For The Love Of Sprouts

Y'all... I got to visit the birthplace of my beloved broccoli sprouts - Sunny Creek Farm in Tryon, NC!

About an hour and a half from Charlotte, Sunny Creek Farm is a hydroponic farm that grows many different types of sprouts. But you know it's the broccoli sprouts that will always have my heart! I'm their #1 fan!

Sunny Creek Farm is led by Lee Ewing and Ed Mills - pictured below. Aren't they the cutest? I wanted to hug them, but obvi didn't because... Covid. 6 feet apart, everyone!

Ed and Lee started out as competitors with their own individual farms, but eventually became co-owners of Sunny Creek Farm in 1998. They put competition aside and put their heads together to create the best sprouts on the market. And they are genuinely nice guys, too. Why can't everyone be like Ed and Lee? Ed and Lee for President(s)!

And Ed's story is pretty amazing! He eats sprouts every.single.day. (Just like meeeee!!!!) And sprouts have kept his health in tip top shape. You already learned in my previous post that broccoli sprouts have been proven to kill cancer cells, and Ed has benefited from the amazing super food qualities of broccoli sprouts after his own cancer diagnosis years ago.

Today he's 71, but doesn't look a day over 60! By the looks of it, I'd say sprouts have anti-ageing benefits, too! Sign all the moms up for all the broccoli sprouts! Can they make this into a face serum? Keep the sprouts coming, Sunny Creek Farm!

I got to learn all about sprouts, and it was pretty much the best mom's day out everrrr! (My children were not with me! *Squeal* IYKYK!)

I won't bore you with all the sprout specifics, but it's a pretty fascinating process. Sprouts were big back in the 60's and 70's as a mainstay of vegetarian diets. (Alfalfa sprouts are high in protein!) They got a bad rap in the 90's when the produce industry had lots of recalls, and the government clamped down on the industry's production. And nowadays, they often get confused with microgreens, which are having a trending moment. Personally, I prefer sprouts over microgreens.

Sprouts and microgreens are totally different animals. Microgreens are grown in soil, so there isn't a well proven way to test them for pathogens. But sprouts are hydroponically grown in water, which means they are able to be tested and retested for pathogens. Sunny Creek Farm's sprouts are so fresh and so clean!

At Sunny Creek Farm, there is a TON of sanitizing going on. I've never seen so much santization in my life. Even at a hospital. As a germaphobe, I really appreciated it. They even have their own lab to do all their own testing. I feel like the romaine lettuce industry could definitely take a few pointers from Lee and Ed. These sprouts are grown in legit lab conditions, and you could eat off the floor.

P.S. What is happening with romaine lettuce lately? Romaine calm... sprouts are safe to eat.

I've thought about growing my own sprouts at home, but they take about a week to grow... and in that time a lot of bacteria could grow and infest my cute little sprouts. And I'd have no way to test sprouts for pathogens at home. Ew, David! No bueno and no thank you. I'll leave it to the experts at Sunny Creek Farm!

I'm so grateful that we have such an amazing sprout farm close to home dedicated to health and safety - blending science and holistic wellness seamlessy. I wish our healthcare system would take a page out of Sunny Creek Farm's book. We need medicine and holistic health to work synergistically to prevent and cure diseases.... but I'll save that for another post! I digress!

I learned so much about the produce industry and food distribution in general. It's fascinating to see where your food comes from, and all that goes into getting it to the grocery store. Really makes you appreciate the process, and the farmers who are making it happen for us!

In an age of produce recalls and Covid, it's hard to know what's safe to consume - literally and figuratively. These days, sprouts are arguably the safest produce on the shelf. Both Ed and Lee ardently believe that optimum food safety is achievable through hard work, grit, perseverance and dedication to provide quality, wholesome products. And they've proven their perfect food safety status with zero recalls in the entire time they've been in operation.

Pretty amazing! Keep my broccoli sprouts coming, guys! I'll always be your #1 fan!

Sunny Creek's sprouts can be found at a variety of stores around Charlotte - such as Harris Teeter, EarthFare and Whole Foods. If you live in the Charlotte area, the sprouts you purchase at the store are only 7-10 days old! They take 4-6 days to grow and get to the store shortly after that with the help of Sunny Creek's own refrigerated trucking service. This is amazing news because the sooner you eat your produce, the more nutritious it is! Support local!

P.S. Harris Teeter has the best price at $2.99 a container!