Microgreens are.

Let me blow your fuse a little bit! Can you imagine! I didn’t know what Microgreens are until year 2016 when one of my brothers became visually impaired. So I am quite sure that most of you have never heard of this but let me usher you into a new Fabulous way of farming. Come on take your notebook and pen and let’s get started.

What are Microgreens?

Microgreens are very small vegetables which are grown and consumed when they are still young. They are harvested when they are between 6- 21 days old from the day of sowing seeds. The sign that your Microgreens are now mature is they must be harvested when the have developed the cotyledon and one true leaf.

Reasons for growing Microgreens

A study carried out in America shows that all Microgreens have more than double nutrient content as compared to mature vegetables. So Microgreens should take a great potion in the plate for someone who is health conscious.

• Microgreeens are also easy to grow because the production method is not labour intensive.
• Microgreens can be literally grown anywhere in including dining rooms, kitchen and sinks . The truth is with Microgreeens you can start with the simple things and seeds around.
• they are used for visual enhancement, so chefs love them for food presentation.
• Used for flavour and texture enhancement therefore they are used for soups, salads, garnishing even on sandwiches.
• they do not need much sunlight and grow very fast . For example if I am growing cabbage Microgreeens ,I need at most 12 days to harvest them but it takes me around three months to grow a mature cabbage, so you see, you are better off growing Microgreeens than mature vegetables

If you want to improve your health and wellbeing, then the best choice is Microgreeens.

Now let’s turn to who were the pioneers of microgreens growing?

Microgreens growing started in America in the late 80s and this type of farming became famous in South California and San Francisco in the mid 90s. As I am writing now the Microgreens growing industry is growing like veld fire in developed countries and it is estimated that it is quickly becoming a multi billion dollar industry in America. In Africa it’s still a new industry but countries like South Africa are taking this business seriously, so the reason I am writing this is to give you an inspiration to start something that can change your income, health and wellbeing.

As I am writing this article ,I have a feeling that you are all convinced that you can start your own simple farming even if you do not have space .

Yes , I am quite sure that you now want to start your own farm, but wait a moment! I want to tell you something that is very important.

The most important thing is to know some of the following characteristics and skills that makes people successful Microgreens growers.

1. you need to be good at organizing things. This is because all things that are required for Microgreens growing must available at the right time . You need to have a journal were you record everything that you do on daily basis so that you determine a stardard sowing and harvesting time
2. Passion and commitment.
3. will and determination.
4. patience, persistence and resilience.
5. innovative mindset
6. learning culture.

I hope you have enjoyed our first lesson and now your homework is :

examine yourself and determine whether you possess some of these skills and find a way that you can use to develop the skills. Please patience and resilience is key.

So thanks guys for reading ,I hope you enjoyed see you soon in our next lesson.

if you have questions please post them.

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There is nothing so exciting like eating fresh produce which are straight from your garden. just because I love micro greens so much, I am introducing microgreens from our traditional vegetable sources. guess what! We are now doing blackjack microgreens for you.

but why blackjack? I know someone has this question.

This is because blackjack is packed with health benefits and no one can afford to lose this benefits. We would love you to enjoy every part of your life by staying health and beautiful. You can only achieve this if you eat health natural food. That why we are introducing blackjack microgreens in our product line. We are quite sure you will love them. Naturally blackjack is a good source of vitamin C and fiber.

Blackjack is wildly available in all parts of Zimbabwe but when it comes to food, people rarely consume it, people consider it to be associated with poverty, but today I want to remove that poverty mentality in you by giving you some of the health benefits associated with black jack. When you see someone cooking blackjack, just know that the person is health conscious. Some people do not consume it because they do not know how to cook black jack.

Here are some important use of blackjack!

Tonsillitis: boil some water add some fresh leaves of blackjack. Wait for some few minutes so that the liquid becomes warm, when its now warm gurgle the water and spit it out. you can do this three times a day up until you are OK.

Boosting immune system : if your immune system is compromised due to problems like cancer and HIV, you can use it as tea, or cook it the way you do vegetables. this will allow you to add some nutrients in your body.

Here are some diseases that can be treated by black jack

diarrhea

ingestion

wounds

Now that you know the uses of blackjack, let’s get into the kitchen and cook and prepare a delicious meal!

Ways of using Blackjack microgreens

• you can substitute it for covo when eating sadza

• add a few on top of your rice or spaghetti

• cooking blackjack microgreens

lets assume you have left overs after enjoying your salads. please do not throw away because I have two other ways you can use them and the ways are:

• blend them in your nutritious smoothie

• cook them with peanut butter do not forget to add leeks, onions, tomatoes, cilantro and rosemary, its so delicious , I BEG YOU! try it,

The most important thing that you must know is blackjack is super delicious when it is off-season, try using it this time when it is scarce.

every family needs to enjoy healthy and nutritious food. At times we complain because we think that we do not have enough money to buying expensive food that can make us health.

today I would like to introduce you to a healthy and nutritious source of food that you will never forget in your life.

