°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
SproutPeople News
posted July 28, 2010
Note: I am working very hard on our new web site. Please excuse me if I don't keep this section up. We are very eager to get the re-built site up, so my attention is focused there.
We expect it to be up sometime (late?) this summer.
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
Product/Site
WE HAVE NEW MIXES!
These have been due for far too long. Please forgive us.
Mother's Mix
4 Legs of Love - Sprouts for Dogs
There are more coming soon!
It was May of 1993 when we sprouted our first seeds professionally. We were expecting our first child, were about to move to our log cabin (no running water, small solar power system which allowed us to run up to 150 watts at a time, no indoor plumbing, heat only from a woodstove - you know - a real log cabin), and we were in our first month as venders at the Dane County Farmers Market in Madison, Wisconsin (which was 90 miles away from our cabin). We were planning on selling hierloom vegetables, and seeds (which we were going to save from vegetables we grew). It was a wet spring in the Midwest. We were unable to get our garden planted early, and once we had sold all of our plant starts we had nothing to sell. We were destitute, living on leass than $150 a week (more than half of which came from the Farmers Market). The day we sold our last plant starts at market, Lori asked; what are we going to bring next week? I replied that there was nothing I could grow in a week. She suggested sprouts. "I hate sprouts!" said I "you grow them if you want to." So, Lori went to the food co-op in the town we lived near (Gays Mills, WI - population 500) and bought some seeds to sprout. The thing about Lori is that she didn't just buy Alfalfa and Mung Beans - she bought Adzuki Beans, Lentils, Peas, Wheat and more. She got our quart sized mason jars out (we did a lot of canning back then, so we had dozens of jars) and soaked the seeds. By weeks end we had 50 mason jars full of various sprouts. We did better then ever at the market. We took our money to a co-op in Madison (Mifflin Street Co-Op) and bought more seeds. By the third week I was on board. I love seeds, so I found that was my way into sprouts. We made up mixes that made even me like sprouts as a food. We started growing in nursery trays (rinsing, draining and subsequently cleaning 50 quart jars every week is a pain). We were selling something completely unique at this amazing market (the Dane County Farmers Market was, and is located around the state capitol in Madison. It had a lot of organic producers, even back in 1993 - and was patronized by 15-20 thousand people every Saturday). No one had ever seen sprouts grown from many of the seeds Lori started with - and our offerings grew dramatically as the weeks passed. We learned how to grow by comon sense. We made a lot of mistakes, but as time passed we developed our own methods, which allowed us to add even more seeds to our mixes. We're still learning.
We started online in 1996. We have always done our own web work. At first we posted several pages with sprouting instructions and the like. We kept it small until we decided we had to share all we had learned about sprouting, so, I (Gil) built this site between 1999-2001 and have maintained it ever since. It is getting old (as evidenced by the time it requires to add or alter products) and, let's face it, our shopping cart is antique by internet standards. Lori and I have always done everything Sproutpeople needs. Everything! But the web has gotten past me, so we are working with an actual web design company to re-build our site. This is very difficult for me, but it is time. We will retain all of our content, but it will present itself in a less crowded way. We expect that the time saved by this re-build will allow us to add additional content. We expect to be able to add and/or alter products with ease, and our shopping cart will allow you to save favorite items for easy re-ordering, maintain an order history and allow you to track shipments. We will be launching the new site in early 2010, at our domain sproutpeople.net. This current site will remain here at sproutpeople.com, but all of the purchase points will disappear - or will link you to the new site. You're gonna love it!
We're changing our Kelp Fertilizer brand due to problems with importation from Canada. Kelpman (formerly Sea Spray) is being replaced with "Saltwater Farms SeaCom PGR". The kits we sell which include kelp fertilizer now contain this new Kelp. The kits cost us more with the switch to SeaCom PGR, but we won't raise our prices until our new site goes live. Due to the archaic nature of our current site's design, changing products requires a lot of time to change references and links on pages on which the product appears. So, until I complete the update, you will likely run into pages that say "Kelpman". Some will say "Kelp Fertilizer". It is all the same - they are identical in use. Now you get more - without paying more.
We have added another soilless growing medium: Tencel® Sure-to-Grow Pads. These are identical in use to Baby Blanket, so if you purchase STG Pads (which is what we are calling them) and look up growing instructions on our site, please follow the Baby Blanket instructions. You will be doing exactly the right thing. The pages involved will be changed to include STG Pads in time or will be changed so both mediums are referred to in a generic way, like Growing Pads.
