What are Microgreens? And Why Do I Care?

You may have heard of microgreens already, especially if you are into current health trends. You may even have spotted them for sale in your local grocery or health food store. You may also have spotted their hefty price tag compared to their small size! 


So what exactly are they? Microgreens are the very young seedlings of vegetables and herbs. They are different from sprouts. Microgreens are harvested later than sprouts, after the first leaves have appeared. This is not to confuse them with baby greens, which are harvested later. .


As preppers, there are two reasons why you should be interested in microgreens.  One because of they are extremely nutrient-dense. And two, because they are a cash cow at the moment.


First let's talk about the nutritional value. Microgreens have all of the same vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients as their fully-grown versions but in a much smaller package. That means you can get much of the nutrition you need from just a modest amount of food.


And since almost any fully edible plant can be grown as a microgreen, a variety of microgreens can provide a wide range of required nutrients. Some of the more popular include basil, beets, broccoli, swiss chard, parsley, kale, pea, sunflower, and watercress.


Now for the financial benefits. Growing microgreens for profit can be a great way to turn your gardening skills into a solid income from selling your microgreen crop to local grocers, individuals and restaurants. The steady demand and ease of growing makes them a great crop for anyone with gardening skills. Because they are so small, they can be grown almost anywhere, even indoors, so you can always have a crop available.


I know you are asking...why are you talking about these here? Why not in the health blog if they're that good for you? Or in the business blog if it's such a great way to make money?


Because those two things combined make microgreens perfect for preppers!


Microgreens offer a year-round source of food. They can be grown easily and with very simple equipment. You don't even need a garden! If you have a sunny windowsill, you can grow microgreens. Which means when other food sources are scarce, you can have a supply of fresh, nutritionally-dense greens - even in the depths of winter!


Since they are a great source of income right now, a microgreens business is also a wonderful way to bring in some side cash to either invest, get out of debt, or use to set yourself up to be more prepared for the future.


They can also be a useful item for barter.


I'll be sharing more about how to grow and harvest microgreens. But for now, I just wanted to acquaint you with these little green gems.


If you want to try some microgreens right now, check out this Window Garden Microgreens Starter Kit! It's how I started growing mine. I'll be sharing a video later showing just how this kit works.