When?

Check back soon for next available class.

Where?

Classes are hosted via Zoom and tickets are available through Eventbrite.

About this Event

Check the menu of a fine restaurant or the produce section of a specialty grocery store, and you’re likely to spy microgreens: tiny, delicate greens that add color, texture and flavor to a variety of foods as a garnish or ingredient.

Big on nutrition and flavor, microgreens can be expensive to purchase. But they can also be grown cost-effectively at home, in a tiny space and with simple supplies. All you need is a sunny windowsill, or an well-lit area along with one of our microgreen growing kits, and you’ve got all the essentials for growing your own microgreens. This is a great crop for urban gardeners who are limited to a windowsill, balcony or fire escape.

Join us to learn how you can grow-your-own nutrient-packed and delicious microgreens at home during these challenging times. We need to take care of ourselves more than ever and this is a simple and fast way to get the healthiest greens possible into your diet without leaving your home. Perfect for teleworkers and also kid-friendly, you’ll learn everything you need to know to grow the easiest and fastest varieties like radish, arugula, broccoli, and more challenging microgreens such as celery, parsley, and basil. Microgreens have 4-6 times the nutrient density of the fully-grown plant according to the USDA and are an excellent and fun way to add freshness and micro-nutritents to your diet.

This course will be taught by our resident microgreen expert, Mary Ackley. Mary is the Founder and CEO of Little Wild Things and has over five years of experience growing more than 30 types of microgreens at a commercial scale. Little Wild Things produces Certified Naturally Grown microgreens and edible flowers for dozens of the areas premiere restaurants, hotels, bars, and caterers.  This course will be a simple conversational lecture held at the farm. It will not include pdf or powerpoint style content. 

You’ll have the option to purchase one of our Farm-in-a-box kits to go along with the course at a reduced rate of $10 (local pick-up option), or $10 +$8 shipped. Please visit our online store at for more ordering options or to buy additional grow kits. Please allow 7-10 days for shipping. Our kits provide enough materials to grow two growing cycles of microgreens (and two seed types). 

Watch Chef Jonathan Bardzik prepare a beautiful summer salad with our delicate fennel microgreens! Join our Salad Share today to get in on the microgreen fun!

Serves 4

Fennel’s light, fresh licorice notes pair perfectly with seafood. This shrimp salad builds fennel flavor in a poaching broth, a fennel mayonnaise, and folding fresh microgreens into the salad. Serve in a buttered, toasted, split-top hotdog bun piled on top of this week’s salad share greens. Note: you can save yourself some time by buying peeled shrimp. Easy-peel shrimp are split and deveined making peeling, well, easy. Those shells add lots of flavor to the poaching broth.

Ingredients

• A few handfuls pea shoot microgreens
• A few large handfuls of tender lettuce greens or arugula
• 1/2 – 1-pint strawberries, hulled + thinly sliced
• A few radishes, thinly sliced on a mandolin
• A handful of crushed almonds or pistachios
• A small handful of basil leaves, chopped (minimum 3-5 leaves)
• 8-10 oz of Mozzarella or Burrata cheese, cut into chunks
• Balsamic vinegar & extra virgin olive oil, to taste
• Salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Assemble salad ingredients in a shallow serving bowl: place the tender greens at the bottom, with the pea shoots over top. Sprinkle on the strawberry & radish slices, along with the cheese, basil, and nuts. Drizzle with oil & vinegar, and season with salt & pepper.

IF YOU PREFER MORE OF A ‘SALAD DRESSING’ OPTION WITH THIS, I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING VINAIGRETTE:

Ingredients

• ½ shallot, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• ⅓ cup good quality balsamic vinegar
• ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Place shallot, garlic, brown sugar, and balsamic in a small bowl and whisk together. While whisking add oil, in a slow and steady drizzle, until fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.

Chef, storyteller, and author Jonathan Bardzik share a delicious summer salad recipe with our 2020 Summer Salad Share members! Catch Jonathan on Instagram live 6 days a week!

Updated 4/16/2020

Dear Little Wild Things Family,

The health and safety of our customers and team is our top priority at Little Wild Things. We have always been diligent when it comes to food safety, where infectious disease is a potential risk in food production. Our existing practices are in compliance with the D.C. Department of Health standards, and national guidelines including Good Agricultural Practices. Due to the recent spread of COVID-19, we are taking the following additional measures to keep you and your microgreens safe. In addition, as of 4/2/2020, we’ve prepared a COVID-19 Preparedness Response Guidance & Emergency Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) in accordance with Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) guidance to inform our daily operations and prepare for potential absenteeism.

