One local restaurant that I
sell to used to buy its sprouts from Norway,” Leadley says.
Like anyone who farms in a city, Leadley waxes eloquent on the freshness of her product.
Nodding toward her backyard plot, Leadley says,“I grow those vegetables because they look good on the farm stand.
But it's the microgreens that keep Leadley from joining the ranks of the vast majority of U.S. farmers
and taking a second job.
But it's the microgreens that keep Leadley from joining the ranks of the vast majority of US farmers
and taking a second job.
They grow quickly- in the summer, Leadley can make a crop in seven days-
and they sell for well over a dollar an ounce.
Leadley, of Rising Pheasant Farms,
realized long ago that she wouldn't survive selling only the vegetables from her outdoor garden, which is why she invested in a plastic-draped greenhouse and heating system.
Leadley is a key player in Detroit's vibrant communal
and commercial farming community, which in 2014 produced nearly 400,000 pounds(181,000 kilograms) of produce- enough to feed more than 600 people- in its more than 1,300 community, market, family and school gardens.
Leadley is a key player in Detroit's vibrant communal
and commercial farming community, which in 2014 produced nearly 400,000 pounds(18,000 kg) of produce- enough to feed more than 600 people- in its more than 1,300 community, market, family and school gardens.