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.
- sprouts
- shoots.
- microgreens
- baby greens.
- 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.
- 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
- Passion and commitment.
- will and determination.
- patience, persistence and resilience.
- innovative mindset
- 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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