2017
Chad and Ted at their first Farmer’s Market stall, surrounded by fresh produce
Goals: Learn to grow produce for sale, test market demand
Lesson: Markets are not only a fantastic place to connect with your community but also a goldmine for networking. We built valuable relationships with chefs, caterers, and restaurant owners who turned into loyal customers. It’s incredible how much exposure and insight you gain from engaging directly with consumers.
2018
Our first microgreens grow room that we set up in the coal room of Teds basement
Goals: Grow more, year-round. Cultivate customer relationships beyond the markets.
Lesson: It's easy to get excited and overextend by offering too many products. We learned that focusing on a smaller range of high-quality, popular items allowed us to perfect our process, consistently delivering exceptional volume and freshness to our customers.
2019
Our producer’s bio display proudly displayed at the first grocery store that carried our greens
Goals: Expand sales outlets beyond Farmer’s markets and restaurants.
Lesson: Gaining access to new sales outlets opened up amazing opportunities. We learned that securing liability insurance and proper permits was key to successfully meeting agricultural and safe food handling standards while broadening our reach.
2020
This is the first iteration of our innovative hydroponic grow racks, designed to maximize space and production
Goals: Transition from soil-based practices to efficient hydroponic systems.
Lesson: Hydroponics opened up a world of possibilities, allowing us to produce more with less effort. However, we quickly realized that success wasn’t just about the systems—it was also about smart design and creating an efficient workflow that maximized productivity.
2021
We expanded to a new production site located in the basement of a barn outside of town
Goals: Continue expanding hydroponic expertise and refine system design.
Lesson: Scaling production to meet growing demand is thrilling, yet challenging. The experience taught us that balancing customer relationships with development and research is essential to navigating the growing pains of a rapidly expanding operation.
2022
We were able to secure a warehouse space to expand our production. This shows the first two hydroponic racks being built in our spacious new warehouse
Goals: Consolidate multiple production sites into a larger, more efficient operation.
Lessons: Each new location presented its own unique challenges with growing conditions. Adapting our growing and irrigation schedules in real-time became crucial. The experience taught us that the ability to pivot quickly and fine-tune environments leads to success.
2023
Image shows our warehouse with more hydroponic racks, nearing peak production capacity
Goals: Maximize production while maintaining a manageable operation with just the partner’s labor.
Lessons: We learned that adding part-time staff made a world of difference in speeding up packaging and delivery. The investment was well worth it, as it allowed us to focus on scaling further. Another major breakthrough came from our reusable grow mats, which greatly improved harvest efficiency and eliminated the need for single-use materials. Additionally, our cart system streamlined every aspect of production, from planting to cleaning, reducing manual labor significantly.
2024
This is our first custom hydroponic system designed and installed for a grower near Knoxville, Tennessee, showcasing our expertise
Goals: Use our growing expertise to offer custom hydroponic solutions to growers worldwide.
Lessons: Our decision to share our journey and innovations on social media opened up a world of possibilities. We never anticipated the global demand for custom systems. It turned out that the very methods we developed to solve our own production challenges were exactly what other growers were looking for.
2025
This is our Commercial Production Rack we designed and installed in Quebec, Canada
Goals: Expand our reach through social media and e-commerce to serve growers globally.
Lessons: Transitioning to system design and consulting was a bold step. It required us to re-evaluate our business model and prioritize this new venture over our original production business. The experience taught us that embracing change and adapting to new business dynamics can be the key to long-term success.