A SPROUTGUY’S LAMENT
I (Gil) am mad about seeds. I love seeds so much that I collect odd ones I find on trees and plants that I pass while out and about. It is my - possibly certifiable passion for seeds - that makes me a good sprout person. It also hurts sometimes.
I am woebegone about seeds that have vanished over our 30 plus years as Sproutpeople. Once upon a time we had 4 different types of Garbanzo Beans - the big brain looking ones, little ones, black, and brown ones. Nowadays all that seems available - certified organic anyway - are medium beige. They’re great seeds that sprout wonderfully, but I miss the diversity. We once had a mix of all 4 - Garbanzoid. I miss that - and Halloween Present - which had Black Garbanzos and Orange Lentils.
We stopped offering the orange lentils straight over a decade ago as they are decorticated - which means their thin skin has been mechanically removed. This process almost always causes the lentils to split - so the germ is only on one side while the other side hasn’t any and so cannot germinate. We do still use those in 2 of our mixes - but in small amounts. In addition to the 4 Lentils we offer - Black, Crimson, French Blue, Green (aka Laird) - we used to also offer White Lentils, Pardina Lentils, Red Chief, and Eston Lentils.
Bill Jump Peas are another seed I miss. They were a small pea - dark and heavily mottled. Our Speckled Peas are close to them, but they’re bigger. It’s just sad that no one is growing Bill Jump Peas anymore. Variety is not only the spice of life - it is also essential to our ecosystem.
Farming is an incredibly difficult way of life - and as I’ve said many times before - seed farmers are a very rare breed. Their crops require a lot more time and work as they have to stay in the field much longer. A crop can be perfect - but if a late storm hits, it can wipe out months of work overnight. That small farms have been vanishing for decades is nothing less than tragic. Small family farms were a cornerstone of every local society. They supplied our food needs locally and the way of life those families enjoyed - while working incredibly hard to raise crops and animals - working with nature and around its many challenges - made strong people with the wisdom born of living With the Earth. The salt of the Earth. Their contributions to our towns were/are as essential as the seed is to the plant it produces.
Enough lamenting. I’m sorry. I’ve got some good news too!
I found something special. Eston Lentils! As stated above, it has been years since we’ve seen these - and though they are basically just small green lentils and so may not strike you as special - they are marvelous! These are exceptionally tender, and they sprout quickly and uniformly. We purchased a few hundred pounds to share with you because I am nuts about seeds - and these are great seeds that are now very rare and likely to get even rarer. So - while they last - Sproutpeople is proud to offer you Eston Lentils, at a good price. Enjoy!
SOMETHING FOR JAR SPROUTERS
We know well that the economy is a wreck. We see it in higher costs we pay and the smaller orders we receive. We love our customers not because of the size of their orders, but for their appreciation, kindness, and loyalty. We have many customers who buy just a pound or two of seed every several months. Some of our dearest customers are in this group. You only need what you need and can only afford what you can - so it’s all good. We’ve been through lean times before. We understand.
We have noticed that more people are buying less to get started. Instead of our Stainless Steel Sprouter or an Easy Sprout Sprouter - new growers are choosing Jars and Screen Lids. In many cases we are selling only our 3-Screen Lid Set or a Single Screen Lid. Really that’s all anyone who has a wide-mouth mason jar needs to start sprouting. We of course prefer to sell the other Sprouters as we think them better growing vessels - and we make more money - but it has always been our goal that people keep growing. As long as you grow good crops you are more likely to keep growing. It’s the crop failures that cause them to give up. Your giving up is what we want always to prevent. We know our seeds are truly exceptional - so if you use them and follow our instructions - you’ll be back - - but what you sprout them in matters too - and Jars are challenging - so we need to step up our support of all of you who are sprouting in Jars.
