SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
STORY BY ALEXANDRA JAGOE
It’s a simple setup, but it works. On a little farm in Hillsburgh, inside five shipping containers, sit rows of plants under grow lamps. Peas, sunflowers, broccoli, radish all sprouting under the glow. Freshly planted seeds on one end, growing shoots in the middle, and those ready for harvest beside the fridge on the far side. The air is warm and moist with a rich musky scent from the soil which lingers in the air. A series of fans hum in the background as a young man scoops seeds into fresh trays of soil—the first step of the process. Each room marks another step along the short journey of a sprout’s life, from planting, to sprouting, growing fresh green shoots and finally harvest. “There’s a lot of energy that goes into food production,” said Josh Scheerer, owner of Farmstead Fresh, a Hillsburgh-based organic microgreen operation that supplies fresh sprouts to several shops and restaurants. Each week he and his team produce nearly 500 trays of sprouts, carefully washing and drying them before being packaged and refrigerated in the back of the building.
Sprouting Success
DISCOVER ERIN | SPRING SUMMER 2026 | 27
26 | SPRING SUMMER 2026 | DISCOVER ERIN
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