Fifer Farm

the field tomatoes were destroyed by the recent hail storm but the green house tomatoes are doing great. Took 40 cartons to the market on Saturday.

I am often asked at the farmers market what I do with the soil in the trays that the microgreens are grown in. It goes to the compost pile. Then when it comes time to do field planting in the spring the compost is used when planting the starts.

In a previous post I mentioned how research shows that sunflower sprouts can reduce the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). High levels of AGEs have been linked to the development of many diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure, and Alzheimer’s, as well as premature aging. An active ingredient contributing to the observed effect has been identified as cynarin (1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid). Cynarin is a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a group of natural substances found in fruits, vegetables, grains, bark, roots, stems, flowers, tea and wine. These natural products are well known for their beneficial effects on health. Currently there are about 6000 flavonoids that contribute to the colorful pigments of fruits, herbs, vegetables and medicinal plants. The sunflower sprout is a rich source of cynarin and it is the major sprout in our Farm Sampler microgreen box.