Going (micro) green: Lazy Dreamer Farm to open first brick-and-mortar location
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Heather Daerr started growing microgreens on the family farm several years ago, and quickly upgraded her operation into the octagonal greenhouse, where she now grows everything from wheat grass to sunflower and kale microgreens for wholesale and farmers markets.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
When Heather Daerr started growing microgreens on the family’s property a half decade ago, she never dreamed the venture would become Lazy Dreamer Farm, a wholesale enterprise that this year began selling at area farmers markets. The first Lazy Dreamer Farm retail store is slated to open off Route 88 in Finleyville this fall.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
What began as a family affair on the Daerr’s nearly 20 acres of land in Peters Township is now Lazy Dreamer Farm, a microgreens wholesaler and local farmers market vendor set to open its first retail location this fall.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
It’s cozy and charming and chic inside Lazy Dreamer Farm’s first retail location, which aims to provide the greater community with fresh microgreens, grab-and-go salads and juices.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
No matter what the outdoor weather, the greenhouse at Lazy Dreamer Farm is a toasty 80-something-degrees or more, the better to grow microgreens in.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Kale microgreens sprout up between wheatgrass inside the octagonal greenhouse at Lazy Dreamer Farm, just off Route 88 in Finleyville.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
“It’s a wonder every day to watch the process, to just focus in on nature every day. To start with a handful of seeds, well probably two handfuls, on a tray, and then two weeks later to be cutting pounds of vegetables – it is a miracle,” said Heather Daerr, who owns Lazy Dreamer Farm. Microgreens, including sunflowers, shown here, are available wholesale or at area farmers markets.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
A variety of microgreens grows rapidly inside the octagonal greenhouse at Lazy Dreamer Farm in Finleyville. Heather Daerr, who owns the farm with her husband, Kevin, processes and packages microgreens in the retail space next door, which opens to the public this fall.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Heather Daerr started growing microgreens on the family farm several years ago, and quickly upgraded her operation into the octagonal greenhouse, where she now grows everything from wheat grass to sunflower and kale microgreens for wholesale and farmers markets. The first Lazy Dreamer Farm retail location will open along Route 88 in Finleyville this fall.
Katherine Mansfield/
Observer-Reporter
Along with microgreens, the Daerrs grow fresh strawberries, sunflowers, edible pansies and blueberries.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Edible pansies add an elegant touch to any dish, be it a quick lunch salad or a fancy dinner dish. They’re sold locally at Lazy Dreamer Farm, a Peters Township farm.
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Lazy Dreamer Farm is an ever-evolving project for Heather and Kevin Daerr, who are venturing into chicken-raising on their nearly 20 acres in Finleyville.
From the sleek black bakery case Heather Daerr pulls a packaged container of greens topped elegantly with yellow and purple flowers.
It’s labeled “brilliant blend.”
“In here we have radish, sunflower peas and edible flowers,” said Daerr, an enthusiastic brunette with a warm smile and eyes that sparkle when she talks about her business. “In my little world, how I use these is in place of lettuce.”
But the greens, a lovely tangle of stems and leaves, can be used a number of ways, as everything from salad bases to dessert decorations. And this fall, Daerr’s wholesale business Lazy Dreamer Farm will start selling microgreens to the general public out of its first retail location, a charmingly chic space just off Route 88 in Finleyville.
The brick-and-mortar is a step Daerr didn’t realize she was ready to take until the opportunity presented itself.
“We’ve had this building almost 25 years. People have rented it; it’s been many different things. Somebody left and she was a great person and she just wanted a bigger space. We were like, I think it’s time,” Daerr said, standing inside the building, which boasts bright white walls and sweet vintage touches, like an antique bell to ring for service. “I’ve now just taken ownership of my business here.”
The business is a rose-colored dream Daerr and her husband, Kevin, have followed almost unawares for years. In fact, that’s why they named the business “Lazy Dreamer Farm.”
About 15 years ago, the couple purchased nearly 20 acres of land in Peters Township, near Trax Farms. Kevin reforested the property and planted hundreds of trees, including Asian pear, apple and nut trees.
The family enjoyed biting into the fruits of their labor and Daerr became more and more invested and interested in growing her own food.
“We were talking a lot about the farm for years, how we were going to move it forward while we were moving it forward,” Daerr said, recounting an exciting season of planting lavender that ended in a failed lavender field. “It was a bummer. There would be times my husband would plant trees and the frost would get them. But we shifted. We kept joking around and saying, OK, what are we dreaming about? Now we’re going to do this. We kind of are like lazy dreamers about different things we want to do on this farm.”
Lazy dreamers, perhaps, but not lazy farmers. The family pivots, responds to nature, and for years has enjoyed the process of planting, harvesting and eating fresh vegetables, herbs and fruits.
About five or six years ago, Daerr stumbled upon microgreens.