We are working on a new video which we hope to bring you in our next Newsletter. Sprouting Broccoli in a Jar. Catchy title, eh? It’s all recorded. Now it is all about editing. As any of you who have watched our modern videos knows - I am - longwinded. Editing me is a kind of pain only I know. I drive myself crazy every time. Talk, talk, talk! I desperately want to convey everything possible to new growers because we need you to succeed - so you’ll love sprouting and will come back to us for more seeds - so we can stay in business and buy more seeds from organic seed farmers - so they can buy what they need to stay in business…
It’s the cycle of life - or is that coicle - or maybe circle. We all do our parts as best we can and life is better as a result. If my words help you be a happy sproutperson then it’s worth the time. Our’s and your’s. I’ll stop yacking now and get to editing.
SEED INVENTORY TODAY
We have also noted in the past year or so that many people are buying individual seeds - not one seed at a time but individual varieties. When it comes to Peas - we’re selling less Pea Carnival - our mix four Peas and selling more straight Green, Yellow, and Speckled Peas. As we always prioritize our mixes, we retain inventory to keep them available. This is currently affecting Green Peas.
These are, historically among the easiest seeds to find - but demand seems to be higher - not just for us but also for our suppliers as they are all also looking for them. So while we have enough Green Peas to keep Beanie’s Awesome Mix, Pea Carnival, San Francisco Mix, and all the other mixes which require them available - we no longer have any to sell you straight. We are casting a wide net and will remedy this shortage as soon as possible.
OUR BETTER THAN HUMAN FAMILY
Somedays I just want to spend every possible moment with dogs and cats. Sometimes they just feel better than humans. They are so full of love, and let’s face it - their cuter.
Essentials for those new to the world of Indoor Farming...
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPROUTS AND MICROGREENS
To us the difference is that with Sprouts we grow with nothing but water and we eat the entire crop (with the possible exception of hulls and roots that grow out the bottom of our Stainless Steel Sprouters) - and they are alive when we eat them. Microgreens are grown on a medium and we harvest them by cutting them just above that medium - at which point they move from alive to not. Raw, great, delicious - just not alive.
While I'm on this subject I need to explain why we have two different names for the same seed - like Broccoli Sprouts and Broccoli Microgreens. This is the same seed. The difference is that each crop has its own page - you go to the Broccoli Sprouts page to learn how to grow the seed into Sprouts and you go to the Broccoli Microgreens page to learn how to grow it into Micros.
This seed will also grow a full sized - which is like 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide - Broccoli plant in a garden - given the proper climate and encouragement.
SEED STORAGE
If you don't yet know how to get the longest life for your seeds - and prevent pests - Â visit our Seed Storage page. The best way to store seeds is in the freezer, but do not use the refrigerator as its humidity fluctuations can harm seeds. There's a bit more to it - so perhaps just visit the page =;-)
Grow to Live - Live to Grow.
Be well and happy.
Gil + Lori
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Sproutpeople.org is an encyclopedic resource of our creation - for indoor farmers of Sprouts, Microgreens, and Grass. It is so enormous that it gives some  the impression that we are a big business. The reality is that we are basically 2 people who eat and breath Sproutpeople - and 2 part-time helpers (one being our son). Our site has been online since 1996. It's the employee that allows us to serve all of you.
In addition to a section that teaches the Basics of Sprouting and Growing, a goodly section of Recipes, a bunch of Videos, and a whole lot more -
Every Seed and Mix we offer has a profoundly detailed page devoted to it. Those pages feature two sets of Growing Instructions (Brief for the experienced and Detailed for the not yet experienced), a Video, Photos of the crop growing day-by-day, Recipes, Crop Specific Notes, Nutrition Info, and quite a bit more. Each of our Supplies also has a detailed page.
Our vast content is organized with Tabs (on computer) and Pull-Down Menus (on mobile devices).  Click/Choose, for example Detailed Instructions on the page you go to when you click any of the pictures surrounding this text - and you will be presented Seriously Detailed Instructions. Click around. Growing Photos. Notes. Recipes. Please let us share what we know.
We survive by selling on the internet, but we live to educate anyone who wants to learn about growing sprouts and microgreens. Learning is what the internet was actually built for, so we're really just doing our part.
Please enjoy sproutpeople.org