IMGGA was founded in 2018 to address several challenges facing the industry.



GRANT INFORMATION



USDA GRANT & AUTHORIZATION



USDA Grant Details





SCBGP

Project Title:

Establish “International Microgreen Growers Association”


Objective:

To provide solid foundation to promote Specialty Crops of Microgreens.


Duration of Project:

Start Date: 10/7/2019

End Date: 10/1/2021


USDA-AMS Award# AM190100XXXXG055



Project Partner and Summary





Microgreen Enterprises Inc., dba, “International Microgreen Growers Association”, (hereinafter IMGGA), in collaboration with the University of Alabama (hereinafter UA) will establish a cataloged database of global researched studies and scientific literature on microgreens to provide IMGGA with valuable information for its microgreen growers, suppliers, stakeholders, consumers and other interested parties worldwide.


The association aims to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the center for all microgreen historic scientific information and new information on the safety and health benefits to enhance this specialty crop and create competitive, responsible standards within this new industry.



Project Purpose



The need for the Specialty Crop of Microgreens to be acknowledged as a viable food producing business is very much overdue. Frequently called "vegetable confetti," microgreens are young, tender greens that are used to enhance the color, texture, or flavor of salads, or to garnish a wide variety of main dishes (Figure 1).


Alone, these densely-packed nutritious crops with their intense flavors and vivid colors are rapidly increasing in popularity as a major part of the main dish. The health benefits of microgreens are huge, because of the nutrient density in microgreens, and the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of a rich variety of phytochemicals in microgreens.


There is an increased desire for existing Alabama farmers to grow microgreen products due to the culinary trend and market demand pushing microgreens into a new category of profitable specialty crops.


As the demand for microgreens steadily increases, so do considerable potential profit margins for local farmers. Ensuring a “new generation” of beginning farmers, regardless of age, who want to grow in a new technologically savvy farming environment, is vital to increase Alabama’s market share in this specialty crop industry.


However, there is a deficit in the entire “Microgreen Industry” and that is, a central group to promote global collaboration among professionals, new and emerging microgreen growers and suppliers. The IMGGA is needed now, in order to promote the health benefits of microgreens, to work with researchers, and government agencies to assure the safe production of microgreens as food product as well as provide education, mentoring, and technical assistance to give beginning farmers the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to make informed decisions for their operations and enhance their sustainability.


The project’s director has had many discussions with growers in Alabama and in other states of the U.S., only to hear of their frustration with the buyers that demand certification of their product when there is none. A group of farmers growing microgreens here in Alabama, together, have concluded, that an organization must be established by the growers in order best represent our own destiny without being snared into a category by regulators that don’t have the appreciation and understanding of this specialty crop. At the same time by establishing the only centralized database on microgreens, the IMGGA can develop this industry with responsible leadership through the best of scientific research.


IMGGA can assist in developing the industry to provide sound standards that apply solely to this unique specialty crop.



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The IMGGA team, see this project as a win-win for everyone, as the members of the microgreen farming community and especially potential farmers and consumers, will have certainty and confidence to invest and to try out this healthy food, adding a new food growing industry to the U.S., albeit as a specialty crop. Also, the consumers will have the confidence of a recognized organization with its own protocols of health safety standards and a center for learning about the health benefits of such a nutritious crop.


When the coordinator raised the possibility of setting such an organization up as the IMGGA, growers that she spoke with, became very excited as there are thousands of interested microgreen growers on Facebook Groups but are all fearful of taking the next step. The coordinator believes multitudes of new growers will come forward, now that information on this specialty crop will be managed to their benefit.


The IMGGA will enhance the competitiveness of this specialty crop, especially when compared with the Sprouts Industry that is heavily controlled by large conglomerates and hostile to startup businesses. In contrast, a microgreen farming startup business will have the support from the IMGGA and will get all information needed, from startup to market for less than $1,000.


As an Alabama microgreen grower, the project director intends to establish this international organization within Alabama to best utilize the current initiatives already in place but has been slowed by a lack of funding and financial assistance. This project would put Alabama in the international spotlight with the launching of such an ambitious endeavor as this.



CLEAR OBJECTIVES



Provide a Listing of the Objectives that this Project Hopes to Achieve



Objective 1



To establish an easily accessible website platform that will host a scientific evidence-based database of research studies on microgreens.



