James McDonald - Giving Greens WA
Hi, there!
My name is James and I am the owner of Giving Greens, and I grow nutrient-rich microgreens that I sell at local farmer's markets, direct to restaurants and cafes, and through my website for home delivery. I had originally wanted to start a regular market garden but having realised the immense amount of upfront work and investment that would be required to prepare a piece of land for growing, I looked for a different way to grow good food for people.
Eventually, someone told me about microgreens and I decided to give it a go. I watched every video I could find on YouTube and read every ebook and website to learn as much as I could then I set out to test and practice. After a couple of months of trial and error, testing growing methods, soils, and seeds, I committed to my first farmer's market and haven't looked back for two years.
A particularly good thing about microgreens is the quick turn around time. Especially in the warmer months. Since I don't grow my microgreens with any artificial climate control I am at the mercy of the elements. Production slows in the cooler months where my growing time goes from 7-8 days to 12-14, sometimes longer. They are very sensitive to the temperature and to light/overcast days. Managing the sowing of the different varieties at different times of the year has proven to be a challenge and it is constantly changing.
I hope to in the near future start producing more and to start employing people to help with markets, deliveries, and sowing. There is definitely a limit to what one person can do so with more hands on deck I could certainly increase the reach. I do have some big ideas for the business and for where I would like to take the brand in the near future. For now though I am happy focussing on producing the best microgreens I can to help nourish and fuel my customers.
