Kroon's Microgreen Production From South Africa To Minnesota
Matthys Kroon of Fergus Falls, MN was half a world away in South Africa when he started raising microgreens.
Today he grows it in the basement of the house he, wife, Roxanne and their two children call home. He sells microgreens year-round at Dutchmen Organics in Fergus Falls and to area restaurants and seasonally at the Fergus Falls (MN) Farmers Market.
His interest in growing things may have started with his parents. His father, an engineer, managed the lawn and flowerbeds of their South African home. He also cared for the family’s garden.
Matthys’ mother, a physical therapist, enjoyed growing orchids, he said.
He did work on a forestry project himself at one point and studied bio-informatics working on genomics. Matthys met Roxanne as the Fargo, ND native interned on an anthropologic project at caves in South Africa.
The couple married and settled in South Africa.
Roxanne’s connection to the Midwest is strong. Besides her immediate family based in Fargo, her grandparents also own a farm in North Dakota.
“Her connection to farming would be more from an environmental prospective,” Matthys said. “She likes to grow her own food.”
In fact, when the couple first started dating, Roxanne was interested in hydroponics for themselves.
Their foray into gardening really took off during the COVID-19 pandemic. The couple simply wanted to raise their own food during a very uncertain time.
“I just wanted to have some food that we could store for a longer time and to grow what we needed,” he said.
He bought bulk seed and they started growing vegetables.
They also made Roxanne’s dream of hydroponics a reality.
“We did that,” he said. “We started (hydroponics) indoors then went outdoors because of the free light and better pollination.”
Matthys also learned about microgreen production.
“It’s like two weeks and you have something to eat,” he said of microgreens. “That makes it nice compared to growing other types of food.You have something on a continual basis, it lasts long, it’s compact and it’s quick.”
The Kroons moved to the U.S. in 2021 to be closer to Roxanne’s family. They chose to live in Fergus Falls due to its proximity to family and because it has the small town feel and amenities they want.
While Matthys doesn’t anticipate including hydroponics in their vegetable production, the couple does raise vegetables seasonally while microgreens are produced year round and in the basement.
Why the basement?
Matthys is able to control the growing conditions in the basement, he said. He can monitor the air quality and temperature while using grow lights to provide the sunlight.
NOTE: In conversations I have had with producers using grow lights, they’ve said that while LED grow lights may cost more initially, the LEDs use less electricity which is a cost savings for the long term.
He starts the microgreen production in a 10-inch by 20-inch tray where he spreads the seed over Pro-Mix Potting Soil. That tray has a mesh bottom and is placed in a “watering tray” which holds the water the plants’ root systems will need as the microgreens grow. But during this early process, the seeds are misted with water.
The roots of the micro greens when in the tray.
Another tray is placed on top of that and is weighted down to press on the seeds. The seeds germinate within three days, he said. The germinated seeds can then be exposed to the grow lights or, if kept in darkness for another three days, the plants will have longer stems. The longer stems are easier to harvest.
We used the microgreens in our salad course of our recent Locally Grown Meal. Chef Leon purchased a spicy salad mix which includes broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, arugula, red cabbage and mustard. Leon also purchased and used Matthy’s pea shoots.
The salad was dressed with VidaliaOnion and Peppercorn Dressing made by The Secret Garden. The Secret Garden is made by a family in Park Rapids, MN and sold at Dutchmen Organics. It was the perfect dressing for a great salad.
Microgreens are really a versatile addition to a meal. While its generally used in salads, microgreens make a great topping to burgers, sandwiches and to soups and stews.
Recently I invited some friends over for morning coffee and I made egg muffins. I chopped some of the microgreens and placed it in my egg mixture. It added a great flavor plus it gave great color to the muffins.
I love the spicy mix. My sister isn’t much of a spicy fan so she chooses other microgreen mixtures. That’s the great thing about microgreens: There is a combination of microgreen mixes to fit virtually every flavor profile.
Oh, and when you visit Matthys at his farmers market stand, check out his cutting board! He made it! Matthys is a craftsman as well.
Look for Matthys Kroon Plants and Crafts. Check out the microgreens at Dutchmen Organics in Fergus Falls, MN. or visit his stand at the Fergus Falls Farmers Market.
If you have questions or want to contact Matthys, send me an email at thelocalgrowers@gmail.com.
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