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Through persistence, patience, and hard work, our business has expanded from a sunroom addition to an urban farm complete with a glass greenhouse, two high tunnels, raised garden beds, and a gorgeous walking path lined with native plants. We are thankful to everyone who supported us along the way. Scroll to see our farm grow!
We Grow Microgreens, LLC began in a sunroom addition in Tim and Lisa's home in Roslindale, MA.
In March 2018, Tim and Lisa were conveyed the deed to the land in Hyde Park, MA. The land was privately owned until 1994, when the City foreclosed on the land. Since then, it had been held in the Department of Neighborhood Development’s inventory of city-owned vacant land. The land now holds an agricultural deed restriction. Former Mayor Marty Walsh congratulates Lisa and Tim on their success at the Ribbon cutting in October of 2019.
Work began in clearing the land! Parts of the stormwater drainage ditch were filled with thousands of bottles and invasive plants like Japanese Knotweed and multi-flora rose. The ditch is now clean and clear of weeds and trash due to our clean-up efforts.
Almost immediately after starting to work at the new site in Hyde Park to clear it of brambles and trash, the neighborhood teens started to appear wanting to help out. We are immensely grateful for all of their hard work pruning trees and removing knotweed, broken bottles, and rocks. Their energy and enthusiasm helped keep us going during the long process of getting the project approved.
Before the Gakon greenhouse was built, operations ran out of this small net-zero greenhouse on the site.
Excavation began on the Gakon Greenhouse in March 2019.
Forming the foundation walls.
Our greenhouse arrived in one
18-wheeler truck!
The foundation is formed.
Two 3,500 gallon rainwater collection tanks sit underneath our greenhouse, collecting rainwater from the roof.
Our greenhouse structure was completed in August 2019 and we began growing on racks.
In February, we began installation of heated flood benches, a water and energy conserving feature of the greenhouse. The benches were finished and in use by April.
Our greenhouse, looking in from Norton Street.
The Community Preservation Act Path
With the help of the Community Preservation Act, we were able to construct a beautiful walking path down the length of the farm. The path is skillfully designed by Wes Wirth of Thomas Wirth Associates and features unique plants and a lovely view of our growing operations in our greenhouse and high tunnels.
The High Tunnels
The construction of two high tunnels was the next step of our journey. The high tunnels are allowing us to expand both the variety and quantity of the crops we produce, as well as provide an educational environmental for youth lessons on microgreens growing.
Raised Garden Beds
We were awarded a grant to purchase enough wood to make 160 raised garden beds. Our architecture intern created an all-encompassing plan for dedicated volunteers to build. We could not be more thankful for the community's efforts to help build them! We are so excited to finish filling them with soil and start our next phase of growing.