Avi Karny wasn’t always an organic farmer. He began his professional life as a scientist, completing a Masters in Biochemical Engineering, majoring in plant sciences, but he longed to become a farmer, to apply his technological knowledge to a farming operation and fulfil his passion.
Through a friend, Avi and partner Orit discovered and purchased Energetic Greens, a certified organic microgreen operation selling through local farmers markets. There are no additives and everything is grown in the most natural way possible; with sun and soil. They buy their seeds to ensure the integrity of the organic chain, germinate them, and then harvest them the day before the markets.
Sunflower microgreens are Energetic Greens’ signature product, but they also sell broccoli, radish, kale, buckwheat and snow peas – as well as wheatgrass.
When asked why microgreens have steadily grown in popularity, Avi explains: ‘It’s their nutrient levels and antioxidants, in the ‘90s people became aware that seedlings contain far more nutritional benefit than their mature counterpart, particularly with broccoli sprouts, which have an exponentially more concentrated nutrient content than the mature plants’.
‘Microgreens are sometimes seen as an addition to food, to put into salads, as a dressing, or in sandwiches and this is great, but they are also a fantastic and nutritiously dense stand-alone snack, one you can eat straight from the bag.’
‘I feel as though the consumer is losing confidence in the producer, and that’s why it is so important for us to only use organic methods. We are genuinely dedicated to delivering great food without compromise.’
Drop in to see Avi, who always attends the markets himself. ‘I would not give Mullum Farmers Market up for the world,’ he says, ‘it is the best place to be on a Friday morning’.
