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A mix of clouds and sun early followed by cloudy skies this afternoon. High 81F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Cloudy skies this evening followed by isolated thunderstorms overnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.

Big Maple Family Farm in Ridgway explains the numerous benefits microgreens have on the human body.

Big Maple Family Farm in Ridgway explains the numerous benefits microgreens have on the human body.

(Note: First in a series by Big Maple Family Farm in Elk County about the health benefits of consuming local, farm fresh food.)

RIDGWAY — Many may have heard of ‘microgreens’, but perhaps never understood what they really are. Let’s ‘unwrap’ the onion, so to speak, and learn about microgreens this week.

Microgreens are baby plants, in the 10-14 day-old stage of growth. So, that age puts microgreens past the sprout stage, but not yet recognizable as vegetables. The plants have developed chlorophyll so they are green, they have roots, and they have loaded up with key nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants — all things humans need to stay healthy. When microgreens are about 14 days old, they have peaked with these key essentials for human health.

All plants go through a microgreen stage, but broccoli, kale, radish, peas, and sunflowers seem to be the most preferred by humans. Other microgreens also used for human consumption are amaranth, arugula, basil, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and mustard. Microgreens leaves and stems are eaten raw, served as garnishes, placed in sandwiches, mixed in smoothies, or placed on meats and, until recently, were served exclusively at high-end restaurants. Big Maple Family Farm now offers a specialty service in production of microgreens.

Microgreens contain up to 40 times the nutritional content of their adult versions. For example, the Vitamin K1 content in the microgreen version of amaranth, basil, and cabbage is much higher than in the adult version of these plants. Vitamin C is six times higher in cabbage microgreens than adult cabbage. Microgreens of lettuce are much higher in basic minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, zine, selenium, and molybdenum than the adult version of lettuce.

Microgreens from cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts and broccoli also have a unique compound called sulforaphane. This compound is biologically active in plants that have been shown to help people manage viral loads, glucose levels, protect skin, improve brain function, and fight inflammation. Sulforaphane is being researched as a potential tumor killer. Sulforaphane is an activator of the Nrf2 pathway (Nrf2 is the shortened version of nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2) in the body that senses anti-oxidants and reacts to their presence.

More information about microgreens visit https://www.facebook.com/bigmaplefamilyfarm. Email questions to ambalon46@gmail.com.

Big Maple Family Farm is located at 877 Long Level Road, Ridgway, PA 15853. The farm is located 7 miles north of the Borough of Ridgway.

Big Maple Family Farm produces food for families, such as frozen meats, vegetables, homemade pickles and canned vegetables, BBQ sauce, relishes, and maple syrup.

For young people interested in The Adventures of Logan and Donkey, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Xfh6HZOjD0, and then subscribe to continue to watch the adventures Logan has with his miniature donkey, called Donkey

Please help local businesses by taking an online survey to help us navigate through these unprecedented times. None of the responses will be shared or used for any other purpose except to better serve our community. The survey is at: www.pulsepoll.com $1,000 is being awarded. Everyone completing the survey will be able to enter a contest to Win as our way of saying, "Thank You" for your time. Thank You!

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