Seven Acre Farm is a vertical farm, a type of agriculture commonly called the future of food.
This Dublin farm grows microgreens, which are the shoots of salad vegetables such as arugula, Swiss chard, mustard, beetroot and more. Leaves are plucked upon development and often have 40 times the nutrients of matured vegetables.
Popular microgreens
- Beetroot: Tender, crunchy with an earthy taste. Best used as garnishes for a pop of color or crunch. Beetroot is high in vitamins A, B, C, E and K.
- Sango radish: Crisp and peppery with a bite of mustard. This microgreen contains tons of fiber and potassium, plus active enzymes to aid digestion. Pair with pasta sauces, lemon and shellfish.
- Snow pea: Crisp pea flavor. These microgreens have seven times the vitamin C that blueberries do and four times more vitamin A than tomatoes. The quality protein is best served uncooked and mixed into salads.
- Sunflower: Nutty, sweet flavor. Sunflower microgreens can be very versatile and are a complete source of protein. Pack them on a sandwich, top on a soup or sprinkle in a salad.
Mighty benefits in a microgreen
Microgreens offer many benefits to a healthy diet, one being protection from certain diseases due to antioxidants. For example, chicory and lettuce microgreens have high vitamin counts but lower potassium, which is why they are excellent for people who suffer from kidney disease.
Plus, microgreens are great for sustainable farming. They can be easily grown indoors and in urban areas and are generally lower in cost than organic vegetables. Experts have even suggested, believe it or not, that microgreens could one day be included in an astronaut’s diet in space.
Seven Acre Farm
Microgreens are locally grown at Seven Acre Farm. Before COVID-19, the farm grew microgreens for local restaurants, but since the pandemic, business has been different. Martha Channell, owner of Seven Acre Farm, says 90 percent of business was lost in just a week.
Channell has restructured, delivering microgreens right to doorsteps in Dublin and Powell.
“It has been amazing and our community has been so supportive,” Channell says. “We love what we do and really want to share it with more people in our community.”
To find out how you can get your hands dirty in the world of microgreens, visit www.sevenacre.farm.
Mallory Arnold is an editor. Feedback welcome at marnold@cityscenemediagroup.com.