Seeds and Stuff
Seeds
Weather has been inconsistent for many years now and that has a HUGE affect on plants. Plants are phenomenal adaptors however, so we are pleased we can once again say that this years crops have impressed us. Low precipitation again this past winter will more than likely continue the trend of poor growing seasons, though we've heard some good reports from our farmers in a few parts of the country, we've heard the word drought from others. I'm sure we'll be impressed again - but that doesn't mean the seeds will be as good as they have been in the past. Please do whatever you can to help our planet. We all need to pitch in. Huge changes are neeed, but every little bit helps.
Good News
We introduced 2 new mixes in September of 2009: Mothers Mix (especially for pregnant and nursing women) and a mix for Dogs: 4 Legs of Love.
We're going to be adding another mix or 3 - as well as new seeds in the coming months (when the re-built web site goes live): Sprouts; Tatsoi, Dill, Celery and Turnip, and a new alergen free Bird Mix (Dr. Bird - or Dr. Boyd, we've not yet decided) . We'll also have new seeds for Micro-Greens; Mizuna, Kale,and a custom mix or 2 of our own design.
We're also experimenting with Beet, Chard, Basil and several more seeds. It's a lot of fun!
We'll also be adding a few products - a dehydrator, a blender and a juicer or 2, as well as some odds and ends..
Seed Availability Update
We should have a good supply of these - and other seeds - throughout this year....
Alflafa
Almond
Hulled Sunflowers
Onion
Rye
Rye Grass
Popcorn Shoots
Spelt
Spelt Grass (Available for the first time in many years.)
Buckwheat Groats
Green Peas
Small Beige Garbanzo
Black Garbanzo
Orange Lentils
Halloween Treat (Available for the first time in years!)
Sesame (natural and black)
Pumpkin
Sunflower Greens
This is the 2nd connsecutive year Sunflower Greens have been great (after a few years of miserable seed) - they are excellent seeds that produce robust greens - evenly.
Hulless Oats
Oat Grass
Oats & Groats
Buckwheat Lettuce
Back for the First Time since 2007:
Oriental Mustard
Mustard Greens
Our farmer had a great crop growing, but the snow fell before it got harvested. It was more-than-likely,that that farmer wouldn't see the plants again until April or May of 2010, but thanks to a surprise warm AND dry spell in November, the seed got harvested. We expect to have a good amount in by late February. Demand is very high for this seed, so be advised. We have a limited supply for now, so it is once again in our fine mixes: Russian Mix, Nick's Hot Sprout Salad, Oriental Greens, Hot2, Long Life, and Mesclun Mix. We also - once again - have Oriental Mustard in our Micro-Greens Kit and our Brassica Sampler.
Though we do not have them yet, we will soon be getting the very hard to find:
Red Chief Lentils
Though we no longer can offer Sprout-Ease Lid Sets, we Sproutpeople have something even better. 
We now have our very own 3-Lid Set of Stainless Steel Sprouting Screens!
This is the 2nd sprouter we've had to make due to a manufacturers disappearance (the Hemp Bag was our 1st). We are very proud of this addition to our line of fine manual sprouting products - and we've just added a variation - Plastic Rings for a rust free experience.
We had the great honor to edit the sprouting section of the new Joy of Cooking and received a wonderful thanks in Ethan's introduction. Susan and Ethan have purchased seeds and supplies from us for years and Gil had griped about the past editions poor sprouting instructions, so I suppose it was just natural. But THE Joy of Cooking! Wow! Who doesn't have that book in their collection?!
There is now a Joy of Cooking web site.
Our Garlic Chive farmer in Illinois, has again provided us his exceptional seed - but this year the supply is very limited, so get it while you can. We use Garlic Chive in our Italian Blend and Exotic Sprout Sampler, in addition to selling it as a straight sprouting seed. You should freeze this seed too. Check out our Seed Storage page. Freezing is the best way to store all seeds, but these and other Alliums are the shortest lived seeds of all, so they virtually require it.
China had yet another good growing season in 2009, so the crops we get from that part of the planet are high quality once again. There aren't many, but they are important - Mung Beans especially. Please understand that we are VERY concerned about ALL products from China. We were so impressed by the recent dog food recall and more recently the toys being recalled that we now read every label when we are shopping, and if something is coming from or has ingredients from China, or even if we are uncertain; we are putting it back on the shelf. The Chinese seeds we carry are another matter all together. These are grown by small farmers who are growing organically. We MUST support these farmers! They are doing everything right for this suffering planet of ours, and we are not going to make them suffer for the mistakes of the greedy corporations that currently have a stranglehold on our planet.
