Foggy Greens

Microgreens are both tasty and versatile – add them to your sandwiches, tacos, and more!

Three racks and 60 flats: these numbers make up the farm of small, family-run microgreen producer Foggy Greens.

Foggy Greens, run by Ben Fogg with help from his girlfriend, Hannah Brungard, is based in one of Western Pennsylvania’s agricultural centers, Beaver Falls. But unlike their neighboring farms, Fogg grows all of the greens inside year-round, on those three racks filled with roughly 60 flats, all full of greens.

Fogg calls his greens “health you can taste,” tying his newfound interest in microgreens – Fogg started Foggy Greens in 2021 – to his health-conscious mindset, as well as a background in sustainability.

“I’ve always had an interest in gardening in general, as well as a passion for eating healthy and trying new food,” he says. “When I first learned of microgreens, I was shocked to hear how healthy they are, and how they can be grown both indoors and vertically.” Fogg says he sees vertical farms as a “great way to produce small amounts of food in your house/local area to source organically while having a small footprint.”

Foggy Greens is not the first vertical farm to hit the Pittsburgh area; perhaps the best known is Fifth Season, a large vertical farm that produces a variety of leafy greens. The practice dates back to the 1900s and is considered a part of the movement towards a more sustainable food system.

Each rack of Fogg’s microgreens is outfitted with fans and lights, to give the indoor farm a more controlled environment. He’s experimenting with growing their greens on soil and hydroponically, a method that ditches dirt for a mixture of water and nutrients.

Fogg’s focus on health comes into play with each different green. (He’s currently growing six core varieties: sunflower, pea, wheatgrass, mustard, radish, and broccoli, along with a salad mix containing broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, arugula, and cabbage greens.) Take, for instance, the sunflower green. According to Fogg's website, these greens offer 2% of daily calcium needs and 8% of daily iron needs in one serving. Pea microgreens are an excellent source of protein, and radish greens pack in a slew of powerful vitamins – A, B, C, E, and K – along with a handful of other beneficial minerals.

It’s the blend of health and crisp, fresh flavors that Fogg believes make microgreens a “great product that would fit well into anyone’s diet, whether you’re a chef or someone who’s looking to source local, healthy food.”

Fogg wasn’t lying; microgreens are both tasty and versatile. Throw them in as a crunchy addition to your sandwiches, tacos, pizza, stir-fry – anywhere you’d put leafy greens like spinach or sprouts. Give them a go as a garnish in this pea soup recipe by Rafael Vencio (the punch of a fresh, spicy microgreen is just the right kick to finish off the rich, springtime soup), or add them to this recipe for wonton-noodle wrapped prawn lettuce wraps.

Foggy Greens produce can be purchased online in 3 ounce and 1 pound increments.