Community success drives urban farm to increase production
UrbanEco Farms sells at least 25 varieties of microgreens including broccoli, beet, buckwheat, cabbage, corn and cilantro, among several others, each offering a unique flavor profile. Bean and pea sprouts are sold individually and in protein packs. Photo provided by Tommy Parker.
LOUISVILLE -- What started as a professor’s family garden has turned into a growing, community-focused business that provides the Louisville community with fresh, expertly crafted microgreens, sprouts and herbs.
UrbanEco Farms is owned by urban ecologist and conservation biologist Dr. Tommy Parker, Ph.D., who runs the business in addition to teaching as a professor of natural sciences at Spalding University.
Though Parker has been growing vegetables and greens for much longer, UrbanEco Farms has been selling its products commercially for three years.
Over the three years of commercial selling, UrbanEco Farms has seen a major increase in business. As a result, the company is looking to expand with a bigger greenhouse, allowing the number of trays produced each week to jump from 60 to 500, a 733% increase in product.
Located in the middle of the city, UrbanEco Farms helps meet the community’s need for food products without leaving behind a large carbon footprint.
“The whole purpose in urban farming is to show that you can provide vegetation crops at a local scale without doing the massive impact that farmers have,” Parker said, “We have to have different methods to be able to provide and reduce impact.”
UrbanEco Farms uses ecologically-friendly methods such as hydroponics and aquaponics to grow their microgreens.
Hydroponic methods refer to using water-based nutrients to grow plants instead of soil. Aquaponics is a type of hydroponic system with the additional aspect of raising fish which adds fertilizer to the water.
Hydroponics were among the least common practices used by urban farmers in Louisville, according to a 2021 case study published in the Urban Science journal.
In fact, only 3% of the 40 surveyed urban farmers used hydroponics on their farms. Meanwhile, all of UrbanEco Farms’ greens are grown in a greenhouse using aquaponics.
As an ecologist, Parker has long been looking at the effects of urbanization on the environment. But before his degrees, Parker grew up in an environmentally-cautious family that recycled and gardened.
“We recycle[d], long before it was fashionable,” Parker said.
The attention to the environment doesn’t stop at the growth of the product. UrbanEco Farms recycles and reuses at least 60% of its materials and does not deliver beyond 25 miles of the farm to reduce its carbon footprint.
In order to cut out steps in the food supply chain, UrbanEco Farms offers a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. With subscriptions ranging from $20 to $40 per month, locals can have microgreens delivered to their homes weekly or bi-weekly.
The grower sells at least 25 varieties of microgreens including broccoli, beet, buckwheat, cabbage, corn and cilantro, among several others, each offering a unique flavor profile. Bean and pea sprouts are sold individually and in protein packs. Sweet basil, dill and mint make up the farm’s herbs.
Standing out from other microgreen sellers, UrbanEco Farms’ products have an extended shelf life.
“If you order from us, it’s harvested fresh right then,” Parker said, noting that the product is delivered to restaurant partners within an hour of harvest.
The top-notch microgreen quality and shelf-life of up to 20 days mean that commercial clients can order their products less frequently.
With the greens, UrbanEco Farms also developed a pesto made of mixed microgreens, including sunflower, and does not include nuts or dairy. Garlic confit, wholesale-bought garlic that is roasted with the herbs and microgreens, is another canned good that the business produces.
As a biologist, Parker has a deep knowledge of plants and how they function, allowing him to play around with and alter the flavor profiles of the microgreens. In addition to altering flavor profiles, Parker also modifies the combination of greens in trays.
The Healthy Body Blend and the Savory Blend are two examples of curated trays UrbanEco Farms sells to help customers get the nutrient combinations they want without spending extra money.
Another combination UrbanEco Farms sells is the Kenneth, which is comprised of red cabbage, kale and broccoli microgreens. The blend was named after and made to accommodate the order of a customer Parker knows from church.
Kenneth bought a specific group of microgreens to put in the smoothies he made. Once Parker noticed the pattern, he began working with Kenneth to see if the microgreens could grow together successfully.
The greens can be found across the city, including at 8UP Eatery, Bluedog Bakery, Anoush, Mayan Cafe and Epiphany Barrel House.
Individuals can purchase UrbanEco Farms’ goods through its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and at the Bardstown Road Farmers’ Market on Saturdays.
