Phase 1 - Lucky Leaf Farm, COMPLETE

What seems like a long, expensive, struggle, has come to an end and we're now in our new greenhouse at the "farm".   We're having a hard time coming up with the appropriate name... it's always been the 5-acre "lot" that we bought a few years ago - it's not yet a farm, but it's so much more than just a greenhouse.   We've got a long list of plans for this site... our little micro-farming project.  But for now, it's a luxurious, self sufficient, fully operational greenhouse that we're proud of, that will allow us to quadruple our microgreen business if needed, while expanding our product line with small "pocket gardens".   Gone are the days of bumping into each other... gone are the days of "backyard" deliveries and pick-ups.   Though we have requests for other products already - and our "old" greenhouse will be reconfigured to fulfill those orders (flowers, winter tomatoes, baby lettuces and herbs).  All in due time...

Here's a chronicle of events for this project - goals for future, and accomplished tasks:
Step 1:  Build a new greenhouse, that can accommodate our projected growth and expansion needs.  CHECK
Step 2:  Design a landscape plan that will allow for optimal use of this forested property, with "pocket gardens"  and recreational uses... we have hills, we have a creek, we have natural flora (trees, ferns, bamboo, etc), and we have natural fauna (turkeys, deer, and many critters... don't forget Otis, but he spends his time in the creek).  CHECK
Step 3:  Develop a "phased approach" for reconstructing this property, one phase being our home-site construction (longer term goal).  The first phase of this plan will be to try to utilize the fall planting season (we're under the gun already). 
Step 4:   Find the team to help... running a microgreen business is full time - we're looking for labor, planting, clearing, moving dirt around, etc.

We have much to do!  But check out our greenhouse pictures - this was the biggest "step" since we had raw land, and brought in all necessary utilities, driveways, gravel/fill, etc.

BEFORE:   Used structure out of Shelby, NC

AFTER:   From 5-acres of fallen trees, to a sunny patch of zen.

Flowering Buckwheat in a sea of  "greens"

Everything is growing beautifully as you can see...

We love the results - refurbished structure out of Shelby, NC, and everything else was purchased locally - equipment, flooring materials, even the sidewall plastic and endwal polycarbonate.   The only thing t hat we had to acquire from afar was Eva, our highly intelligent greenhouse manager.  More on Eva later, she deserves a post all of her own... and the folks over at iGrow ought to pay me for spreading the good word.

Special thanks to RAFI-USA for helping us kick-start this project!