• As of 3/14/20 our retail shop at 906 Bladensburg Rd. NE will be closed to the public to ensure the health and safety of our production area and team. We will continue to offer the option to order online and pick up your order from the cooler located at the top of the steps in our front entranceway (no contact pick-up) or have your order delivered. We are operating reduced pick-up hours as of 4/2: Wednesday-Saturday 10 am-4 pm to allow for staggered work schedules and additional remote work by employees.
• We are requiring team members to wash their hands and change their gloves more frequently as recommended by the CDC.
• We are emphasizing respiratory and hand hygiene as recommended by the CDC during staff meetings, with additional signage, and verbally throughout our production area.
• All team members have completed additional ServSafe training on no-contact delivery and pick-up best practices as of 4/1/2020.
• We are increasing the frequency of sanitizing and disinfecting surfaces throughout the workplace, in common high-traffic areas.
• We have provided additional hands-free soap, towels, food-safe wipes, and alcohol-based sanitizers throughout the production area.
• We are using gloves to accept payments and requiring hand-washing immediately after accepting payments.
• We are temporarily suspending reusable containers and will be delivered to our regular wholesale customers in compostable clamshells or produce bags until further notice.
• As always, we will be closely monitoring the health of our team members and instructing them to stay home if they experience any cold or flu symptoms or do not feel well. If a family member of one of our team members becomes infected with COVID-19 they must notify a supervisor and will be encouraged to stay home.
• Until further notice, we will not be shaking hands, providing samples, or engaging in other close contacts with team members or customers (farm visits and tours have been suspended).
• We are providing proactive cross-training of employees to maintain essential functions in the event that employee absenteeism increases, as recommended by the CDC.
• We will not be providing samples or self-serve utensils until further notice.
• We are suspending our Bring-Your-Own Container program for our Salad Share Program until further notice so that all produce is packaged on-site at our facility in a food-safe environment.
• We added a hands-free hand-washing station at the farmer’s market stand to allow for more frequent hand-washing (as of 3/27, we have temporarily suspended market participation.

We believe that nutritious, locally-grown microgreens and edible flowers contribute to a healthy lifestyle. We want you to know that we are doing everything we can to provide safe and healthy greens to support that lifestyle.

We will offer FREE community delivery on Wednesdays in Washington, D.C. for orders over $25. Please order online at www.lwtfarm.myshopify.com We’ve prepared a special collection of our most affordable products with the longest shelf life for those that may need to stay home for extended periods.

We will continue to monitor and adopt protocols recommended by the CDC and other applicable agencies.

We will send out updates via our newsletter and social media outlets as things change in this evolving situation. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us at info@littlewildthingsfarm.com or 202-750-0695.

By Chef Robbie Tutlewski and featured at neighborhood gem, Big Bear Cafe

Serves 2

Grains

• 1/2 cup brown rice 
• 1/2 cup wheat berries 
• 2 quarts vegetable broth or water 

Obtain some fresh grains preferably with the husk (or use any grain you have on hand prepared according to their instructions). Rinse the grains thoroughly. Add your grains to a pot with a 1/2 quart of broth or water. Boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the grains pop, about 1 hour. Drain the grains and reserve liquid and use as desired.

Dressing – Charred Onion Vinaigrette

• 1/2 red onion 
• 2 lemons juiced
• 1 cups of olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the onions in half and grill them or roast them in a very hot oven until the outer layer is very well blackened. When cooled down a bit, scrape off the outer black layer of the onion and chop the onion very finely by hand. Add all the ingredients to the same bowl mix well and keep at room temperature. 

Dressing – Lime Tomatillo 

• 1/2 quart goat yogurt (sub any other yogurt)
• 1/2 cup aioli or mayo 
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (can be made with milk + lemon juice/vinegar)
• 1 small bunch of parsley 
• 1 small bunch of cilantro 
• 1/4 cup soft herb dill or tarragon or fennel or marjoram 
• 2 tablespoon mustard 
• 1 tablespoon honey 
• 4 tablespoon red wine vinegar 
• 1 jalapeño 
• 2 small tomatillos 
• 1 whole lime 

Blend everything very well 

Oven-Roasted Tomatoes with wild oregano

• A bunch of tomatoes, any variety
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt, Fresh Cracked Pepper
• 2 tablespoons of wild oregano 
• A bunch of garlic cloves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325. Cut your tomatoes in half or quarters, place in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil (enough to coat), and season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Lightly toss together. Arrange tomatoes in a single layer, skins down, on a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Put whole garlic cloves in the skin on the pan. Give it one more generous drizzle of olive oil.

Roast for 2-3 hours, depending on the size of your tomatoes. (It usually takes about 3 hours for romas that are halved, if you quarter them they’ll get done a little faster). Keep an eye on them after about 2 -2 1/2 hours. You’ll see the juices have dried up and some of the tomatoes will start to get dark around the edges. When they’re done they’ll look kind of dried up, and blackened around the edges, but still soft. 

Roasted Sweet Potatoes or Carrots with Bay Leaves 

• 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes or yams (or carrots)
• 4 fresh bay leaves 
• Flur di sel 
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• 1 yellow onion, cut into quarters 

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400F. Cut the sweet potatoes vertically into coin shape, about a thumbs thickness. Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl and season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper. In a roasting pan 12in/8in, lay your sweet potatoes side by side. Like a little army of sweet potatoes. Make sure the bay leaves and onions are distributed evenly over the potatoes. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30-40 minutes. The sweet potatoes are done when the sugars start to come out of the potato and caramelize. Uncover and bake for another 5-10 minutes to get a nice crisp top.