Growing up in the village, blackjack was abundant especially in summer and it would grow wildly in my father’s maize field. I did not like it’s taste but now I understand why?

its becausr it was kind of bitter because we were not giving it any special attention because we thought that it’s a weed. So last year so few blackjack plants grew in our garden and I started watering them, I even put some manure, I tell you the day I put them in plate, they were so tender and we enjoyed our meals.

Even though we knew that blackjack is given to people with poor immune systems so that they could improve, we had never valued it .

so , after eating fresh blackjack from our garden, I realised that it needed special attention for it to taste good. But how could we introduce it in the market since edible weeds here are associated with poverty. This means that value addition is the way to go.Yes we knew few guys who supplied blackjack powder and blackjack oil but I did not know how to use these two products so I did not bothermyself to try.

I wanted my own unique way which which could involve all age groups so I started doing blackjack microgreens what?

yes I said blackjack microgreens, these are so tender and and can be incorporated in many dishes. They make my dishes look so fancy at the same time they give the consumer highest level of nutrition.

I know you are asking me this questionSo were should I use blackjack microgreens.

use them together with garlic leeks as a garnish to your meat, you can use them as topping to your burger or even stir frying with olive oil or any oil readily available in your kitchen,

you will love it, I know, try it.

so stir fried Microgreens can be a eaten with Sadza if you are Zimbabwean and you can also be adventurous , try new recipes from your head and you will enjoy the delights of good food from nature.

I hope you have enjoyed this and we are going to be sending you many recipe to try with different Microgreens

Growing coriander/cilantro Microgreens.

cilantro does well in the open space in winter hence we have it in abundance during this season. The problems comes in summer when it becomes scarce. This mainly happens in Zimbabwe where very few people owns greenhouses. Indoor farming is known by only a few

Today we would like to let you know that you can have your constant supply of coriander by utilising a limited space.

But how?

Ok, welcome to the world of microgreens farming.

what do you need?

• An enclosed spaceif it outdoors , the place must receive natural light
• If it is indoors you need grow lights
• Coriander seeds which are organic
• Fertile soil
• Growing containers
• Mist sprayer.

A greenhouse is ideal for Microgreens.

steps.

you need three containers of equal size, one which is perforated and two others which are not.

fill your perforated container with soil, make sure you soil is leveled.

sprinkle some coriander seeds evenly on the soil, making sure you create a thick blanket but no seed should sit on another seed.

spread a thin layer of soil on top of the seeds , make sure there are no bumps , you must have a flat surface. Just place another container on top. Allow your container to sit in the unperforated container to avoid spills of water everywhere. Make sure you have a flat surface, lift the top container then mist spray with adequate water. Close it with the last container then place this in a dark room but everyday check for moisture content and moulding.

allow this to germinate, after germination, place in a black out dome for three days. This allows our Microgreens to grow tall.

after they have reached a desired length , transfer them to a spot which receives light which does not scorch them.

take good care as you wait patiently for them to mature.

harvest day.

make sure your Microgreens are clean, use your sharp knives to cut or you can use a scissors.

Voilà, Microgreens are now ready to be eaten, wash them and send them to the dining table.

Climate change has taught societies that they can not do away with indigenous food systems because they are resilient to shocks. Let me explain why indigenous food systems are important :

• Traditional food contribute to health and wellbeing. Many many years ago, there were no hospitals but people lived long and health. This means that their local food systems played an important role in enhancing their immunity. So it is wiser to consider exploiting indigenous food sources
• Indigenous food systems maintains and enhances biodiversity. Indigenous food grows naturally allowing other species to grow freely without disturbing the ecosystem. For example, African bees produce honey in the forests, the production of honey does not disturb the growth of trees but human beings benefit from both trees and the honey produced
• Communities are also benefiting from sustainably gathering wild fruits, weeds, and mushrooms. Many villagers are making a living from gathering edible mushroom and selling them in streets.
• Sustainable ways of producing, preparing, preserving and consuming. Most of the indigenous food is very easy to store and preserve. For example many people in Africa preserve their food by sun drying which does not pose any problem to the planet earth.
• Food is not over processed and free from unnecessary additives. Indigenous food is free from diseases caused by chemicals used during preservation.
• Proximity : Food is produced within communities allowing members to eat what they want at any time. This reduces transportation costs and pollution caused by shipping food from other countries.
• Resilience: traditional food systems can withstand shocks , for example each and every region has special grain suitable for for a certain environment. In drought stricken areas, people grow finger millet and sorghum which are drought resistant

So you see, our indigenous food systems have relevance to our livelihoods. We can save our planet by embracing indigenous food systems

Many people do not have an appreciation of the importance of water in the food systems, there is nothing that we can eat without the aid of water. Water plays a pivotal role in bringing food on the table.

