Photo Karen Graham.
Max Chalovich is a new market vendor at the Millbrook Farmers’ Market which has relocated to the parking lot of the Millbrook Public School this season.
Newly minted Environmental Studies graduate Max Chalovich was eager to get his business started and launched Otonabee Microgreens before his studies were complete.
This young entrepreneur is encouraging us to boost our nutritional consumption with microgreens.
These are very young vegetable seedlings harvested within a few weeks of germination. Unlike sprouts, which are seeds that have just germinated and are still white or yellow in colour, microgreens, as the name suggests, are, well, green. They are sprouts that have progressed to the point of setting their first set of true leaves. The colour comes from the creation of chlorophyll in the plant which is triggered by light. Chlorophyll has many health benefits such as aiding in digestion, helping to detoxify the liver, tightening and soothing skin and promoting cell regeneration, and boosting metabolism.
Microgreens offer a variety of other nutritional benefits in the form of antioxidants, which vary depending on the seed selected. Common choices are members of the brassica family including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussel sprouts which contain high levels of vitamin E, while chicory and lettuce microgreens offer vitamin A.
Microgreens can be grown in soil or water. Max uses a germination soil mix from products available at Victory Garden Supply in Fraserville, where he works part-time. Among the microgreens he produces are broccoli, sunflower, peas, radish, clover and salad mixes. Kept in the fridge, these products have a shelf life of two to three weeks, with radish and clover the most perishable varieties and peas and sunflowers lasting longer.
Most of his product is sold already harvested in clear packaging, but he also offers live packs where the greens are still growing in soil and can be harvested by the consumer, which extends their freshness.
For customers seeking to grow their own sprouts, Max offers jars with adjustable, perforated lids in which sprouts can grow in water. These can usually be harvested within a few days but must be kept in the dark.
Otonabee Microgreen products are available at local markets including the Millbrook Farmers’ Market, both Peterborough Farmers’ Markets and at Victory Garden SupplyV. To learn more, visit www.otonabeemicrogreens.ca or drop in to speak to Max at one of his market booths. KG