A loyal customer told us that sprouted Black Sesame looks really cool - like tiny dominos. So we found some, and she was right - it is cool - and it sprouts really well.
Once upon a time (2003 and before) we had many Garbanzo beans to choose from - Black, Brown, Large and Small Beige. We've been making it by with mediocre Blacks and even some pathetic Browns in our mixes since then. But 2008 finally yielded a great crop of Black Garbanzos for our farmers in Nebraska (we sent them 50 pounds for seed stock back in the last century, but they never produced well until now)! In addition, we have found another source of small beige, so once again we will have a thriving Garbanzoid (though the Browns are still pathetic), and Halloween Treat has returned after an absence of several years, thanks to us finally getting decorticated (Orange) Lentils) again. We will also offer a selection of straight Garbanzos; Black and both Large and Small Beige. We hope to convince Mark and Ila in Nebraska to try growing Brown Garbanzos again (we sent them 50 pounds of those too, way back when) in 1999 - so perhaps we'll have even more good Garbanzo news this time next year.
This years Spelt is better than we've seen in years. It will even grow Spelt Grass! We haven't seen Spelt this great in years!
Multiple Shopping Options
We have two shopping methods. For those of you who prefer shopping from an alphabetical list,
you may do so, here.
Shopping remains available on our descriptive pages as well. You get to those by following the links
at the top, left or bottom, as well as within the body of all of our pages.
You may shop from either or both in the same visit. It's all good.
Inflation
Prices are going up everywhere for all of us. Fuel costs drive everything higher (virtually everything is transprted from its source to its end user - and even though the price of gasoline is way down, truckers and shippers are not lowering their rates (UPS raised rates again - yet another 6% - in January - that's over 25% in just the past 4 years!)). It is a fact of life - it has been worsening for years - and it doesn't look like it is going to get better anytime soon, though we are hopeful given the big change in Washington DC., but as it is a global problem, even that may not help.
We are trying to suck it up and keep our prices low. It is hard! We are a small family business, but we feel like we have to do what we can to keep inflation at bay. The more companies raise their prices the faster inflation grows. It would be much more helpful if the oil giants stopped gouging us (their profits have been at record highs for years now), or the car companies, or any of the other bazillion dollar corporations - but we know that's not going to happen - so it's up to us little people to help each other.
So what's new?!
Here is an example:
We get quite a few seeds from Canada. For years we enjoyed our dollar being worth almost twice the Canadian dollar. Now the U.S. dollar is roughly equal to a Canadian dollar. Good for Canada! We love them, but the reality is that we now pay more than twice what we paid for some seeds, just a few years ago. Farmers are also hit hard by fuel costs (tractors need gas too). Combine that with poor weather (Global Warming) and the resulting bad crops and we get short supply - so there is not enough supply to meet the demand, which further raises prices. Our profit margins have shrunk dramatically over the past few years. Fortunately for us we get more orders every year - so we make it up in volume - or have so far. With UPS sucking more of our money again, seeds costing twice what they did, suppliers raising prices on everything we sell (sprouters, juicers, kelp, etc.) and use (boxes, paper, packing peanuts, etc.), and the cost of getting those goods to us, it is only a matter of time before we have to raise our prices. We just want you to know that we take our part in inflation very seriously, and we will hold out as long as we reasonably can.
Not So Good News
That time of year again - when my ordering has not kept up with demand. These are seeds we are out of - or at least close to out of.
We are working hard to find more and hope to soon, once again have....
Fenugreek
These seeds are troublesome this year. They are either hard to find at all, or hard to find in good quality, but we keep looking....
Crimson Clover
There are shortages of quite a few other seeds as well, but I won't go into the specifics now.
Gone forever - or until some farmer decides to grow some again:
White Lentils
A curiousity of the 2008 crop year was this; after 2 very bad years, which saw yields as low as 33% of normal - the price of wheat shot up in 2009, so many farmers planted wheat instead of other crops - thinking it would yield a tidy profit. This has resulted in a shortage of several seeds. We are hopeful that the 2010 harvest will remedy this. Stay tuned!
