Bees Knees Microgreens

Microgreens are like the veal of vegetables. They are grown from a seedling and harvested when the first leaves sprout, before reaching full maturity. Fortunately, no animals are harmed in this process.

Samantha Stewart is a new microgreens grower in South Surrey. Her Bees Knees Microgreens already has a faithful following at the White Rock Farmers Market and with local restaurants.

“It’s neat to be able to supply to restaurants that I eat at frequently” said Stewart. “I think more people really want to know where there food is coming from.”

These tiny flavour packed leaves first appeared on plates in the 80s, but never fully took root in mainstream food culture – wheatgrass is probably the best known green thanks to smoothie shacks like Jugo Juice. 

Microgreens don’t just look pretty, they are nutritionally dense and high in minerals like magnesium, zinc, calcium, iron and more. 

Samantha Stewart in her South Surrey Greenhouse. Photo: Abby Wiseman for Small Batch Vancouver.

Stewart grew up in South Surrey and always wanted to grow on her family’s property. She experimented with hops, but the dream was dashed by space restrictions.

Microgreens don’t need acres of land and can be grown in long trays under natural or pink lights. Stewart grew her first greens in the kitchen, then moved into a small greenhouse in the backyard, then convinced her parents to let her build a greenhouse on their property – making it “pretty” in case all else fails.

“Getting land is definitely the hardest thing for most people to get the hands on,” said Stewart. “I always wanted to grow something here, but it took some convincing.”

Photo: Abby Wiseman for Small Batch Vancouver.

Stewart grows 10-15 different varieties like mustard, arugula and radish in 7-10 day cycles. Not all are microgreens are green and the red amaranth is a personal favourite of Stewarts.

“It makes your dishes look great,” said Stewart. “It’s visually appealing and appetizing, but they also have health benefits.”

Definitely a step up from that old parsley garnish.