Good Morning, Colorado, and welcome to the Daily Sun-Up. It’s Tuesday December 22nd, and we’re feeling lucky to start the day with you. Join us daily for an in-depth look at one of our top stories. Today - new Colorado’s farmers are YouTube-taught, social justice-minded and preaching the gospel of microgreens.

Before we begin, let’s take a look at what happened on this day in Colorado history - adapted from Derek R Everett’s book “Colorado Day by Day”:

Today, we take you back to December 22nd, 1909 when officials in Colorado Springs approved an ordinance to accept a bequest from Charles E Perkins, a director of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad. He left the city 480 acres known for decades as the Garden of Gods.

Now, our feature story. 

The Emerald Gardens farm has a rustic, pioneering feel, which seems appropriate considering its founders, 33-year-old Dave Demerling and 32-year-old Roberto Meza, began their farming careers just a few years ago by watching YouTube videos. 

Now, the passive solar greenhouse they constructed on land bought just two years ago has them on the cusp of profitability, producing a variety of microgreens, shoots of herbs and vegetables harvested in their very early development, when flavor and nutrients run high. And their approach has shined a new light on the face of the American farmer: entrepreneur guided by social justice.

That was founder Dave Demerling. Though Demerling and Meza initially marketed their product primarily to fine restaurants that use them in salads and garnishes, they have broadened their outreach, preaching the virtues of microgreens for everything from delicious snacks to nutritious smoothies, all while adding to a statewide desire to bolster local food sources.

They’ve also developed a fan base in some grocery stores, and soon will be delivering to the Boulder Valley School District and other institutional customers like hospitals. 

As first-generation farmers, they’re also breaking new ground. High-school buddies in Canton, Ohio, they migrated to opposite coasts for college before reuniting and realizing their visions had shifted. The fulfillment they sought turned out to be rooted in agriculture.

Here’s cofounder Roberto Meza talking about their motivation for what they do:

Their process unfolds in a 3,000 square-foot building where passive solar design and a geothermal system that cycles air through underground tubes maintain the temperature around an optimal 75 degrees during cold weather. A swamp cooler, powered by solar panels, keeps the microgreens comfortable on hot days.

Trays of plants grow on up to five levels of metal shelving, in long rows connected to water tubes that soak the jute — or another plant-based fiber — where seeds have been planted.

And right now, their farming operation takes up just a small fraction of the space in the grow house. And the grow house, even with the auxiliary buildings where they prepare their products for sale, takes up just a small chunk of their 35 acres.

So they’ve invited some friends — surprisingly, more old high-school buddies who also found their way to Colorado — to launch a hemp operation on the land. And they hope to encourage other ag-minded people who share their vision of more equitable food distribution to join them on the acreage. 

For Meza and Demerling, people have always been a key ingredient. That’s why they regularly engage the public at farmer’s markets and food co-ops to share the gospel of fresh and local - believing that everybody should know where their food comes from. 

Thanks for listening. Before we go here are a few stories you should know about today:

The Colorado legislature will delay its full return next year for at least a month because of the prevalence of coronavirus in the state. 

Colorado prisons face a staffing crisis as scores of guards and inmates alike catch the coronavirus

Two Colorado residents were placed on a list of astronauts that could soon travel to the moon. NASA Astronauts Matthew Dominick of Wheat Ridge and Jessica Watkins of Lafayette were among 18 astronauts selected to the Artemis Program.

Colorado plans to ramp up messaging after avalanches kill three experienced skiers in just two days.