Let me give you a second, be silent and just think of how the food you ate today is made, what is the process? What quantities of water was involved at any stage.

yep! I know you have visualised it yourself and you found out that water is just important. It is clear that we cannot eat if water is not present. Therefore everyday is a water day. Look at the water bodies around you. How are you conserving them . The truth is without water no profession can thrive. One day I was shocked when a young man said he did not know why God allows rain to fall. I started telling him the importance of water in agriculture and he said he was not a farmer so he was not even concerned about rain falling or not. This shows that he did not understand that if rains does not fall it will affect every citizen in an indirect way but it would affect the farmer directly. So we need to be thankful for all the water bodies that we have and since we all know that there is climate change, it’s true that many people will find it difficult to access clean water. Yesterday was world water day, but how did you celebrate it? what measures have you put in place to ensure that your community have a sustainable water source. Presently it is quite clear that we cannot rely on water from rivers and dams only because rivers are drying up due to continuous droughts.

Today I am talking about underground water.

did you know that underground water is not visible but it’s positive effects are visible to veryone. In every community, people are sinking boreholes which are tens of meters deep so that they access clean sustainable water. Underground water has proved to be an answer to our problems in this period of climate change.

So if you realise that there is need for safe water in your community, the first thing that comes in your mind is having a well or a borehole.

Although many well wishers are playing great roles to ensure that members of the society have sustainable water sources, the members of the society are the ones that can work against people’s effort. When you move around, you even witness treated water gushing out, the community is reluctant to report about burst pipes. Some they do not care, they use tapes and leave them running. The reality is dams and Rivers are drying up, it also means that very soon it is going to be difficult for people to easily access underground water.

When ever you think of eating or drinking, think about how food is made, this will always remind you to take good care of the water that we have. If it is possible learn how to harvest rain water so that you can have continuous supply of water even if rain goes away.

For those who once lived and stayed in rural areas understand how difficult it can be to access clean water. In the village, women and girls travel long distances in search of safe water. They even carry it on their heads, it’s a painful experience that has been witnessed and is still being witnessed by many villagers. Some find it difficult to access only a few litres of safe water to drink. Only this people are in a better position to tell the world how water is important. In some drought stricken areas, people can hardly grow vegetables making many people to have poor nutrition.

This shows that water is as important for life on this earth

Red amaranth is packed with many Phyto nutrients and it’s beautiful colour can make your plate to look differently.

Today we would like to introduce you to a vegetable that you will not resist in your plate.

Red amaranth microgreens.

This is a unique version of the mature amaranth but it is only grown for at most two weeks and harvested.

Many chefs cannot runaway from these beautiful plants. Both the stem and the leaves will steal your heart.

So How do you go about planting yours?

You need microgreens tray, fertile soil, Red amaranth seeds and a mist sprayer.

Use a tray with holes underneath, ensure that you fill it with 7-10cm of fertile soil from the bottom.

Spread the soil evenly.

Use a salt shaker to sprinkle your seeds evenly in the grow media

Make sure there is a thin blanket covering the soil and no seed is on top of the other.

Use the mist sprayer to spray adequate water

Close the tray with another tray without holes

This will create a Black dome which makes the seed to germinate quickly

Please 🙏 do not over water as molding will take place.

Check your tray on daily basis to ensure that the tray is safe from molds.

After 3 days the seeds will start germinating, do not remove the dome so that the seedlings grow tall, after five days remove the upper tray to allow sunlight to work wonders on the tray. This will cause the seedling to turn red.

MiCrogreens grow vigorously therefore, you must be ready for a haverst starting from the tenth day.

WhEn they reach the size of your choice, take a sharp kitchen knife or scissors and cut the beautiful plant. Wash them and dry them using a salad spinner.

You can add to your salads, soups or you can just stir fry.

That’s is it for today, enjoygrowing red amaranth.

RepLace meat, replace meat, replace meat, is a song that we hear everyday. Some people are still worried about how they can switch from meat based diets to plant based diets. The first thing, that comes in one’s mind is the delicious taste of meat that you experience when you just make a little bite of a chunk of meat. We grew up with the mentality that we get protein from meat sources, so some people are worried of switching from animal based to plant based diets .

In most cases we all have reasons to take this bold action. Some people are forced to become vegans because of healthy issues and others have mercy for animals.

Whatever reason, at one point in time you might want or long to have meat.

That is not a problem, today I would like to introduce you to some vegan meat balls.

Beans meat balls,

Yes I said beans meat balls,

So How do you prepare them?

First of all boil you beans until they are perfectly cooked.

Drain any excess water and allow the bean to cool, mash them but they must remain thick, shred carrots, red and green peepers, add salt add tumeric and a little onion powder, pour all these into the bowl with mashed beans, mix well and form a dough.

Refrigerate the dough for about thirty minutes. Make balls from the dough.

You can now fry and bake the balls.

After frying serve with any sauce whilst still warm. You will tell me the goodness of the taste, it’s good meat replacement, you can even Fake your friends to believe that you are having meat,

Until tomorrow

ChAo