Objective 2



To identify and extract scientific research literature on microgreens, that is to be categorized into useable data information to promote public understanding of this specialty crop and for its growers.



Objective 3



To produce a report on the status of this specialty crop industry which includes the determination of a baseline of sales in dollars of Microgreens in U.S. by contacting as many growers in the nation as possible with the intention to identify any shortfalls of information that the IMGGA, its growers, suppliers and stakeholders need to evolve Microgreens specialty crop into thriving food producing industry. Project Beneficiaries



APPLICATION SPECIFIC



Estimate the number of project beneficiaries: over 150,000 microgreen farmers, suppliers, stakeholders in U.S alone and potentially of thousands of consumers globally.


Does this project directly benefit socially disadvantaged farmers as defined in the RFA? Yes


Does this project directly benefit beginning farmers as defined in the RFA? Yes


Statement of Enhancing Specialty Crops:


By checking the box to the right, I confirm that this project enhances the competitiveness of specialty crops in accordance with and defined by the Farm Bill. Further information regarding the definition of a specialty crop can be found at www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/scbgp.


Describe the Likelihood of The Project becoming Self-Sustaining and not Indefinitely Dependent on Grant Funds:


This project funding will provide a solid foundation of microgreen farmers, suppliers and stakeholders to establish a united front for the thousands of potential microgreen industry participants, more than willing to pay a small registration fee to maintain the website structure and organization that will speak on their behalf as the authority on safety standards, education, health and business opportunities.


After this project is completed, applicant plans to establish a funding structure through memberships of the IMGGA to have its own autonomy to provide the necessary information for its members, the general public, all stakeholders and other interest groups.


External Project Support: We expect to have tremendous support from the farmers and hospitality industry but all data in regard to this would be speculation at this time.


Expected Measurable Outcomes: Select the Appropriate Outcome(s) and Indicator(s)/Sub-Indicator(s)Outcome Measure(s) Select the outcome measure(s) that are applicable for this project from the listing below.

Outcome 1: Enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through increased sales (required for marketing projects).

Outcome 8: Enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through enhancing or improving the economy as a result of specialty crop development



OUTCOME INDICATORS



Outcome 1, Indicator 1:


Our project will encourage growers to fill the demand and provide competitiveness within this specialty crop market. The database held at the IMGGA website will provide potential growers with the confidence of scientific information, easily adopted into their marketing plan to safely start their business, which would otherwise, never been possible. Research from our team done to date, has found no entities collecting data on Microgreen Industry Sales in dollars, so there is no baseline. An objective of the project is to determine such a baseline and further increase the Sales baseline that is determined by 80% by the end of the project.


Outcome 8, Indicator 6:


We intend to increase the number of new beginning farmers who go into this specialty crop production by 20 (twenty) Microgreen growers in Alabama alone. A definite improvement of the economy will be the result of developing this specialty crop known as microgreens. This industry has struggled because of the lack of knowledge by both consumer and new growers.


Data Collection to Report on Outcomes and Indicators: In order to support the data collection, analysis, and extraction in regard to the figures provided for Outcome 1, Indicator 1 and Outcome 8, Indicator 6 the project director expects to use the several processes detailed here to insure the project’s successful outcome and a report with a step by step accounting of such.


First, a literature review of research studies on microgreens will be archived on the IMGGA's website, reported in scientific literature and news media, and provided to microgreen growers. This work will be conducted by Drs. Kong and Tan and their research team. A cataloged database of international scientific information logged onto the IMGGA’s website that is easily accessible for its microgreen growers, members, stakeholders will be completed.


Second, the creation of the IMGGA inter-active website populated with a user-friendly database for growers. The operational internet website platform for the IMGA will populated with registered growers, suppliers and consumers and record progress of microgreen farmers from the beginning of this project. The website will identify grower and supplier numbers at the completion of this project.


One of the major reasons of creating the IMGGA is to enhance the competitiveness of Microgreens and increase sales by growers using the IMGGA platform and data collected to help growers sell, advertise, promote, market, generate publicity, attract new customers, and raise customer awareness. The project director’s report will show information on how the impact of creating the IMGGA increased U.S. Microgreen sales by 80% through the IMGGA support in business growth through increase of awareness of Microgreens to consumers.


The IMGGA will become the microgreens authority to provide the American public with a one-stop-shop for education on general information of microgreens, promotion of the health benefits and to stimulate healthy competition for this little-known specialty crop called microgreens.



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