From the left: Keshava Archibald and brother Bhima are seen with some of their microgreens. Courtesy Photo

North Stormont – Golokal Microgreens is a family run business located on a 16-acre lot of land across from the Avonmore Berry Farm on the outskirts of Avonmore.  Since it began in the summer of 2022 the company, operated by Keshava Archibald and his brother Bhima, currently provide microgreens to the Eastern Ontario food market.

“We wanted to put emphasis on the fact that our current line of products and any products we may make in the future would be grown locally, hence “GO- LOCAL, but we changed the spelling to “Golokal” said Keshava in explaining the choice of the company name.  He continued how “’Goloka’ in the ancient vedic language of sanskrit also means ‘The Spiritual Land of the Cows’. Since we also have a small herd of our own cows that we milk by hand we thought the name fitting.”

This is not the first business for the brothers, with Keshava mentioning one of their goals had been to start a business of their own.  In 2021 they ran Archibald Woodworks, a successful Etsy shop which provided funding for Golokal Microgreens.  “I have always had a passion for gardening and growing, so the microgreens business would give an opportunity to engage in that activity while simultaneously starting a new business.” said Keshava.

Golokal Microgreens grow a variety of microgreens for the market and are essentially “baby plants that are packed with all kinds of nutrients.” explained Keshava, noting that microgreens are “great for anyone who is looking to eat a healthier diet with fresh locally sourced living foods.  They are also very easy to use since no cut up is required. “

They currently grow “Micro Broccoli, Micro Radish, Peashoots and Sunflower shoots as well as a spicy mix with Kale, Mustard, Arugula and Kohlrabi Microgreens.  A great variety of colours and flavours.”  He mentioned they are different than sprouts in that microgreens grow in soil, while sprouts do not.

The process involves spreading the seeds on trays, watering them, and then stacking the trays which will “create an environment similar to the seed being buried under the soil.”  After the germination process is complete in about three days, the plants are taken to shelving units where they continue to grow under lights until they are harvested in about 10 days.  They are delivered to customers within 24 hours of being harvested, enabling them to “last much longer than microgreens that are purchased from grocery stores which are not supplied locally.

Keshava explained microgreens are a year-round crop and grow very quickly, enabling people to have fresh locally grown microgreens throughout the year.  “Microgreens grow very quickly and are able to be grown indoors all year round.  They don’t need much space to grow, noting their “current growing room is only 300 square feet and “in one eight square foot area we are able to grow 20 pounds of microgreens a week which is 1000 pounds a year!!!”

One of the challenges faced when starting Golokal Microgreens was ensuring consistent yields from their crops.  They have been able to overcome this challenge with perseverance and practice which has enabled them to develop a consistent quality of produce, ensuring the customer is able to depend on both quality and quantity.  This has enabled the brothers to attend local farmer’s markets, develop a Facebook presence and establish a successful online delivery program.  Looking to the future they are planning to develop a strategy to add restaurants and grocery stores to their clientele, but plan to “grow at a pace that we are able to keep up with.” Their products can currently be ordered through their website, with deliver offered in the Ottawa or Cornwall areas.

Keshava mentioned three pieces of advice he and his brother would give to people planning to start up a small business. These include ensuring the business will be profitable, that the “business should be something that makes you feel like you are contributing to the world in a positive way and that you should enjoy the process of starting a business. “It is going to be an adventure with successes and failures and you need to make sure you’re able to roll with the punches and still have a smile on your face at the end of the day:)”

More information can be found on either their Facebook page or website located at www.golokalmicrogreens.ca.

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