Roasted Romanesco Cauliflower

• 1/2 pound Romanesco cauliflower, core removed then broken up into florets
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves of smashed garlic
• 1/4 teaspoons flur di sel
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Ground black pepper
• 1 lemon juiced
• 2 fresh bay leaves 
• 1/2 cup of chicken or veg stock 

Directions

Heat your olive oil in a 12” cooking pan or large sauté pan to medium high heat. When hot add your garlic, toast for a minute, then add the romanesco. Season with salt and pepper and cook on one side without stirring for 5 minutes. This will give the romanesco a nice crisp texture. After 5 minutes add your chili flakes and stir the romanesco and cook another 5 minutes on the other side that doesn’t have as much color. Add your lemon juice, stock and bay leaves then cook for another 3 minutes almost until all the liquid is absorbed. To finish, toss in the fresh parsley leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.

Salad Assembly 

• 1/4 lb. Little Wild Things Signature Shoot Salad
• 1-2 cups thinly sliced Brussel sprouts
• 2 oz of spicy wild arugula
• 2 cups mixed vegetables roasted 
• 2 oz onion dressing
• 2 cups of grains mixed 
• A drizzle of tomatillo dressing 

Toss everything in a bowl except for the LWT Salad mix.  Season everything with charred onion dressing and salt/pepper. Top with LWT Salad mix, then drizzle with tomatillo dressing. Finish with the pickled onions or your favorite fermented veg if you have them around. Enjoy!

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.

On today’s show:

• We liked this place a lot: Nina May, on 11th Street. Offering New American cuisine, it opened in November. Today we welcome Colin McClimans, the executive chef and owner;
• Mary Ackley, of the Little Wild Things City Farm, produces Certified Naturally Grown microgreens, micro-herbs, shoots, and edible flowers on less than a quarter-acre in the heart of Washington, D.C. And she serves over 50 restaurants, hotels, caterers, schools, grocery stores, and organizations wholesale, and also sells direct to the general public from a storefront in the Trinidad neighborhood of D.C.;
• Frank Linn and Kate Diamond, co-owners of Frankly…PizzaIt started as a mobile pizza oven in 2011, frequenting farmers’ markets in Montgomery County. It opened a brick and mortar location in Kensington, Maryland in July 2014;
• Will Patton, beverage director at the Michelin-starred Bresca (and at the upcoming Jônt. Will is currently a finalist at the prestigious Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition;
• And Nazia Khan, director of coffee and counter service for NRG, who will lead the charge on the development of Cameo, the all-day coffee shop at The Roost food hall.

Original article: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/all-news/2020/01/franklymore-than-pizza/

You might not expect to see farming in the heart of the nation’s capital, but a resilient young grower is putting the USDA micro-loan program to use in a concrete jungle.

A former parking garage in Northeast DC transformed into a living salad bowl. Micro-greens are young leafy plants, grown to between 8 and 20 days old from regular seeds. They’re highly nutrient-dense, and a favorite for local chefs who use these flavorful and color-packed ingredients.

The crops at Little Wild Things Farm grow under highly efficient led lights in soil, and Mary Ackley, Founder and CEO of Little Wild Things, says staying conservative on technology to focus on profitability. In terms of growth, she says qualifying for a USDA microloan was a game-changer.

I used that to hire my first full-time employee, my first full time manager, and so that was huge in terms of scaling.

Though there aren’t many experienced farmers in Washington DC, Ackley says there are a lot of ambitious young people interested in agriculture, and hiring staff with skills in science, engineering, and marketing has been a strength for the farm.

Focusing on the farm’s profitability has also allowed her to work on another goal, to demonstrate that agriculture can be a viable career for the best and brightest of the next generation.

Little Wild Things Farm is working to build, not only a profitable business here in the city center but also to build careers for young folks interested in science, technology and agriculture who aren’t from a rural background.

The city farm also works with a local veteran-owned business that removes used soil and plant material for composting. Ackley says the partnership helps to eliminate farm waste and recycle nutrients.

Report by RFD-TV’s Sarah Mock

Original article – https://www.rfdtv.com/story/41053771/city-farm-cultivates-urban-agriculture-interest#.XYDFXShKjD4

WASHINGTON (WJLA) — Down an unmarked trail at a monastery in Northeast Washington, you might not expect a farm delivering to some of the District’s top restaurants. 

And in an unmarked warehouse near Union Market, you probably wouldn’t expect an indoor farm.

But that’s exactly whats happening. Meet Mary Ackly—a young entrepreneur— she’s innovating the way America farms are created.

Ackly and her team of six employees, don’t just grow regular fruits and vegetables. They grow micro greens. Smaller, nutrient packed greens ready to eat just days after planting.

In terms of health, micro greens in general have about 4-6 times the nutrient density of a fully grown version of a plant.

Ackly’s company, Little Wild Things uses small, under utilized outdoor spaces in D.C., 80 percent of her farming is done indoors. When chefs call, Acky and her team deliver quickly.

She believes farming innovation in cities, both indoor and outdoor, must be the future.

Anyone can order from Little Wild Things by going to their website or visiting them at the Dupont Farmers Market.

Original article – https://wjla.com/news/local/entrepreneur-brings-urban-farming-to-dc