Mountain Man Micro Farm is all about green in more ways than one. The farm specializes in growing delicious and nutritious microgreens in its beautiful Colorado greenhouse. It grows more than 30 varieties using soil and sunshine, distributing them to local restaurants and via weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or one-time delivery boxes to residents along the Colorado front range. The Green Grazer kits contain eight individual cells with four to eight varieties in each crate. The selection is Farmer’s Choice and based on what is in season and flourishing in the greenhouse. Typical blends include fresh herbs, nasturtiums, dandelion greens, red vein sorrel, sunflower shoots, radish and mustard greens, and more, all packed with flavor and ready-to-eat. Microgreens are widely considered a modern-day superfood with exceptional nutritional values and high levels of antioxidants. They’re also highly versatile and are great in salads, soups, smoothies, sandwiches, and more. But the founder and chief farmer, Andy McArdle, isn’t only producing healthy food. His vision includes building healthier communities by improving access to nutritious crops worldwide.
While Mountain Man microgreens grow in soil, Andy is passionate about aquaponics. He loves fusing the worlds of hydroponics and aquaculture to grow nutritious food. He believes this valuable technology has the potential to feed a lot of people and tackle widespread issues of malnourishment, hunger, and poverty. So, while he makes a living selling microgreens, Andy is also dedicated to helping change some lives and educating as many people as possible on the benefits of growing fish and plants in a circular system. Mountain Man Micro Farms has partnered with the non-profit Targeted Aquaponic Growth (TAG) and is designing aquaponic systems to boost food security in schools and orphanages in developing countries. In 2017, Andy constructed one of the pilot systems for TAG in Arua, Uganda.
Things are constantly evolving at Mountain Man Micro Farms, whether testing a new microgreen variety or developing more sound and proven aquaponics system designs. Ultimately, it’s all about elevating meals around Colorado with fresh, local produce and helping others do the same in their own communities.
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