In December of 2020, I contracted Covid from a patient where I was working as an imaging technologist. I had done some previous research on microgreens, but had not yet committed to growing. I was out of work for 3 months and recovering on 4 liters of oxygen 24/7. My body was the weakest it had ever been in my life, including a motorcycle accident back in 1995 where I broke my spine in 6 places, had a compression fracture between my shoulders, and broke 6 ribs on the right side in 2 places each. My future in radiography seemed slim as any physical activity literally took my breath away and sapped my energy quickly. I had an idea to raise meat chickens on pasture prior to covid, but that would have involved building the chicken tractors, feeding and watering every day, and then butchering every 7 to 8 weeks. Microgreens farming was the solution that would allow me to farm without the intense labor of traditional farming! The most weight I'd have to lift was the 15 lb brick pavers for blackout and the longest day of work would be harvest day, which I could do sitting down. After watching hundreds of videos on everything pertaining to farming, Donny's content was the most straight-forward and easy to perform. I had my first customers around February of 2021 and earned back my initial investment for a rack and 60 trays within 2 months. I have since recovered from covid and my last major symptoms subsided around November of 2021. After meeting some great people through our local Master Gardener's clubs around my state, I was invited to talk to them about microgreens and built a 45 minute power point presentation, teaching the basics of microgreens, their benefits, and how to earn an income from them. My goal has always been to bring great food options to people that were affordable, sustainable, and repeatable, without any growing challenges from seasons or environment. I've also developed a 2-hour hands-on microgreens growing class where I provide a set of Bootstrap trays, a 4-head LED light with built-in timer, and each student gets coco coir and seeds for their first tray, with ongoing personal support while they learn to grow at home. I imagine that if everyone could grow even 1 tray of microgreens at home every 10 days, we could eventually tackle any hunger problem in any country in the world! Thank you for reading my story. I hope it inspires someone to start their first tray and begin the journey that has changed my life for good. God bless!!
A friend of mines brother had a legal cannabis set up, high tech, state of the art grow rooms, three of them. He put about $80,000 into the set up (in his own pole barn) and made his money back MANY times over. Fast forward, the bottom dropped out of that market here in SW Michigan and the rooms say for about a year. Destiny rang my doorbell, and after a meeting we had two weeks ago, we decided to bring the space back to life, one room a cannabis nursery, one medicinal fungi and the third room will be a micro greens setup. Being a retired chef into very healthy food, I had sprouted my own lentils, mung beans and chickpeas but never let them grow out. So, 2023 is gonna be amazing!!
Thanks for continuing to share your story and all the great advice. Im a 57 year old corp exec outside of Philly. Staring down potential retirement in 5-6 years. I am actively involved in special needs community here and have an 18 year old nonverbal autistic son(my best bud in world). We do a ton of gardening here...and go crazy with veggies every spring/summer. We also grow many varieties of figs. Anyway...i purchased my first micro greens starter kit and looking forward to setting up. Was ponderring using next 5 years to see if a microgreens farm might help me fulfill my goal of providing meaningful community based employment for my son and other adults with intellectual disabilities. Working my way through all your videos...keep em coming! Tx!!!
I'm giving up a 3 acre farm & selling my half with my family. I have a 600 square foot 2 car garage that I'm finalizing my floor layout and will start the build out January 2023. HVAC , plumbing , electrical for lights and 2 door stainless commercial refrigerator . Planting & harvesting/packaging stations. 4 lighted racks & 2- 100 tray rolling wash & germination racks. 250 various Bootstrap trays are on hand to set up . Greens harvester w/ microgreens mounts and boxes of clear containers also ready. We are setting up a website with Barn2Door to begin marketing. Can't wait for January. Just wrapping up the last of my remodeling projects for my day job now so grow room build & start up will be only thing I do first 2 months of 2023 . We are also doing a 1/2 acre outdoor garden for charity this coming summer . Many blessings & challenges.
