{"id":74733,"date":"2022-07-24T14:56:37","date_gmt":"2022-07-24T14:56:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/07\/24\/marine-veteran-grows-new-business-with-microgreens\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T14:02:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T14:02:40","slug":"marine-veteran-grows-new-business-with-microgreens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/education-transition\/2022\/07\/24\/marine-veteran-grows-new-business-with-microgreens\/","title":{"rendered":"Marine veteran grows new business with microgreens"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BROADWAY, Va. \u2014 In the garish light of a ground floor production space, Ian Young \u2014 a young entrepreneur based in Broadway \u2014 excitedly clicked through a project management software called Notion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really great because you can tag all the dates,\u201d Young said. \u201cYou can plan for a certain day. It\u2019s amazing. That\u2019s kind of how I plan for everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young has it pegged down to the day when his product \u2014 different varieties of microgreens \u2014 will be ready to harvest, package and sell, labeling efficiently stacked plastic palettes of seeds and soil at different stages of planting on tall racks outfitted with lights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the headquarters of his business, MicroBite Farms<\/a>, Young \u2014 a transitioning veteran<\/a> who served in the Marine Corps \u2014 grows over a dozen varieties of microgreens, green plants like broccoli and cilantro that are densely planted from seeds and harvested in under three weeks when they\u2019ve grown their first set of leaves. They\u2019re distinct from \u201csprouts,\u201d which are grown in water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In this June 28, 2022, photo, microgreens from MicroBite Farms sit for sale at the Harrisonburg, Va. Farmers Market. (Jillian Lynch\/Daily News-Record via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI lost so much weight when I started eating these,\u201d Young said. \u201cI got kind of fat when I got out of the Marines. There are just so many health benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before becoming a vendor at the Harrisonburg Farmers Market on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and selling to CrossKeys Vineyards bistro and offering delivery and subscription for the tiny plants, Young \u2014 who has always had a green thumb \u2014 said he began growing microgreens as a hobby and for their superior nutrient content after having served in the military for four years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI just love doing this. It doesn\u2019t feel like work to me. I love interacting with the customers at the market,\u201d Young said. \u201cThe restaurant customers are all super friendly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These infant-versions of green plants also pack full-grown peppery, sweet and spicy flavors, depending on the plant. Young sells around a dozen varieties, including Red Acre cabbage, Daikon radish, sunflower, broccoli and salad mixes that combine varieties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll eat [salads with microgreens] plain without any dressing because it\u2019s just so full of flavor,\u201d Young said. \u201cYou\u2019re getting such a huge bang for your buck as far as nutrition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t