🌱 Still Waiting...

on our website upgrade

Sam took this picture of me (Gil) harvesting some Collard Greens in our garden. Like many of our garden crops - we use the same seed we use and sell for Sprouts and Microgreens. FYI - the thing in my ear indicates that I’m listening to a book - this one by my current favorite author, Upton Sinclair. I’ve been listening to books since we grew sprouts professionally (1993-2003). Rinsing and Draining over a sink for the better part of 16 hours a day provided plenty of time to read with my ears.

NEWS FROM SPROUTPEOPLE

Two weeks ago, in our last Newsletter I (Gil) told you our new site - and a move to a new e-commerce system was imminent. It has been imminent since March. June 14 was a hard deadline. Didn’t happen. June 21 was another deadline - - but alas it has passed too. June 28 is the new date. We are fatigued from all the excitement and let downs. We like to think it will actually come to pass - but we can no longer feel in any way certain. We still love our web guy, Mark - and to be fair we did add a couple changes - which seem minor to us but may be more work than we know.

In any case - we remain cautiously optimistic that come the end of the month we will have an upgraded website with the smoothest checkout process available. When we get it we will let you know - and we’ll start up the Sales again.

HAPPY SOLSTICE

The first day of Summer is always exciting. It was gloriously sunny and warm here in San Francisco for the last week of Spring. It’s ironic (we have other words too =;-) that in our western neighborhood of the city - summer came with fog so dense that the sun is invisible.

Mark Twain purportedly said - the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco. It’s kinda funny - - though kinda not - when the 60 days of fog (a local name for summer) start up right on the longest day of the year.

For those of you who can enjoy a real Summer (Lori and I - and our kids - are all native to the MidWest) - please think of us from time to time. Vicarious sun is better than none.

A QUESTION FOR YOU

We have always been curious how people discover us.

We haven’t advertised ourselves in many years. We basically require that anyone who wants to buy what we sell - first has to want to grow Sprouts, Microgreens, and/or Grass - and since our website is so long lived (1996) and so informative - it routinely ranks near the top of most sprout related searches - so once a person decides they want to grow - we’re findable - - but we want to know more - so here’s a poll…

If you’re inclined to tell us more about how you found us - you are welcome to email us or leave a note when next you order. Thanks for taking the time!

OUR FURRY FAMILY

Ira has to wear clothing now that summer has arrived, but we will get the occasional sunny day too - and in any case - we’ll be spending plenty of time in our garden. We do miss being able to grow hot weather crops - but we can grow Spinach and Lettuce and other Greens when most folks can’t - so our climate has its perks too.

Though not part of our furry family, our garden - which is a vacant lot owned by a neighbor - who has very graciously allowed us the use of it for 9 years now - and is a block from our home - is as necessary for our psychological well being (actual sanity in Gil’s case) as our 4 legged companions. Broccoli is another crop that grows well here on the cool side of a cool city.

This picture of Ira and his very favorite friend, Chauncey, is lifted from a video. I will eventually capture their joy - in focus. They bark greetings to each other and Ira turns into Mr Wiggle Butt when he sees the big fella.

Ira with a work neighbor’s dog, Rex. They share Rat Terrier parentage. Wiley’s (of EcoPawz fame) rear end made the picture too, but Belle - the Dachshund sister of Rex was out of range. We have at least 5 dogs in our warehouse complex most days - so breaks are a chance to get some social time.

A squirrel ran across the street and up over this wall while Ira and I were walking up to the dog park. Ira has never been as jazzed about the little critters as many dogs we’ve known - but that might be changing as he nears his 4th birthday.

Django and Gus enjoy each others company always. Gus has grown quite large and plush over the years, and here provides heat and cushion for the diminutive Django on a cool overcast day.

Ira and Gus don’t cuddle, but they like being close to each other. Gus uses his tail with gorgeous dexterity - and Ira likes getting gently “whacked” by his big brother.

Django in possession of Ira’s kitchen bed.

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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 -  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
 

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

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