Thank you for another informative as well as chill episode. I am in Calgary ,Alberta and in in the process of starting my own micro green business. I am 😮currently growing medical cannabis as well as gardening my main issue is I had a traumatic brain injury and constantly forget all my growing knowledge, but my passion keeps me wanting to keep growing anything and everything. I can see your passion and it is amazing thank you for instilling this idea into my brain thank you my friend.
Thanks for sharing! There’s only one main player in my town. He mainly sells yo restaurants and a few local groceries. Should I build a different business model than him or should I go after his customers?
Hey Donnie i would love to break into the microgreens business. I live in the midwest and grow a large garden every year. I just really dont know where to start. Any ideas?
I wonder if some of the other business associates of Donny that have cool names are - Gambino, Lucchese, Genovese, Bonanno and Columbo? The *'Microgreen Mafia.'* 😆 What a fantastic, informative video. I've been thinking about growing microgreens for some time, and just may do it.
Fantastic Donny, great video. Power to you and all you do. I love hearing about your journey, you made it all work! 🌱😃👍 You're an inspiration and I really hope to do the same some day. Thanks Happy New Year to you and yours 🎉 👍🔙Green 😅 grow on. 🌱🌱🕊️
I've shared my story, now share yours below! What got you into microgreens?!
In December of 2020, I contracted Covid from a patient where I was working as an imaging technologist. I had done some previous research on microgreens, but had not yet committed to growing. I was out of work for 3 months and recovering on 4 liters of oxygen 24/7. My body was the weakest it had ever been in my life, including a motorcycle accident back in 1995 where I broke my spine in 6 places, had a compression fracture between my shoulders, and broke 6 ribs on the right side in 2 places each. My future in radiography seemed slim as any physical activity literally took my breath away and sapped my energy quickly.
I had an idea to raise meat chickens on pasture prior to covid, but that would have involved building the chicken tractors, feeding and watering every day, and then butchering every 7 to 8 weeks. Microgreens farming was the solution that would allow me to farm without the intense labor of traditional farming! The most weight I'd have to lift was the 15 lb brick pavers for blackout and the longest day of work would be harvest day, which I could do sitting down. After watching hundreds of videos on everything pertaining to farming, Donny's content was the most straight-forward and easy to perform. I had my first customers around February of 2021 and earned back my initial investment for a rack and 60 trays within 2 months.
I have since recovered from covid and my last major symptoms subsided around November of 2021. After meeting some great people through our local Master Gardener's clubs around my state, I was invited to talk to them about microgreens and built a 45 minute power point presentation, teaching the basics of microgreens, their benefits, and how to earn an income from them. My goal has always been to bring great food options to people that were affordable, sustainable, and repeatable, without any growing challenges from seasons or environment. I've also developed a 2-hour hands-on microgreens growing class where I provide a set of Bootstrap trays, a 4-head LED light with built-in timer, and each student gets coco coir and seeds for their first tray, with ongoing personal support while they learn to grow at home. I imagine that if everyone could grow even 1 tray of microgreens at home every 10 days, we could eventually tackle any hunger problem in any country in the world!
Thank you for reading my story. I hope it inspires someone to start their first tray and begin the journey that has changed my life for good. God bless!!
@@stephenzaffarano4520 Hi Stephen..can you post a link to your power point presentation and any other work you have? Thanks !
A friend of mines brother had a legal cannabis set up, high tech, state of the art grow rooms, three of them. He put about $80,000 into the set up (in his own pole barn) and made his money back MANY times over. Fast forward, the bottom dropped out of that market here in SW Michigan and the rooms say for about a year. Destiny rang my doorbell, and after a meeting we had two weeks ago, we decided to bring the space back to life, one room a cannabis nursery, one medicinal fungi and the third room will be a micro greens setup. Being a retired chef into very healthy food, I had sprouted my own lentils, mung beans and chickpeas but never let them grow out. So, 2023 is gonna be amazing!!
