THE GROWING POPULARITY OF MICROGREENS, sprouts and shoots among home cooks and restaurateurs alike has kickstarted Bryn Roshong’s and Wes Hannah’s Solid Ground Farm into its second growing season. And through a partnership with Pathfinder Farms in Catskill, Solid Ground Farm will be putting down roots to grow their operations.
For the spring growing season, Solid Ground is planning to stick with its current production list: sweet pea shoots, sunflower shoots, amaranth, kale, collard, kohlrabi, tatsoi and red arrow radish microgreens, as well as several sprout mixes. Planned additions to this year’s list include sweet corn shoots and buckwheat shoots. The shoots and microgreens can be purchased at the Kingston Farmers Market or at a few local health food stores in the area. During the season, listings of wholesale outlets will be available on solidground.farm and customers can contact directly about bulk orders. There will also be a vegetable CSA and fresh chicken available; pick-up is at the farm in Catskill.
Although they’re new to microgreen cultivation, Roshong and Hannah are no strangers to agriculture in the Hudson Valley and beyond. Roshong, operations manager at Farm to Table Co-Packers in Kingston, also works at Gansvoort Sheep Farm in Clermont and is a part of the Phillies Bridge Farm Project in Gardiner. Hannah is the crew manager at Hearty Roots Community Farm in Clermont and is an organizer for the National Young Farmer’s Coalition. After working on farms from here to New Mexico, the Hudson Valley is where they plan to stay for the time being. “We always feel lucky to live and farm in the Hudson Valley,” Hanna says, “because it’s an area where small farms are able to thrive, thanks to the vibrant culture of people interested in eating local, sustainable food.”