Mighty microgreens: Jackie Grow gardens in her garage

Lisa Vidaurri Bowling, The Monroe News
·4 min read

ERIE — Jackie Grow is a microgreens farmer. In the garage of her Erie home, she grows seedlings of edible plants less than 3 inches tall.

Grow specializes in hydroponics, a system of growing plants using water-based nutrient solutions instead of soil.

A wide variety of crops can be grown hydroponically. Some of the most common are tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, strawberries and some herbs.

For Grow, it started as a hobby. She now owns and operates a home-based business she calls "Jackie Grows Plants."

"I bought all of my stuff in April 2023 with the intention of going to the Farmers Market in June," Jackie Grow said.

For Jackie Grow of Erie, growing microgreens started as a hobby. She now owns and operates a home-based business she calls "Jackie Grows Plants."
For Jackie Grow of Erie, growing microgreens started as a hobby. She now owns and operates a home-based business she calls "Jackie Grows Plants."

"With hydroponics, a lot of times you eliminate the soil factor which was what I was going for," she said. "The system I use was specifically built for microgreens."

Large troughs with trays are used to create a gardening system for growing plants year-round. Grow specializes in microgreens, tiny plants with higher vitamin and mineral content.

In 2012, the 33-year-old graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University. She studied horticulture landscape and design.

Hydroponics is a system of growing plants using water-based nutrient solutions instead of soil.
Hydroponics is a system of growing plants using water-based nutrient solutions instead of soil.

"My parents were teachers and I got into it because I like design work and art," she said. "Once I got to college, I really got into plants. I work full-time as a landscape designer for a company in Erie."

Grow started growing microgreens as a way to incorporate another healthy option into her and her husband's, Cole Loffer, diet. She also wanted to offer the option to the Monroe community.

In addition to microgreens, a wide variety of crops can be grown hydroponically including tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.
In addition to microgreens, a wide variety of crops can be grown hydroponically including tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.

Research indicates there are nutritional benefits to eating microgreens. According to the Cleveland Clinic, benefits may include helping to manage Type 2 diabetes, lower the risk of heart disease, prevent cancer, protect vision and reduce the risk of anemia.

Grow said microgreens are considered vegetables and are different from sprouts.

"Sprouts are a very early germinating stage," she said. "They grow differently. For the microgreens, I only cut them once and I don't do anything else so it's the same as selling a head of broccoli or head of lettuce."

On Saturdays, Grow sets up shop at the Monroe Farmers Market, 20 E. Willow St.

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The microgreens are cut and packaged the night before and should be consumed within a week.

"I always tell the customer, 'I suggest putting it in your vegetable crisper drawer in your refrigerator,'" she said.

She has customers who shop every other week because they make the plants last for two weeks.

"My most popular ones are my salad mixes," she said. "I purchase the seed premixed and they have a variety of microgreens. I think they provide the best flavor. I have a spicy and a basic salad mix. Broccoli is also popular. I have a lot of customers that hate broccoli but they like this. It tastes like broccoli but it's milder."

When it comes to how to eat the microgreens, Grow said it's a personal preference.

"Some customers eat them right out of the package," she said. "Most of my customers add them to their salads. With microgreens, the smaller they are, the more potent they are in flavor. Arugula or radish microgreens are really strong in flavor."

On Saturdays, Erie resident Jackie Grow sells microgreens at the Monroe Farmers Market, 20 E. Willow St.
On Saturdays, Erie resident Jackie Grow sells microgreens at the Monroe Farmers Market, 20 E. Willow St.

She said microgreens can also be added to a dish after it is prepared. Some people add them to salads and sandwiches, others blend them into pesto or smoothies. They can also be used as a garnish for pizza or soups.

Grow adds pea shoots to stir fry or breaks them into smaller pieces before adding them to pasta sauce.She sells a variety of packaged microgreens including spicy and basic salad mix, broccoli, turnip, pea shoots, spicy oriental mustard and sunflowers.

In the winter, she offers six to seven options. In the summer, her inventory can expand to 10 or more.

With nearly a year in business at the market, Grow has developed a loyal customer base.

"For being my first year with something that's relatively new to the area, things have gone well," she said.

During the summer months, Grow will be one of the vendors outside at the market. More information about the Erie microgreens farmer and what she grows can be found on her Facebook page.

— Contact reporter Lisa Vidaurri-Bowling at lvidaurribowling@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Mighty microgreens: Jackie Grow gardens in her garage