(Photos courtesy Jill Moore)

That’s a photo from Mom’s Micro Garden, a microgreens farm co-owned by Jill Moore of Cascadia Produce, who plans a “flash sale” of microgreens tomorrow at the Cascadia Fresh Market space she’s just finishing clearing out of. Jill explains:

I bought into Mom’s Micro Garden with another woman farmer. Microgreens are simply plants harvested at an early stage, just after they sprout their first true leaves. At that developmental stage, the plant has tons of rapidly dividing cells, an army of antioxidant guards, and is bursting with all the vitamins and minerals the full-size plant will ever have. We grow them vertically in a greenhouse on a food safety-certified farm in Sumner, WA. Our Mom’s Micros customers include Canlis, Climate Pledge Arena, and even the Seattle Public School District. Now, I’m working to make them more accessible to the public by partnering with other businesses for pre-order and pickup locations. This quick pilot at my market this weekend is a test of that model.

Micros can be spicy, savory, or sweet, adding fresh crunch and flavor to any food. My favorite is the cantaloupe green —an almost Willy Wonka-like experience where a single leaf releases a wash of cantaloupe juice. Kids love them, and they pack a whole salad’s worth of vitamins and minerals. Pea vines are also sweet and tasty, providing vitamins, protein, and calcium in just a few tender, pleasant-to-eat tendrils.

Microgreens have about a two-week shelf life, which is why they aren’t well-marketed in grocery stores — large businesses can’t turn them fast enough within the fresh window. It takes small, local agriculture to bring people access to this essential nutrition that can be eaten with anything. Micros literally meet you where you are, you can eat them by themselves or on anything. I put some on my McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish yesterday to make it a better-rounded lunch!

The flash sale is set for noon-2 pm Sunday (February 23) at 5444 Delridge Way SW.