Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

The early days of Dayton Microgreens

In 2017, he was suffering with a variety of health issues. He said he was morbidly obese with serious intestinal problems and on tons of different medications.

“I ended up in a series of ER visits that ended up being chronic diverticulitis,” Tarziers said.

He recalled being in the hospital and his doctor telling him he could no longer eat corn on the cob. He searched online for corn alternatives and that’s when he learned about microgreens. One thing led to another and when he got home from the hospital he had seeds waiting for him.

After watching YouTube videos on how to grow microgreens, he decided to give it a try.

“I immediately realized that I could grow these pretty well, so I dabbled in it and for a year or so, I kept showing up to family functions with bags of these microgreens,” Tarziers said.

His family and friends were ultimately the ones that encouraged him to start his business in Jan. 2020 and by February of that same year, he was accepted into 2nd Street Market.

What is a microgreen?

A microgreen is considered the “shoot stage” of a plant. This is where the plant is about four to six inches tall.

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

“They are considered a super food in this state,” Tarziers said.

According to a 2012 study by researchers with the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the United States Department of Agriculture, microgreens contain four to 40 times more nutrients than their mature counterparts.

Microgreens can take anywhere from 14 to 30 days to grow. When they are ready to be harvested, they have a strong, potent taste.

Microgreens can be eaten straight out of the bag or as an addition to salads, sandwiches, soups or stir fry. One way Tarziers’ family uses microgreens is on baked potatoes. All you have to do is add cheese and top it with a handful of broccoli microgreens.

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

Broccoli is Tarziers’ top seller because it contains sulforaphane, a sulfur-rich compound that has many potential health benefits. Other popular microgreens include Weapon X, a custom blend of 11 different microgreens, and cilantro.

How to grow microgreens

Growing microgreens takes a lot of technique. Tarziers does not use any pesticides or chemicals — it’s just water, dirt and light.

“There’s a lot of YouTube videos out there. I’m self taught through YouTube... and a lot of trial and error,” Tarziers said.

He starts with a specific seed ratio that’s sprinkled on top of a layer of dirt in a tray. He then waters the seeds and stacks multiple trays on top of each other with an 18 pound cinder block on top. The cinder block helps simulate that the seeds are underground — allowing the roots to start to grow.

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

After two to three days, the cinder block is ready to come off. The sprouts are watered and put in the dark for one night — allowing the plants to stretch out.

At this point, photosynthesis has not occurred. Depending on the type of microgreen, the plant will be in a 70 degree room with 60 percent humidity for seven, 14 or 30 days.

Where to find Dayton Microgreens

Dayton Microgreens operates at 2nd Street Market 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. So far this year, Tarziers said he has sold nearly 3,000 ounces of microgreens at the market.

His microgreens can also be found at the Oakwood Farmers Market and the off-season farmer markets at Eudora Brewing Company in Kettering.

Customers can place an order by calling 937-949-0066. Free delivery is available for those that order more than one ounce. Dayton Microgreens also offers annual CSA subscriptions.

In addition to selling microgreens directly to the community, Tarziers works with about 12 restaurants and two catering companies in the Dayton region.

A growing business

“It has grown significantly where we’re at 130 trays and we’re projected to do way more soon,” Tarziers said.

He grows about 26 varieties of microgreens each week and is continuing to expand based on chef and customer demand.

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

In April, he got the keys to his first brick-and-mortar location at 1700 Wayne Ave. He took several months to remodel the space before moving his plants there.

“This is a big deal for me to get a business, a brick-and-mortar that I’ve always felt and envisioned since I was a little kid,” Tarziers said. “It’s surreal. I’m here and I did it, so chase your dreams it can happen.”

He plans to open a commercial kitchen in the space in 2025 to start making salads and allowing chefs to experiment on site with the microgreens.

Phase two of Dayton Microgreen’s expansion project will be expanding operations to the garage on the property.

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

“The goal is 500 trays (a week),” Tarziers said. “I’m not trying to get rich. I’m trying to spread the love, help the community and employ a lot of people.”

Meant to be

Before starting Dayton Microgreens, Tarziers was an office manager for an electric company. This was after being a commercial carpenter for about 15 years.

He recently worked at the Oakwood Club for just over a year after delivering microgreens to the restaurant.

“The opportunity to grow my own microgreens, deliver them to the highest level restaurant and then cook the food, plate it with my microgreens and take it out — that’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Tarziers said.

Tarziers grew up in Kettering where he spent a lot of time with his grandparents, who were business owners. He recalled his grandmother saying if he could figure out how to grow sprouts and sell them at a farmers market he would be a millionaire.

Decades later, he’s mind blown that her statement has come full circle.

“It’s a direct proportion to how much effort you put in to what you want,” Tarziers said. “I put every bit of my effort into it the last two years and coming out of the pandemic and here we are.”

MORE DETAILS

When Tarziers is not at 2nd Street Market or taking care of his microgreens, he enjoys fishing and cooking for his family. He’s been married for 19 years to his wife, Nicole, and together they have a 22-year-old son and 17-year-old daughter.

Dayton Microgreens’ brick-and-mortar location is not open to the public. It’s used for production and distribution.

For more information, visit daytonmicrogreens.com or the business’s Facebook (@microgreensdayton) or Instagram (@daytonmicrogreens_) pages.

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