The Future of Raw Almonds
A lot of you have asked about the future of almonds. It is true that our government very quietly (and without public notification or call for comment) passed a law to pasteurize all almonds. We need to make some serious noise if we want RAW organic almonds to be available again. Fortunately for all of us, we have The Cornucopia Institute! The Cornucopia institute is working to reverse this ridiculous law. Learn about what they are doing and how you can help.
Also write your elected officials (all of them) and the USDA to demand that organic almonds not be pasteurized (Click to download a Sample Letter (This link will download a Word file which will go wherever you file your downloads)). This is another case where we can say that certified organic seed has never been blamed for a single outbreak of food-borne illness. That recent research shows organic crops to be more nutritious is only more reason for us to stand up and be heard while we can still fight for healthy food. Visit our friends at The Cornucopia Institute for further information.
Gone is the manufacturer of Sprout-Ease Lids and The Tube. All of you loyal customers will likely remember this oft repeated sad refrain, we apologize. We have given these people every possible opportunity but they do not fill orders, do not respond to e-mails, their voice-mail is always full and they disregard faxes. Our current order was placed in September of 2006 (yes, 2006!). We have had this identical problem more than a few years now and we are finally fed up completely. Waiting many months, running out-of-stock and living with all the stress is just no way to live, or do business. We will no longer be carrying their products. We are very sad to see them go. Their products remain on our site for now as we hold out that very last ray of hope; that they will fill that September 2006 order. If they do we will place another for as much as we can afford - hopefully a supply that would last for 2-3 years. Of course we won't expect that to be filled for at least 6 months, so even if the best happens and we get our order, we will certainly run out again before they fill the next one. So don't be surprised when you get an out-of-stock warning when putting those products into your shopping cart. As we always say at this point, as much as we love their products we do have better. Sproutpeople's own 3-Lid Set of Stainless Steel Lids are way better than the old Plastic Lids, and Easy Sprout is better than The Tube. Check out those devices and feel lucky - they really are better.
We had found a small supply of The Tube, through a big distributor here in California, so for a while we were selling our old design Kids Sprout Exploration Kit again, but that supply has now gone and though we are once again hoping to uncover more, we have little real hope anymore. BUT; We have a new, and far more inexpensive Kid's Sprout Kit.
Beyond News
This isn't the first year weather has been weird, it has been like this since we got into agriculture (1989), and before, but it is surely worse than ever - way too much heat and inconsistent moisture (too much or too little and often at the wrong time). As concerned as we are about global warming, we like to think that "life will find a way" - which means, in this case, that seeds will adjust to the new conditions. Seeds are alive and they work for the survival of their species. One way they do that is by acclimating. Seeds are amazing - they are what made us become Sproutpeople.
We won't go on about the bad crops. Like we said - the weather has been difficult for many years, yet we always seem to find high quality seeds in the quantities we need. We now know that that will be the case again this year (all the seeds we purchased exceeded our expectations). We have all the new seeds in house now, so enjoy the selection.
Here is a page about storing your seeds.
Shipping News
The postal service raised their rates on May 14, 2007 and again on May 12, 2008, and yet again in 2009. UPS raised their prices in January 2007 and again in January 2008 - and 2009's January added another almost 6% increase. It is an annual event we're very sad to say. 2010 was no different - and that "small" percentage is of course a larger amount every year. Despite UPS' raising our prices every January, we lowered yours. We added even lower rates for those of you who are along the west coast, with us, but EVERYONE is paying less! Many of you are paying less than we pay UPS! A fair number of you write to yell about our high shipping. We also shop online, so we empathize, but the fact is we are not overcharging you (contradiction: if our cart is off more than a couple dollars - which does happen with certain items when ordered in quantity - we credit your credit card without your even having to ask). Most online sellers raise the cost of their goods to cover their shipping costs. We do not think that right, so we keep them separate. It just isn't fair - especially to those of you who buy a lot of stuff. We are VERY sorry for the cost of shipping. We see it as the single greatest threat to our business and to internet shopping as a whole. We will probably have to raise rates to match UPS' increase, but we'll keep our shipping rates down as long as we can break even - - that isn't going to be easy - - gas prices, dwindling oil supplies, greed - all of these things make shippers charge us more. We can only absorb so much of that cost, but we'll keep trying to take as much as we can. We wish there were a Green Shipper - a company that ran their trucks on bio-diesel and powered their facilities with solar and wind - now THAT would be worth paying for.....
Write UPS to suggest they Go Green.
