Exploring circular solutions in the micro herb industry...
Green Up Farm, a hydroponic indoor vertical farm in Ceredigion, is owned and operated by Toni and Alex Borella. With an initial investment of under £2,000 in 2021 for shelves, seeds, and trays, the farm quickly turned a profit within just three months.
Why micro herbs and microgreens?
My husband and I always wanted to start a business and were intrigued by the idea of growing our own crops. We discovered that microgreens are a massive business in the USA, so we started researching before taking the plunge in 2021. Our first client was a company called Crwst in Cardigan, where my husband Alex works. I began taking my produce to the chefs to gain feedback on what micro herbs they’d like to source from us. The most important feedback we received was that chefs were screaming out for live produce. I'd argue this is our USP as most other growers don’t sell live produce, resulting in a limited shelf life and potential loss of quality in the herbs. This feedback is what led us to adapt our process and focus solely on selling live products.
What do you sell?
We sell over 30 diverse types of microgreens and micro herbs, with the most popular being pea shoots, nasturtium and coriander. We’re always looking for different flavours and while the aesthetic is important, if it doesn’t add to the plate then it won’t make it to market. We often spark trends by talking with chefs, leading to a ripple effect where they all start requesting a particular microgreen. Social media influences our consumers too, one week it’s coriander and next they’re all about fennel – it's vital we keep up with these trends. On a side note, we also do a harvest box for local customers with small kitchens, it’s great when we overproduce as the harvest boxes reduce our organic waste.
Who do you work with?
We supply directly to most mid to high end establishments in West-Wales. From The Nags Head in Abercych, to Yr Hens Printworks and Boys and Girls in Cardigan, we’re proud that we’re able to support each other.
We’re energetic and passionate people and I think the chefs can see that we’re not just selling a product to make money – we really care about what we do. Communication and consistency are key for our business. If we can’t deliver a certain quantity or particular micro herb then the chefs need to know. Some great inventions have come from herbs they might not have ordered, had we not run out of a different product.
Why Pembrokeshire?
We moved to Pembrokeshire in 2019, partly due to happy memories from my childhood but also because we were craving the coastline after spending 20+ years in London. We haven’t looked back, the whole area feels like a big village, and we’ve been embraced by everybody – it's a great community and we never want to leave.
There’s so much support in Wales. When starting a business, you can feel like an imposter but being supported by organisations like Business Wales and speaking to other entrepreneurs I’m glad I came back home!
Where do you see the business going?
Last year we were focused on building our profile but this year we’re more on building revenue and growing the business. We’re looking to get a big distribution partner and while we’re making some profits, we need to become more profitable. Our big ambition is to find a location to set up a solar passive greenhouse space. We’re looking to do it in a modular fashion so we can keep control of the environment and keep the costs and tech aspects relatively low. Once we’ve achieved our financial goals this year those are our next steps.
Has sustainability always been central to your business?
Yes, when we were building the business we were insistent that we wouldn’t harm the planet. It has been challenging but we’ve been pushed to learn new things to focus on the environmental impact at every hurdle. We’re proud that we don’t produce any plastic waste, and we don’t throw anything away. Our only waste is cardboard, and any organic waste goes to a community garden, meaning nothing even touches the food bin. I started a master’s degree in sustainability, but I strongly believe I’ve learnt more about sustainable practices by doing and running this business. The topic of sustainability can be confusing as there’s different messaging coming from all angles. I’d argue that if you keep the planet in mind and do as little harm as possible then you’re off to a good start.
Why did you connect with ARCS?
I’ll take part in anything that will give me more knowledge and help me improve on our sustainability pledge – which is why we wanted to know more about the circular economy. When we started out, we were basic in our approach following the reduce, reuse, and recycle mantra. We’ve mastered the reuse part, as all our customers return the packaging to us once they’ve been used. We then hygienically clean them and reuse them for future use. While we thought the reuse system would be a huge roadblock, many customers have chosen to purchase from us because of our no harm approach. Between the costs of disposing and/or recycling waste, in Wales especially, and when assessing it from a sustainability perspective our customers see our process as a win-win.
What are you hoping for from your collaboration with the ARCS team?
I’m hoping to have a fuller understanding of the circular economy, with plastics being a key point to focus on. I’d also appreciate help on how to communicate a circular message to our followers and ensure that we’re highlighting the right message. Fact checking and guidance is what we really need to make sure we’re making good business decisions, both economically and for the planet. We’re looking to introduce a new r-PET tray, and we want to ensure that the introduction of new materials will result in a better outcome. If you want to be truly sustainable then you need to carry on learning as new technology and trains of thought emerge. If we come away from this project with more knowledge about the circular economy and how to build our business sustainably then that’s all we can really ask for.