As you
get older to tend to go back to your roots, so to speak. Becoming a recent
grandfather of 2 great boys has made me miss the times when I was young and hung
out with my Dad in the garden. Having lost him at a young age I didn't
realize what amazing qualities he had and what a green thumb he was gifted with
until recently. I came across urban microgreen farming and became instantly
connected to my past, my Dad. The idea of year-round gardening indoors
appealed to me. The idea of urban gardening bloomed from there. I knew
I needed a large structure to grow and also knew downtown Midland has plenty of
buildings not being used to their capacity. I acquired the lease on an
otherwise abandoned building that had been used for storage since the early 90's.
The name TanchoRay Urban Farm, is an homage to my father Ray. With the support
of the local community my goal is to grow seasonal vegetables and greens
year-round as we can control the climate indoors. The building has room to
grown and the next phase will be to grow with aquaponics using Koi fish hence Tancho which is a type of Koi.
Growing
micros has been an adventure. I am blessed to have landed some great clients
in the local restaurant industry. With their feedback and support my urban
farming project has grown into being able to grow and harvest enough to sell at
the Midland Farmers Marker for the first time last weekend. I'm so
pleased that our local community was welcoming of nutrition and flavor packed
microgreens! The nutritional benefits from these tiny veggies are
significant. The herbs such as basil are full of flavor, not to mention, they
dress up any dish. They are grown using organic practices, so you can feel
good about what you put on your food!
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