Here are a few Shipping notes.
As always, we are trying to do better - as Sproutpeople and as human beings.
Thank you again for your continuing support and kind words.
Happy Sprouting!
Gil & Lori
Sproutpeople
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Best Juicer on Earth
The Lowest Price Online
This is the juicer we have had in our kitchen for many years. It is amazing! It juices everything we could dream of juicing and it does grass better than the grass only juicers. We are selling the Green Star 1000 model - it is identical to the Green Star 2000 and 3000 except that it does not come with a coarse screen and non-juice attachments (none of which we have ever longed for). It is easy to clean. and is extremely durable. We are happy to offer this most excellent juicer at the lowest price we have seen anywhere. It is an investment you will never regret.
Check out this book to go with it...
Note: Overseas customers: If you need a 220 volt, we can get it for you. We will need you to pay $30 more however, which you can do on this page. Leave a note as you check-out, telling us you need 220v.
|
|
The Most Popular Grass Juicer Ever!
The HealthyJuicer
The HealthyJuicer is rugged, efficient, and best of all,
it is easy to use and clean!
It is a manual juicer, so it does have limitations too.
Michael Bergonzi, Greenhouse Manager at
Hippocrates Health Institute, recommends this juicer
over ALL others available.
|
|
|
|
This is a great sprout tool!
NEWish SPROUTING EQUIPMENT!
made by OXO
Good Grips
Little Salad & Herb Spinner
8 inches in diameter, 5 inches tall. Capacity = 2 Quarts
|
|
De-Huller/Sprout & Salad Spinner
A device to help you De-Hull and dry your sprouts.
We have promised this for years, and finally we have delivered. This is an extremely well made salad spinner by OXO. We have used the big version in our house for many years, but this one is perfect for a crop of sprouts. The idea is to fill the container with water, push the hulls out and then spin the sprouts dry. You will no longer have to wait for 12 hours after your final rinse/drain cycle to refrigerate. This is intended for Leafy and Brassica Sprouts as well as Greens, but will work with other sprouts and Micro-Greens as well.
Here are De-Hulling instructions.
|
|
|
|
10 bags per "box"
Bags are gusseted and measure 12" x 16"
Bags are re-usable.
|
|
These bags are amazing! We have tested sprouts, fruits and veges. We had Cilantro in one of these bags for a month! Plastic bags will still do for storing your sprouts, but if you want the best - for every sprout, fruit and vegetable - try these! You know us, we don't sell stuff just to sell it - these really are awesome. The bags is widely reviewed (positively), and like we said above - our personal experience is great, so we think it is a good bet you'll be happy with them.
The manufacturer says: Most fruit and vegetables release ethylene gas after harvest. Exposure of the produce to the gas accelerates aging and ultimate deterioration. PEAKfresh ® Produce Bags remove ethylene gas to prolong the life and freshness of the produce.
Unlike ordinary plastic bags, PEAKfresh ® Produce Bags 'breathe' so that damaging gases produced by the fresh produce are removed.
PEAKfresh® bags are USA FDA approved, comply with current EU Directives and approved by Swiss, Austrian, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Authorities.
All PEAKfresh® mineral impregnated bags are certified for packaging organically grown produce (International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements )
1. Home Gardeners: pre-cool freshly harvested produce in refrigerator for a couple of hours before storage in PEAKfresh ® Produce Bags.
2. Produce to be stored should be fresh and undamaged.
3. Use a separate bag for each type of produce. Produce must be dry.
4. Expel air from the bag and close it using the enclosed ties and store in refrigerator.
5. Storage of mushrooms and ripe bananas in PEAKfresh ® Produce Bags for more than a few days is not recommended. Do not store whole pumpkin or onions. Mushrooms should be stored in a paper bag and then into a PEAKfresh ® bag for added freshness.
6. Wash and dry bag thoroughly before re-use. Bags can be re-used for up to two months. |
|
|
|
|
Thanks to all of you! We've been Sproutpeople for quite a few years now, and we've been sending seeds to some of you for well over a decade - we get a kick out of seeing your names on your orders - we don't know most of you personally, but we feel a kinship of sorts. You make it possible for us to live our lives, raise our kids and animals, and - you are helping farmers do the same. Because you buy from us, we buy from our farmer friends. We aren't big, but our 40,000 pounds of seed (which is about what we buy every year) is sales our farmers wouldn't have - and every little bit counts - ask any farmer - or anyone else for that matter.