“I read about them years ago,” she said. “I started doing them for myself.”
Quickly, Daerr upgraded her operation into a lovely octagonal greenhouse and increased her output. A few years ago, she began selling the fresh greens locally as a wholesaler.
“Customers … wanted (microgreens) processed. They didn’t want to bother cutting them and preparing them. It is kind of a mess and it’s just more time. So that’s where we came up with this, having a place where we can do all of the processing,” Daerr said. “I’m just building slowly, just trying to build and grow the business.”
This summer is the first Lazy Dreamer Farm appeared on the local farmers market circuit.
“They’re fun – talking with people and just sharing stories, seeing all the farmers and the tradespeople there with their wares, whatever they’re cooking or growing or making. It’s just, it’s the best,” Daerr said.
Interacting with repeat customers and the curious is something Daerr enjoys, particularly because when it comes to microgreens, some people have questions.
Like, what are microgreens?
“I don’t think everybody is familiar with microgreens,” Daerr said. “Until I read about them, I wasn’t.”
Microgreens are essentially baby plants that can be grown just about anywhere: in greenhouses or outdoor gardens, on windowsills. They’re harvested somewhere between seven and 21 days after germination, when the vegetable or herb is bigger than a sprout and not yet a baby green, and leaves have just begun to grow.
Dense, nutrient-packed microgreens were first introduced onto the restaurant scene in sunny California in the 1980s, and have since sprouted eastward. Upscale eateries often use “vegetable confetti,” as microgreens are sometimes called, for pretty, edible decoration on small plates.
But “you don’t have to cook fancy to eat microgreens,” Daerr smiled.
Microgreens go well on grilled cheese sandwiches and atop spaghetti, two ways her children, now young adults, use the freshly harvested microgreens. The greens go great on any meat, including canned tuna, or make for colorful layers in a salad.
“They’re very versatile. You can literally put them on anything,” Daerr said. “You can mix them, eat them separately. It really is good for you if you are struggling to get your greens every day. These are easy.”
And fresh.
“When we go to the farmers markets, we’re cutting them the day of or the day before. You’re getting them super fresh. They’re not traveling in trucks, hours away, and having that lag time to get onto a shelf. I never use pesticides, any chemicals whatsoever. We’re using the sunshine and water. That’s what we pride ourselves on,” Daerr said.
Though microgreens can be grown nearly anywhere, a business based on selling wholesale and pre-packaged veggies and herbs isn’t without its challenges.
“It’s taken years to perfect. It’s a labor of love, but it’s a labor,” Daerr laughed.
Every seed needs nurtured differently, she said; some prefer wet environments while others fare better in dry ones. Weather, temperature and humidity play a large role in a seed’s growth. Seeds grow differently in winter versus summer.
“You could read everything, but until you actually do it,” Daerr said. “It’s all a challenge, but the benefits are to be able to grow your food year-round and to know that you have access to fresh greens 24/7, 365 days of the year.”
When Lazy Dreamer Farm opens at 6187 Route 88 this fall, not only will folks be able to drop in for fresh, packaged microgreens (including basil, which smells heavenly and tastes just as good, and sunflowers, which contain up to 25% protein), they can also grab freshly made salads and juices.
“My vision is to have locally grown food close to home. I think it’s a good, responsible way to be, and I think it could build communities,” Daerr said.
Visitors to Lazy Dreamer Farm will also have the opportunity to pick up earrings handmade by Daerr or candles by a Pennsylvania vendor, and to peek at the octagon greenhouse, which sits to the right of the shop.
Of course, people are welcome to sit inside Lazy Dreamer Farm and take in the lovely décor – the front counter was originally a front counter in a Uniontown hotel, refurbished by Kevin – and chat with Daerr.
“I’m very aware of what I eat because it’s just so important. I was always searching for clean, fresh food. I think I built something that I’m able to have, with a lot of effort, (that be) obtainable. I’m hoping that other people who feel that same way and are looking for it, I hope we find each other,” she said. “It’s a cool thing to find people who are just as interested or just eager to learn. That’s what’s driving me.”
Daerr sees repeat customers as a compliment; she genuinely hopes people love her products and come back for more. She also hopes the wonderful people she’s met this summer at farmers markets and her loyal client base support the next Lazy Dreamer Farm venture – adding brick-and-mortar to the business’ profile is a leap that even the ever-optimistic Daerr understands will take some grit, but she’s ready for it.
“Truly farming is, it’s a lot of work. You’re not doing it to get rich. You’re doing it because you love the land, you love nature and you love good food,” said Daerr, adding her business has grown steadily through a lot of passion, optimism and, yes, work. “I still have a lot of stairs to go. I know that. But it’s fun. I’m enjoying the journey.”
For more information on Lazy Dreamer Farm, visit lazydreamerfarm.com.