Manitoba Growth

C M Y K SPECIAL SECTION Manitoba GROWTH WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, SATURDAY MARCH 27, 2021 3 We are financial solutioneers who are focused on the needs of our members. And, our goal is to build strong community. Local businesses help to grow and sustain our communities, and Noventis is here to back our businesses. We can help you to buy new equipment, expand your business space or even expand your team. Contact us so we can find the right solutions for your business today. We' Ns. Contact Dwight Sander, AVP, Business Solutions at (204) 302.0451. By Todd Lewys I n 2017, Manitoba resident Tiffan- nie Pierson spent a year in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia's pris- tine Kootenays region. She did not go there to soak up the spec- tacular scenery and fresh mountain air. Rather, Pierson's goal was to take part in a one-year internship program at Chuckle- berry Community Farm where she learned the ins and outs of the organic microgreens business. When she returned to Manitoba, she started her own company in June 2019 called: Sweet Prairie Microgreens. "It was a great experience," she recalls. "I spent the first six months getting my organic certification, and the second six months get- ting hands-on experience in the growing of microgreens." For the uninitiated, microgreens are the shoots of salad vegetables that come from the likes of beetroot, kale, cilantro and rad- ish (to name a few). Because microgreens can be grown in- doors – Pierson's greenhouse at her facility in Iles des Chenes can hold about sixty 10 x 20-inch flat growing trays at once – they can be grown all year round. "My mission is to provide local, sustain- able organic microgreens to Winnipeg and surrounding areas on a year-round basis," she says. "The great thing about micro- greens is that they can go from seed to har- vest in seven to 12 days. They grow in a 200 square foot room under 75 LED lights." Pierson says the microgreens concept makes sense on several levels. "Not only are microgreens sustainable, but they're organic and create a much small- er carbon footprint than traditional growing methods. Most importantly, they're very healthy. We know where they're coming from, which is to say they're non genetically modified (GMO). They also give you four to 40 per cent more nutrients than tradi- tionally grown products", says Pierson. She adds that there is another advantage to locally sourced microgreens. "They're grown right here in Manitoba, so they travel less. Not only that, but because they're har- vested the day before they're sold, they hold their nutrition better – and taste so much better." And while the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profoundly negative impact on many small businesses in the province, that has not been the case with Sweet Prairie Greens. "Business has been good through the pandemic," Pierson says. "We're fortunate in that we were able to establish an on- line presence. Our products are available through Fresh Option Organic Delivery and Good Local, so people have been able to order online and get our produce without any contact." CONTINUED ON P4 » "It's been differ- ent, that's for sure," she notes. "But I think the pandemic has highlighted the need for a local, sustainable food system. We can grow the micro- greens right here and keep them coming all year round." - Tiffannie Pierson, owner of Sweet Prairie Greens COVID-19 DID NOT SQUASH MICRO GREENS' HUGE POTENTIAL S U P P L I E D P H OTO O F T I F FA N N I E P I E R S O N

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