Ellington Farmers' Market Welcomes New Vendor Biossential Greens

We are excited to welcome Mark & Rebecca Salva and Biossential Greens as market vendors this season. One cannot help but be excited to try their products, as they exude nothing but passion and enthusiasm for their venture into urban farming.

Hartford residents for many years, the married couple started questioning our complex food system and did a lot of research to better understand where our food is coming from and how it is grown or processed. The cascading amount of information led them to embark on a journey of food wellness. Along the way they discovered the benefits of micro-greens and wheat-grass. Soon after drastically changing their dietary habits including (and especially, they say) eliminating all processed foods, they noticed a huge improvement in their day-to-day health. Both said they felt a difference within weeks. In so doing, they became even more excited about the prospect of becoming involved in the local food movement. Three years ago they began making their own products, and are now growing the greens year-round. They joined the farmers’ market circuit this winter in Northampton, Massachusetts, and are excited to become vendors at several summer markets in our area. Since December, Biossential Greens has for both of them become their full-time calling.

Most people have a man-cave or big-screen TV rumpus room in their basements, but Mark and Rebecca’s lowest level has been converted into their mini-farm where they create their mini-products, using the space to grow both living and cut micro-greens, wheat-grass and a variety of herbs, both living and harvested. Mark stated that the living herbs are a culinary delight, and chefs love to use them in their creations as they stay fresh until the last possible moment they are placed on a dish for the freshest possible presentation. They add a delicate flavor profile and can be used in a variety of ways to enhance fine cooking; you can keep them on your countertop and snip some off as you are cooking.

Wheat grass is strained and juiced, mixing it with other juice flavors, and looks like a tiny strip of un-cut grass sitting on your counter top. It can be snipped and will grow back for a second harvest if treated properly. The green juice has long been touted for its host of beneficial nutrients.

Micro-greens are tiny vegetable greens that are harvested later than sprouts but earlier than “baby greens.” From cilantro and romaine to watercress, mustard greens and kale, Rebecca and Mark search for the finest, most organically available non-GMO seeds they can find and grow them in soil that is conditioned using vermicompost and kelp. They use no fertilizers or pesticides in any of their products, and all of their containers are made of plant-based materials that are completely biodegradable and compostable.

“Our products, stated Rebecca, “are priced below our competitors……we really want the community to embrace healthier eating. Our greens offer an incredibly dense nutritional content, providing vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, chlorophyll and protein with the highest concentration of phytonutrients per calorie of any food.”

Visit Mark and Rebecca at their booth at the market. They would love to chat with you and explain the benefits of healthy eating. They will even advise you on how to grow your own micro-greens. Sample some of their fresh greens, herbs and wheat grass and learn how to incorporate them into your diet or food plan.

Written by Margaret Cavanagh