Micro-greens, the tinny crops with high nutritional values and demand

Micro-greens are vegetables and herbs harvested for consumption when at seedling stage, when they have a lot of concentration of nutrients. They are an emerging type of specialty vegetables. Being at a time when people are very concerned on what they are consuming, research has shown that vegetables consumed at micro stage have more nutrients compared to when they are mature. In addition to their nutritional value, they add flavor, texture, and color to salads and sandwiches. They are suitable for eating raw, thus retaining their vitamin and mineral contents.

Samuel Kamau, the Director Little Farms in Juja, Kiambu County is one of micro greens farmer. He got a moment of revelation following a travel to Egypt that exposed him to modern farming. During the visit he learned that micro-greens have high demand due to their nutritional values. They have high amounts of antioxidants and are considered feasible for addressing the high levels of malnutrition and dietary illnesses.

“While in Egypt, I was presented uncooked meal full of micro-greens. Being in a foreign country and a new environment, it was a little bit difficult for me to consume them because of our normal Kenyan culture of eating cooked food. The intriguing part of it is upon tasting, scales fell off my eyes, they were very tasty. Upon return to the country, I carried out a lot of research about micro-greens and in 2017, I opened the doors of Little Farm to the world,” he said.

For a decade, micro-greens have gained popularity among consumers for their nutritional profile and high content of antioxidant compounds. A new study suggests that the tiny plants have the potential to help provide global nutrition security. The project, “Food Resilience in the Face of Catastrophic Global Events,” an international team of researchers has found that these vegetables can be grown in a variety of soilless production systems in small spaces indoors.

Samuel delving in micro-greens farming has caught the attention of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) who have partnered with him to harness the production of the vegetables in Kenya. JKUAT is leading in the conversation and shaping the future of agriculture sector by using innovative techniques to maximize yield production. “A lot of research done on micro-greens has been done by foreign researchers and partnering with JKUAT was important to localize and bring it out, for instance, research done by JKUAT reveals that Ethiopian Kales locally known as Kanzera are good in control of diabetes,” the Director explains.

“We target and focus on restaurants and hotels as they remain one of the most lucrative and where we cannot meet the demand. In our expansion plans, we are therefore keen on tapping more into this market and looking at ways in which we can solidify our presence there. We were terrible hit by closure of restaurants and hotels during the Covid period and it was a roller coaster of events but we have made baby steps to recovery. The COVID pandemic revealed the vulnerability of our food system and the need to address malnutrition issues and nutrition-security inequality, which could be exacerbated by potential future emergencies or catastrophes. Nutrient-dense micro-greens have great potential as an efficient food-resilience resource,” Kamau stated.

A good number of crops make excellent micro-greens, they include; amaranth, basil, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, chives, cilantro, kales parsley, radish, sunflowers among others.
At Little Farm they aim at a sustainable way of farming, without using chemicals and pesticides

or synthetic fertilizers; strictly being organic. With increase in lifestyle diseases, most people are concerned on what types of food to eat, thanks to the media and internet where many reports highlights to the masses, where the food is grown and how its grown and how safe it is. People have also embraced nutritionists advises on food consumption.

The production of good quality micro-greens fit for the market is dependent on various factors including high adherence to hygiene. “First, the seeds are sowed in coco peat, misted with water and placed in a dark room for a period of 3 days. After they germinate, they are taken to the greenhouse for photosynthesis purposes before they reach due date of harvesting.
One of the biggest challenges we encounter is mold. The growth of mold is usually because of contamination. To prevent the growth of mold we ensure the substrate we use is clean and we use clean water while watering,” he said.

For those people who envision themselves being farmers one day, Kamau has a piece of advice. “Farming is interesting though it needs a lot of hard work and being persistent. It’s not about money; I get people here who tell me they need a big capital to start ,just start with what you have and continue, don’t give up you definitely will build up something,” he opined