Going green(s)
Eighty Four couple\'s microgreens business taking root in region
Ashley and Jared Yocum, a Somerset Township couple, launched a business nearly two years ago for the health of it.
They are the owners/managers of Eighty-Four Microgreens, based at the dairy operation they run, A Little Bit of Heaven Farm, near Interstate 70.
The Yocums plant, grow, harvest and deliver their microgreen products – for free – to consumers throughout the Greater Pittsburgh area, including the South Hills.
About a half-dozen restaurants are among their clients and the couple are regulars on the farmers market circuit in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Ashley acknowledged that “a lot of people don’t know what microgreens are.” Initially, neither did she nor Jared.
“We saw something online about it and thought this could be a way to do business,” he said. “We saw a video and took an online class and decided to give it a shot. We told our parents, who didn’t know what microgreens were.”
Microgreens, according to an online AI overview, are “tiny, young vegetable and herb greens” that are harvested soon after their first leaves appear, when they are an inch to three inches tall. These are “living foods” that are flavorful and filled with rich nutrients.
They are gaining popularity and are commonly served as a garnish at restaurants. Microgreens are less mature versions of kale, spinach and arugula, but provide more vitamins and minerals.
“We don’t let anything go to waste,” Ashley said.
Embarking on this endeavor wasn’t easy, but the couple carried through.
“We got equipment (preparation trays, seeds and soil) and started planting,” Jared said. “We initially did everything in one room.”
They have expanded, but space is still modest. They do all of their work indoors. “We don’t worry about the weather,” he said.
They installed refrigeration and lighting, necessities for nurturing microgreens. The grow room is lit 18 hours a day. There also is a germination room.
The Yocums participated in the first event with their business at Eighty-Four Auction on Labor Day 2024.
Ashley, a Bentworth High alumnus, and Jared, a Chartiers-Houston grad, are industrious 42-year-olds who, essentially, have multiple full-time jobs. She is a full-time pharmacist who works for a large consulting firm; home schools two of their four sons; and works vigorously with the business.
Jared tends to the farm and works copious hours with the microgreens. He oversees production and delivery of milk and delivery of chicken eggs. They plan to sell duck eggs as well.
They and their children could benefit from a vacation, but that is not doable at this point. “I think the hardest part is this is an every-day business,” Ashley said. “We took time off after we started, then had to shut down for three weeks,” she said. It was overload.
They do have a delivery driver and are hoping to add a second soon.
Farmers market aficionados could very well encounter the Yocums and their signature product. Eighty-Four Microgreens has participated at markets in Washington, Peters Township, Canonsburg, Claysville, Mt. Lebanon, Upper St. Clair, Bridgeville, Coraopolis, Aspinwall, Robinson, Bloomfield and Homestead.
Some of those locales are far from the Yocum home, but Jared and Ashley don’t mind the drive. Their Somerset Township roots run deep.
They bought their home from Ashley’s parents in 2022, making them third-generation owners there. Their offspring comprise a fourth generation. Ashley’s parents, Tom and Donna Kalchthaler, then relocated to a nearby home, on the original farm.
How many generations of microgreens are ahead at their residence? Ashley said there are positive vibes about the business.
“We haven’t really had complaints about the quality of our greens. We are in this for the long haul.”