@@stephenzaffarano4520 Remarkable!
@@petepenn1 +1 for PPT and info...
Thanks for continuing to share your story and all the great advice. Im a 57 year old corp exec outside of Philly. Staring down potential retirement in 5-6 years. I am actively involved in special needs community here and have an 18 year old nonverbal autistic son(my best bud in world). We do a ton of gardening here...and go crazy with veggies every spring/summer. We also grow many varieties of figs. Anyway...i purchased my first micro greens starter kit and looking forward to setting up. Was ponderring using next 5 years to see if a microgreens farm might help me fulfill my goal of providing meaningful community based employment for my son and other adults with intellectual disabilities. Working my way through all your videos...keep em coming! Tx!!!
I'm giving up a 3 acre farm & selling my half with my family. I have a 600 square foot 2 car garage that I'm finalizing my floor layout and will start the build out January 2023.
HVAC , plumbing , electrical for lights and 2 door stainless commercial refrigerator . Planting & harvesting/packaging stations.
4 lighted racks & 2- 100 tray rolling wash & germination racks. 250 various Bootstrap trays are on hand to set up . Greens harvester w/ microgreens mounts and boxes of clear containers also ready.
We are setting up a website with Barn2Door to begin marketing.
Can't wait for January. Just wrapping up the last of my remodeling projects for my day job now so grow room build & start up will be only thing I do first 2 months of 2023 . We are also doing a 1/2 acre outdoor garden for charity this coming summer . Many blessings & challenges.
Good luck, hoping for lots of success coming your way!
Thank you !
Awesome Video !
I love to see More of the process making the Awesome Trays !
Greetings ✌️
This is so inspiring!!! 😍
Question; why soil instead of grow mats?
Thank you for another informative as well as chill episode. I am in Calgary ,Alberta and in in the process of starting my own micro green business. I am 😮currently growing medical cannabis as well as gardening my main issue is I had a traumatic brain injury and constantly forget all my growing knowledge, but my passion keeps me wanting to keep growing anything and everything. I can see your passion and it is amazing thank you for instilling this idea into my brain thank you my friend.
Much love just keep on moving forward brother, day by day one step at a time
VERY COOL!...micro greens destiny!! I have learned a TON from your videos and look forward to expanding our biz. Thanx again DG!! 🌱❤
What software do you use for ordering and delivery?
links in the descriptions of my videos
What soil do you use? Where’s the best place to buy?
Local nursery or greenhouse supply company. Promix MP Organik is what i use
How much of a hassle was the red tape (legal stuff) for a first time business owner? Any recommendations?
Call your local department of agriculture
How many trays can you fill with your 3.8 ft.³ pro mix soil?
about 65 🌱👍🏻
Thanks for sharing! There’s only one main player in my town. He mainly sells yo restaurants and a few local groceries. Should I build a different business model than him or should I go after his customers?
Hey Donnie i would love to break into the microgreens business. I live in the midwest and grow a large garden every year. I just really dont know where to start. Any ideas?
Yes Scott this is exactly where to start: onetrayaway.com/ can’t wait to see you in there!!
@@DonnyGreens Thanks! I will definately check the sitd out and stay in touch!
I wonder if some of the other business associates of Donny that have cool names are - Gambino, Lucchese, Genovese, Bonanno and Columbo? The *'Microgreen Mafia.'* 😆
What a fantastic, informative video. I've been thinking about growing microgreens for some time, and just may do it.
Hi Sir am From India waiting for ur next videos and tips 😀❤️
Fantastic Donny, great video. Power to you and all you do. I love hearing about your journey, you made it all work! 🌱😃👍 You're an inspiration and I really hope to do the same some day. Thanks
Happy New Year to you and yours 🎉
👍🔙Green 😅 grow on. 🌱🌱🕊️
Don't forget, you had a home delivery system during the pandemic. Talk about the Universe lining up...
💯 we vibin over here for sure. Aligned ✨ 🌱💚