Frequently Asked Questions

  • The midrib is the central vein of a leaf. It provides structure while acting as the plant's primary pathway for moving water, nutrients, and the sugars produced during photosynthesis to the rest of the plant. In many ways, it's the backbone of the leaf.

    The name came from studying plant biology and realizing how something so essential is often overlooked. The midrib isn't the most noticeable part of a plant, but without it, the rest of the leaf cannot function as intended.

    There's also a bit of irony behind the name. A plant's midrib is responsible for moving resources throughout the plant, while our goal is to reduce the need for long, inefficient food distribution. We hope to strengthen the connection between growers and communities by producing fresh food closer to where it's consumed.

    For us, the name is a reminder that the most important innovations are often the ones people never notice.

  • We could give a long marketing answer about why we believe we are better, but we would rather be direct.

    In reality, many growing practices between farms are not always dramatically different, and a lot of the claimed “benefits” in farming can be subjective. What makes Midrib Farms different is not just how we talk about growing. It is the growing system itself.

    Midrib Farms uses a growing method that is patented in the European Union and currently pending in the United States. The system was designed to increase production per square foot while reducing unnecessary waste, complexity, and material use.

    At our current growing height of six feet, we can produce about 250 pounds of baby greens and mesclun per square foot of floor space per year.

    For comparison, USDA/NASS data from the Vegetables Annual Summary reported outdoor yields of 205.0 cwt/acre for leaf lettuce, 128.9 cwt/acre for spinach, and 336.9 cwt/acre for head lettuce. Even using a generous outdoor estimate of 32,000 pounds per acre per year, that equals about 0.734 pounds per square foot per year.

    That means our current system can produce roughly 340 times more per square foot than outdoor farming, based on floor space.

    That does not mean outdoor farming is bad or unnecessary. Outdoor agriculture will always play a major role in food production. Our goal is simply to show that controlled-environment farming can be practical, productive, and honest about its numbers.

  • A controlled environment means we grow indoors where the main conditions around the plant can be managed instead of left to the weather.

    That includes light, temperature, humidity, airflow, water, nutrients, and cleanliness. These factors have a direct effect on plant health, growth speed, flavor, texture, and consistency.

    It does not mean the process is automatic or effortless. It means we are able to monitor and adjust the environment so the plant has what it needs more often, with fewer outside variables.

  • No — and we’re glad you asked, because there’s a good story here.

    The organic movement grew around a real problem: farming practices that can be hard on the environment. Synthetic pesticides and fertilizers can wash into streams, large open fields can create runoff, and soil can become depleted season after season. Guarding against those issues genuinely matters, and organic certification is one way farms hold themselves accountable.

    Here’s the thing, though: most of what organic was built to protect against is not part of how we grow.

    We never spray pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides — not synthetic, not diluted, not “natural-source,” not ever. Our greens grow indoors on a reusable fibrous substrate instead of open soil, so there is no agricultural field runoff and nothing leaching into the ground or nearby water.

    What we do use is a precise blend of mineral nutrients: the same essential elements a plant would absorb from healthy soil, delivered directly in a clean and controlled way. The plant does not have to wait for organic matter to break down before those nutrients become available. Everything it needs is there from the start.

    That is a big part of why our greens grow fast, clean, consistent, and full of flavor.

  • Freshness is one of the main reasons we grow the way we do.

    Every Midrib Farms package includes a harvest date and a sell-by date, so you know exactly when your greens were harvested and how long we recommend using them.

    Because our products are harvested close to when they are sold, they do not spend long periods of time moving through large distribution chains before reaching you.

    For best quality, we recommend using microgreens by the sell-by date listed on the package. Most microgreens may still be usable for a few days after that, but we generally do not recommend going more than four days past the sell-by date.

    As with any fresh produce, storage matters. Keep the package refrigerated, avoid excess moisture, and use your best judgment if the product looks, smells, or feels different than expected.