How and why did you start Urban Roots Farms?
It was born through a conversation amongst two friends, who are currently partners at Urban Roots Farms. The idea was to go against the grain of distribution of vegetables that are driven or flown in across state lines. Our vision is to promote locally grown, nutritious microgreens to our community. This minimizes transport time and waste while also improving freshness and shelf life.
What have you learned along the way?
As with all start ups, it takes time to getup and running. There are many business decisions to consider and work through. From finding a commercial building, creating a model that is sustainable and automated, marketing, sales, and public relations, as well as distribution to the general public, health care sector, restaurants and resorts. Not to mention the repetition and demand of being a farmer.
How can your business benefit from our patient base?
Microgreens are considered a “Superfood”, but the general public is not fully aware of this.Through sharing our microgreens with ilumina’s patient base, hopefully they will see the value of eating microgreens, and will share that information with others.
Anything else you would like to add?
Fun fact: Microgreens can contain up to 40x more nutrition than their adult vegetable counterpart. We suggest trying a few different varieties of microgreens to begin with, including blends. All microgreens are very healthy, so it comes down to what tastes best, and how to incorporate them into your regular diet. Enjoy!