For more information on all of these stories, visit our website, www.coloradosun.com. Now, a quick message from our editor.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good Morning, Colorado, and welcome to the Daily Sun-Up. It&rsquo;s Tuesday December 22nd, and we&rsquo;re feeling lucky to start the day with you. Join us daily for an in-depth look at one of our top stories. Today - new Colorado&rsquo;s farmers are YouTube-taught, social justice-minded and preaching the gospel of microgreens.
Before we begin, let&rsquo;s take a look at what happened on this day in Colorado history - adapted from Derek R Everett&rsquo;s book &ldquo;Colorado Day by Day&rdquo;:
Today, we take you back to December 22nd, 1909 when officials in Colorado Springs approved an ordinance to accept a bequest from Charles E Perkins, a director of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad. He left the city 480 acres known for decades as the Garden of Gods.
Now, our feature story.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.emeraldgardens.farm/">The Emerald Gardens farm has</a> a rustic, pioneering feel, which seems appropriate considering its founders, 33-year-old Dave Demerling and 32-year-old Roberto Meza, began their farming careers just a few years ago by watching YouTube videos.&nbsp;
Now, the passive solar greenhouse they constructed on land bought just two years ago has them on the cusp of profitability, producing a variety of microgreens, shoots of herbs and vegetables harvested in their very early development, when flavor and nutrients run high. And their approach has shined a new light on the face of the American farmer: entrepreneur guided by social justice.
That was founder Dave Demerling. Though Demerling and Meza initially marketed their product primarily to fine restaurants that use them in salads and garnishes, they have broadened their outreach, preaching the virtues of microgreens for everything from delicious snacks to nutritious smoothies, all while adding to a statewide desire to bolster local food sources.
They&rsquo;ve also developed a fan base in some grocery stores, and soon will be delivering to the Boulder Valley School District and other institutional customers like hospitals.&nbsp;
As first-generation farmers, they&rsquo;re also breaking new ground. High-school buddies in Canton, Ohio, they migrated to opposite coasts for college before reuniting and realizing their visions had shifted. The fulfillment they sought turned out to be rooted in agriculture.
Here&rsquo;s cofounder Roberto Meza talking about their motivation for what they do:
Their process unfolds in a 3,000 square-foot building where passive solar design and a geothermal system that cycles air through underground tubes maintain the temperature around an optimal 75 degrees during cold weather. A swamp cooler, powered by solar panels, keeps the microgreens comfortable on hot days.
Trays of plants grow on up to five levels of metal shelving, in long rows connected to water tubes that soak the jute &mdash; or another plant-based fiber &mdash; where seeds have been planted.
And right now, their farming operation takes up just a small fraction of the space in the grow house. And the grow house, even with the auxiliary buildings where they prepare their products for sale, takes up just a small chunk of their 35 acres.
So they&rsquo;ve invited some friends &mdash; surprisingly, more old high-school buddies who also found their way to Colorado &mdash; to launch a hemp operation on the land. And they hope to encourage other ag-minded people who share their vision of more equitable food distribution to join them on the acreage.&nbsp;
For Meza and Demerling, people have always been a key ingredient. That&rsquo;s why they regularly engage the public at farmer&rsquo;s markets and food co-ops to share the gospel of fresh and local - believing that everybody should know where their food comes from.&nbsp;
Thanks for listening. Before we go here are a few stories you should know about today:
The Colorado legislature will delay its full return next year for at least a month because of the prevalence of coronavirus in the state.&nbsp;
Colorado prisons face a staffing crisis as scores of guards and inmates alike catch the coronavirus
Two Colorado residents were placed on a list of astronauts that could soon travel to the moon. NASA Astronauts Matthew Dominick of Wheat Ridge and Jessica Watkins of Lafayette were among 18 astronauts selected to the Artemis Program.
Colorado plans to ramp up messaging after avalanches kill three experienced skiers in just two days.
For more information on all of these stories, visit our website,<a href="http://www.coloradosun.com/"> www.coloradosun.com</a>. Now, a quick message from our editor.See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

Welcome to The Colorado Sun's daily podcast, The Daily Sun-Up. Every day we’re sharing an in-depth look at one of our top stories, followed by a quick summary of important things happening in our state. For more visit us at https://coloradosun.com/.

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