Outlook 2022-23 • 25 packaged and refrigerated for Thursday’s market. Most of the greens have an eightday turnaround, while varieties like basil and cilantro take two to three weeks to reach the microgreen stage. During the summer, Harrison set up a booth at Secotan Market in Wanchese and at Dowdy Park Farmer’s Market in Nags Head on Thursdays. “It’s my local community,” he said. “It was awesome. I feel more a part of this community than I ever have, going to these markets, having conversation. We pretty much sold out every week. People are so grateful, and honestly, we’re grateful that they want to buy it.” He sells now at Secotan Market in Wanchese every Saturday morning from 8 am to noon and at Shine On Juicery in Kill Devil Hills. Home delivery is offered year ’round from Manteo to Southern Shores. New this year, customers can opt for a subscription to avoid the weekly hassle of placing an order. With microgreens, because the plants are young, they have a shorter shelf life and should be consumed within 7-10 days. Because of that, Harrison is focused on local distribution only. “You’re getting it within a day, two days from harvest,” he said. Aside from the product itself, there’s another thing that Harrison is excited about. When a tropical storm blew through, he ended up with a lot of unsold microgreens. “We took them over to the food pantry. I didn’t know if they’d want them, but they
were stoked. Since mid-summer, we’ve donated over 100 boxes to the food pantry. This year we will do a weekly donation. We try to grow a little extra for that,” he said. In 2021, the urban farm donated 141 small boxes and 187 large boxes of microgreens to the Beach Food Pantry. “This more than doubles our donation in 2020. We look forward to improving on this effort in 2022. By supporting our business, our customers help to support this practice of giving back to our local community and we are so grateful!” Bradley said. When asked if he plans to expand his crops, Harrison replied, “I’m just focusing on the microgreens for now. Keeping the quality high is more important than conquering the world.” Bradley agreed: “Quality is very important to him. He’s not going to cut corners. He’s very environmentally conscious.” One of the ways Harrison Farms cares for the environment is by using compostable containers. “They’re made out of corn and not petroleum, so they’ll break down faster than regular plastic,” Harrison said. Whenever possible, returned containers are reused after being cleaned and sanitized. The national interest in buying local produce, or growing your own food, is increasing. “There’s a movement toward decentralization in agriculture. It’s fun to really be a part of it.” Large (4 oz.) boxes sell for $12 and the smaller ones (1.5-2 oz. depending on the
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Elizabeth Bradley plants and prepares microgreens each week. crop) go for $6. Like many food producers, Harrison Farms had had to raise their prices due to an increased cost for seeds, soil and containers. But Harrison makes sure the boxes are chock full. “We over fill them by 15 percent – we load those boxes,” he said. “There’s a lot more in there than you realize.” Harrison Farms can be reached online at www.obxmicrogreens.com, via Facebook (Harrison Farms Microgreens), Instagram (Harrison Microgreens), email (harrisonmicrogreens@gmail.com) or by calling 252489-1040.
