Hello there!👋
This is the Spira Farms newsletter. Where we talk about how many local foods are going away for the winter,
and that is spooky 🫢
Today we are going to talk about:
- The Science Lab
- New Store Hours
The Science Lab 🔬
Summer is over, which means less time outside. See ya sun 🌞👋
That also means far more time in the labs 👨🔬. I need to get a lab coat to make it official.
Were testing out a variety of new products that we can grow in our environment. Much of what I am going to share here might not make the light of day, BUT it’s honestly my favorite part of running a farm because new surprises happen.
Let me start with what I am pretty sure is going to be products we bring to market. Wheatgrass. Yes it’s grass, but this is probably not what is in your yard so please don’t take this as inspiration to start eating your grass. 😯
Here is the reality of wheatgrass, we can’t actually eat it raw like we would microgreens. Our stomach’s cant handle it. Dogs and cats can fortunately for them, so its often marketed as ‘cat grass’ or ‘pet grass’. It’s just wheatgrass. What we can do is juice it or powder it. We have been growing it for juicers more recently, but started exploring dehydrating it and adding it to smoothies.
Why go through the effort? It’s honestly one of the richest foods nutritionally, LOADED with antioxidants. It is proven to significant contributions in fighting cancers, and if you know me that is #1 priority on my list. We’ll have updates on this stuff soon enough. Question is can we make it cost effective to provide out?
Next on the list – more mushrooms.
Chestnut, and Black Pearl mushrooms are likely going to be added online soon. We actually have them at the store this week if you want to try them. These are of course organic, locally grown. Packed with nutrients and my favorite thing – antioxidants. These are great for fighting cancers (see a theme?).
Last on the ‘likely to make it to market’ list is Red Veined Sorrel. I am going to have some AMAZING pictures of these plants. Today they are growing on our farm but have not shown their true colors yet. They have vibrant green stems, and deep red veins (hence the name).
Alright Chris does Red Veined Sorrel fit the theme in fighting cancers? Maybe! There isn’t as much resources for this stuff out there compared to the others. Honestly, were just growing it because it looks cool and its fun. Chefs typically appreciate these to add color to their dishes.
Next up – the Maybe(s)
Like lettuces? How about actually fresh lettuce. 🥬
I am starting to experiment with growing lettuces in our environment. This has by the the most challenges ahead so please don’t take this as a ‘Spira Farms is going to have lettuces!’.
We need to figure out a few things, which is honestly going to take a long time. First off, lettuces take ages longer to grow compared to most microgreens. Can we in this 900 square foot space make it cost effective? Can we make sure to be able to deliver lettuces to our customers weekly (It hurts when we fail to bring product). We also need to make sure our current grow system can even handle it. We are much earlier in this process that the other plants we showcased.
If we nail this however we can have butterhead lettuces, salad lettuces, arugula, and far more fresh larger leafy greens available. Are they as nutritious as microgreens? No. Are they delicious and cool? You betcha. 😎
New Store Hours.
Alright! We said we were going to make changes and here is our first batch straight off the farm.
Old: Tuesday – Thursday 11AM-5PM
New: Monday – Thursday 11AM-6PM.
Will we add more hours? Yeah I really want to. Were still working on developing the team. Once our man power is 💪💪💪 I am eyeing Saturday as well.
👋Hey, there? Have a quick moment to really help us out? Reviews help give us so much credibility. We would be grateful if you could provide a review for us!
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