Our Crops
We lovingly nurture and grow superior crops from seed 52 weeks of the year in the Eco-Ark. We raise them first in our nursery, then grow them 4-5 weeks in the hydroponic system. We feed them awesome, organic nutrients, and they get at least 16 hours of light from top-of-the-line greenhouse glazing and LED supplemental lighting. They thrive in every season in a minimum temperature of 72°F, supplied by a combination of sunlight, and in the winter, radiant wood boiler-heated floors, and a truly awesome Holland heater.
Vermont Artisan Salad
“I’ve been waiting here to buy your salad! We love it.”
People literally show up around delivery time to buy a bag of our fresh, mixed green salad. They say they love the taste, texture, and how long it lasts in the fridge.
We grow the best blend of multi- and oak leaf greens we found and tested for color, texture, and flavor. It’s said that we eat as much with our eyes as our mouth, and our blended greens are a feast for both: Colors from light to deep green, and shades of pink, red, and burgandy; with flavors from mild to nutty, sweet, and even slightly bitter; and textures from delicate to crunchy.
We harvest and package weekly in 8oz bags, with less than a full day between when it’s cut and bagged to when it’s delivered to nearby grocers. It stays fresher longer, too. Ideally, our blended cut greens appreciate storage in the refrigerator around 44* Fahrenheit.
“You could use this as a bouquet, it’s so beautiful.”
The Finn & Roots living lettuce is a specialty full head of lettuce, usually a green oakleaf variety, that is harvested right off the hydroponic table – media, roots, and all – and placed in a clamshell for sale. We love the whole head living products: With their roots intact, they stay fresh a very long time, including how they taste. And, harvests are cleaner because there is no soil.
During the summer, we also grow and try different varieties for our living like romaine, butter, cress, sorrel, and more.
Greens sold live like to be stored in the refrigerator around 44* Fahrenheit. You can keep the media moist, which improves its staying power.
Living Lettuce
Genovese Basil
“Can I plant or vase your living basil? It’s the only kind we’ll eat!”
Genovese basil is a variety of sweet basil, and our freshly harvested cut and living Genovese is aromatic and flavorful. People use it often to make pesto, though it’s super tasty on just about any dish – or drink – that compliments it’s floral, anise and mint notes.
Both cut and living are harvested weekly, packaged in special fresh herb sleeves, and sent to sell in markets within a couple of days.
The cut basil is exactly what it sounds like: We gently cut off the tops of the basil plants and package them in 1.2oz specialty sleeves. Once sleeved, we keep it fresh at around 55* Fahrenheit.
The living basil is special: We carefully remove two plants – media, roots and all – from our hydroponic growing benches, add a bit of water to another special kind of herb sleeve, and slide the two, living plants into their packaging.
And, yes, you can plant the living basil in your garden or a pot; or, keep it (with a bit of water just below the top of its media cube) in a vase. The living basil likes to be kept warm, with indirect light and extra water now and then to sustain it. It stays fresh for a very long time!
FYI, basil likes it not too cold, warm, wet, or dry.
“Our kids will only eat your cucumbers.”
We grow classic slicer style and long European style cucumbers all year. Ours are special, or so we’re told: We often grow them quite large without sacrificing taste or texture; and, they’re particularly crispy and flavorful. We harvest our tasty cucumbers the same day we send everything to the grocery stores.
While freshly harvested cucumbers are best when used within 3 days, you can store them in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic wrap and kept in an airtight storage container in the fridge. Use wrap – a bag will cause them to ripen more quickly. Place them in the middle and front of your fridge, it’s typically too cool at the bottom and the back.
Variety and European Cucumbers
Microgreens
“Oh! They’re beautiful, tiny baby plants.”
Microgreens are young leafy greens, herbs, flowers and other plants that are grown hydroponically to approximately 1–3 inches in height, then harvested.
We use only the best, clean nutrients, our pristine spring water, sunlight, and organic non-GMO seeds from Vermont’s very own High Mowing Organic Seeds.
We package and sell our microgreens as living, on the biodegradable jute pads which they’re grown. Alive and uncut, they stay fresh and retain their vitamin and mineral content longer. As micro, younger versions of their full-grown equivalents, they have higher levels of nutrients.