When your crop is sprouts, your farm looks more a lab, with some areas that are in the dark and others illuminated by dazzling LED lights. Welcome to Fullei Fresh in Little Haiti, a large white warehouse where wheat grass and sprouts from seeds of mung beans, soy, alfalfa, broccoli, beets, sunflowers and other plants are grown hydroponically indoors.
Manny Wong, his wife Silvia and daughter Olivia are at the helm of the business, rooted in the past, when Manny’s father started growing sprouts in Havana in 1938. In 1978, Manny launched his sprout business in Miami and became one of the largest suppliers of hydroponic sprouts, sold primarily to wholesalers and distributors and retailers like Milam’s Markets, Whole Foods Markets and Asian markets.
Growing food safely is essential for any farmer, and in the case of sprouts, it’s especially critical because they’re considered a high-risk product, Manny says. “Sprouts grow in a wet, humid environment.” They have to use premium seed that gets a clean bill of health after testing for salmonella and E. coli O157:H7, a major foodborne pathogen. Water has to be collected and tested. “We use a water filtration system,” with a four-step process that exceeds government safety standards, he explains. As a long-time sprout grower, Manny is an expert on best practices in sprout safety and teaches classes for those in the industry.
For Olivia, his daughter, growing up on the farm meant learning about hydroponic growing techniques during the summer. Working full-time with the business since 2010, the University of Miami graduate has stepped up to make their business more relevant and engaging with consumers. “People are very interested in knowing where their food comes from,” she says. “There’s more emphasis on educating the public.” Fullei Fresh launched wellness events for the public in 2018 and appears at events like the Seed Food and Wine Festival. She’s also just announced a partnership with Box Greens, a container farm.
“We’ve come a long way,” she says.
Fullei Fresh
400 NE 67 Street, Miami
The Fullei Fresh Marketplace hosts kid-friendly monthly events where you can learn about healthy eating, sample sprouts and shoots. Visit their website for the schedule.
