Arizona Microgreens

Since 2013, brothers Joseph Martinez (below) and David Redwood have been running a small family farm growing small leafy greens in the middle of a big city. As the name suggests, Arizona Microgreens specializes in greenhouse-grown microgreens — shoots that are picked just after the first leaves develop.

“We didn’t initially start out with a plan to grow into a business; the initial plan was just to do a project and work together,” Martinez says. “But it kind of scaled naturally from there. After a few weeks, we added a farmers market [presence]. A few weeks after that, we had chefs approach us.” And these days, Arizona Microgreens is supplying to restaurants, schools and hospitals, in addition to selling at farmers markets and online.

Gregory James, executive chef at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, has been using Arizona Microgreens for nearly a decade. He says he always knows the product he is getting is “top-notch” and that he likes getting it from a local farm. “It’s harvested at peak freshness, which ensures we are getting the most flavor and shelf life,” he says.

But for James, using microgreens isn’t only about garnishing a dish with the leafy greens — it’s also about adding thoughtfulness and flavor. He uses the cilantro, for example, on his restaurant’s wagyu dumplings (right). “We love the mild cilantro flavor with accents of pepper and lemon,” he says. “The cilantro has the ability to be on the hot dumplings for a short period of time without melting.” 

Microgreens aren’t only for professional chefs and gourmet home cooks. Martinez says people who want a low-effort healthy food can cook with them, too. “People think you have to be like a fanatic to use microgreens, [but] it’s actually the opposite,” he says. “They’re quicker and easier to use than other greens. Our customers are people who want to open up a box and just put a little bit of dressing on it and not do much else.”
 

Arizona Microgreens grows its greens in organic soil, using organic seed and no pesticides or herbicides. The plants grow in trays inside a greenhouse outfitted with benching systems, allowing the brothers to grow all year — unlike other local farms that stop growing during the hot summer months. 

“We operate year-round, and we are really focused on and committed to local,” Martinez says. “We never send our product out of state, and we only work with local produce distributors.”

The farm offers about a dozen varieties of microgreens, including basil, cilantro, broccoli and purple radish. Martinez says his favorites are sunflower shoots. “I don’t think many people know they can eat sunflower greens,” he says. “But if you plant the two halves of a sunflower seed, they’ll turn into two leaves. These sunflower shoots are rich in protein, have great flavor, and they’re leafy greens that you can add to salads, sandwiches or smoothies.”

But for people who find the idea of using microgreens daunting, Martinez suggests starting with the company’s “micro salad” mix. “We had a guy try our salad mix at a farmers market, and he said, ‘When I eat this, my body feels good,’ ” Martinez says. “I think that’s a great statement. If you eat something and your body is, like, ‘Yes,’ listen to that.”

And while Martinez enjoys hearing comments like that, he says he also loves partnering with organizations and businesses. “Something wonderful that we’ve gotten to experience is working with hospitals, schools, retailers and even researchers,” he says. “We’ve been approached by people who are doing research for those who have cancer and other diseases, to talk about the chemical compounds of microgreens.” 

Arizona Microgreens are available for purchase at several farmers markets in the Valley and can also be ordered online.