Farm Partner Highlight: Grand Valley Micro Farm
How One Business is Nourishing the Grand Valley in a Tiny but Mighty Way
Philip and Nathan Strouse are no strangers to the Grand Junction community. The brothers grew up in the Grand Valley before moving away to serve in the military. In 2020, Nate moved back to Grand Junction to care for their mother during the pandemic, with Phil frequently flying back and forth from Atlanta to assist with emergency management responsibilities across the Southeast. Spending time back in Grand Junction helped the brothers realize they wanted to make the area their home once again. So, Phil and Nate began looking for roles in supply chain management and emergency preparedness, areas they both served in during their military/public service careers. The process led them to an unexpected passion - food security in the Grand Valley. “Nate did a lot of research on what’s nutritional or maybe that sweet spot where there’s a gap in the traditional type of crop production and it turned out to be microgreens,” Phil explains. Thus, Grand Valley Micro Farms was born.
Microgreens might conjure images of the dainty sprouts added to the tops of dishes to complete the look, Nate quips. However, there’s much more to these small greens than meets the eye. “According to the studies, a lot of the nutrients, whether it be vitamin C, vitamin K, were more dense, 40% more than the mature plant ounce for ounce,” Nate explains. “There's a lot of different studies out there, but overall [microgreens are] higher in ratio than the mature plant.”
The taste of microgreens is far from just decorative, too. “A lot of people don't know what microgreens are and that they obviously call them sprouts because that's a familiar description. But, the fact that they have the flavor of the mature plant, it really shocks people.” For example, radish microgreens taste like a full grown radish, sunflower microgreens taste slightly nutty like sunflower seeds, and arugula microgreens taste like the spicy full grown lettuce greens used in salad mixes.
But what about that supply chain aspect the brothers were interested in? Microgreens can be grown year-round, indoors through vertical farming and the process requires very little water. “It's not just the traditional outdoor growing cycle or even what greenhouses will do, we do this in a very stable environment, with vertical farming,” Phil says motioning to the racks of plants around him. “So, 52 weeks of the year, you're providing this to the community and it's a very hyper local type of crop. That's one of the reasons a light bulb went on with us.”
Nate and Phil developed a business idea and brought it to life much like their plants, but adding to the local economy or making profit wasn’t the top of mind. “In looking across the various communities we’ve worked in, you want to make sure people have access to nutritional food. That grows a community,” Phil explains. “If you don’t have food, especially as children, or the elderly, in this region or part of Colorado, that's a major concern and it hits home really quick. And though we're trying to do community stability, food security is in the middle of that puzzle.”
It was that desire to feed their community that caused them to cross paths with Alisha Wenger, Executive Director of the Community Food Bank of Grand Junction, during a farm to table community impact event. “We had her come over and see the operation,” Nate says. “We usually have a buffer that we grow, so we want to make sure we’re making the most of it and she was very interested in adding some of our products to what they offer to families in need.”
The brothers then became the tourists on a visit to the Community Food Bank of Grand Junction. “People have a sense that they’re actually shopping,” Phil says. “People can make selections like it’s a grocery aisle and they’re not just handed a box, because then you’re talking about food waste or maybe dietary concerns or considerations. They have a part of the decision making process, and they can select things that are good for their family. And I think that's a big thing, is giving people the choice and being empowered to figure out what they want versus just receiving a handout.” Phil stresses that the experience at Community Food Bank goes beyond just the nutrition aspect. “When people leave, they feel better, not just because of the food they have but they feel like they're valued as a person or as a family.”
Nate says it took a week or so for neighbors utilizing the Community Food Bank to understand what the microgreens were, but once the microgreens were set out for tastings paired with educational content, the greens flew off the shelves.
“It's always good when we get feedback stories,” Nate says. “Chelsea will tell us that a mom says she's able to get her kids more because [the microgreens are] new and interesting. We love that stuff.”
Partnering with the Community Food Bank of Grand Junction has also helped Phil and Nate to better understand food security and food supply chains. “I think the big thing is, if you didn’t have Community Food Banks in a community, what would you have?” Phil states. “You’d have a lot of food waste. For local producers, this is a really big outlet. And then how would these families that need this kind of nutrition, where would they get it from?” Nutrition, Nate reiterates, that the brothers are proud to be able to provide in a tiny, but mighty form.
Phil and Nate are only in year three of business and their business is steadily growing. As their business shifts and changes, one thing doesn’t. Their desire to ensure their neighbors have access to nutritious foods. “It feels like when we're in the military, you're doing something bigger than yourselves. So this is like a small piece of helping the community versus just running a for-profit business.”
To learn more about Grand Valley Micro Farms, visit www.grandvalleymicrofarms.com.