I have to take this space to advertise a couple things. Share a smile. Smile at a stranger, acknowledge someone positively. If we all do it, it will spread a lot faster. Along that track, thank you so much for all the kind words you send us (while checking out of our shop or sending E-mail) - it is truly touching and hugely appreciated! Also, we have another "business" which isn't going anywhere because we spend all of our time at Sproutpeople, but we want you to know it is there - if you have time, and you like dogs, take a look at Dog City TV.
sproutpeople.com
It was on 7.28.1996 that we registered the internet domain sproutpeople.com. We originally published just sprouting instructions, but fairly soon added a list of seeds for sale, along with a printable order form. We had about 20 pages back then and we hosted our own site. All the files were on an old (even then) Mac SE/30, in our Gays Mills (a town of 500), Wisconsin Sprout Factory. The Mac was attached to a 14.4 kb modem. When a visitor came to sproutpeople.com the Mac would sound a doorbell. We were always busy growing sprouts back then, but we would often stop and run to the Mac to see what pages our visitor looked at. It was hardly a common occurrence, but it was always so VERY exciting!
Now, we've been on the world wide web for over a 14 years! We don't hear a doorbell when someone comes to visit sproutpeople.com anymore but we are still thrilled. A lot has changed in these 14 years - online and off . We have poured our hearts into Sproutpeople and because of your appreciation and patronage we are able to raise our children and pay our mortgage. Thank you! You are not only supporting a small family business, you are supporting organics, fighting GMOs and helping family farmers and other small businesses (all of our sprouting devices and supplies come from small family businesses). If we all keep on like this, we may eventually take the world back from the corporations.
SPROUTS
Sprouts are a powerhouse of nutrition. They have been grown by many civilizations over the past 5,000 years.
We offer not only the most extensive (by far) assortment of sprouts, but the best sprouting seeds you can find anywhere. Almost all (80 out of 82) of the seeds we sell are from farmers who are Certified Organic.
We grew sprouts commercially for over 10 years - by hand, rinsing and draining 2-3 times daily over a sink. We've produced over 200 tons (yes tons!) of sprouts in this manner - which is why we are uniquely qualified to serve home sprouters - we have always grown the same way you do!
Since we grow our sprouts from the same seed we sell to you and we know pretty much everything there is to know about every lot of sprouting seed we use/sell and we love to help people sprout, how can you go wrong?
The Marvel of Sprouts!
Research shows that sprouts are a veritable fountain of youth. Sprouts abound with antioxidants, they are full of protein, chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Broccoli sprouts have been found to contain 50 times as much of the antioxidant sulfurophane as mature broccoli. Wheat Grass juice is the closest substance to hemoglobin known and is therefore a phenomenal blood purifier and liver de-toxifier. Sprouts contain enzymes, giving your body a much needed rest as they digest themselves - invigorating you while requiring no help from your body to process them. New research indicates that peanut sprouts reduce harmful cholesterol and that sunflower, buckwheat and grain sprouts dramatically improve the quality of life of diabetics. The list goes on and on.
We are a company committed to organic stewardship of our planet, to providing the highest quality seeds available, and to educating any and all who wish to learn about sprouts and sprouting.
As we like to say:
We Grow 'Em, We Know 'Em!
Raw Sprouted Almond Chocolate Torte
A seriously healthy & delicious dessert!
This is a very simple recipe made with enzyme rich Almond Sprouts. Besides being extremely nutritious - it is exquisitely beautiful and profoundly delicious!
Sprout Hummus
Easy, Delicious and Awesome Good!
Another simple recipe that can become a staple of your diet.
Our site contains over 400 pages of sprout information:
Sprouting Instructions for over 80 seeds
Recipes for Sprouts, Greens and even Grasses
Detailed Sprouting Device information
and every recipe and set of instructions has
a printable (plain-text) version too!
Shopping is completely integrated into our site!
Shop as you learn! No more trips to "the shop"!
Wherever you start you will find everything you could possibly hope to learn, and be able to add items to your shopping cart as you go!
We have never been so famous =;-D
We appear briefly in spring issues of Vegetarian Times and Mother Earth News.
2008; In April we were mentioned in Yoga Journal, May had us in Bird Talk and Organic Gardening magazines, as well as back on TV.
HGTV re-aired (it originally ran in 2007) the show that includes Sproutpeople on Gardening By The Yard - in May and June! In September we're mentioned in Natural Health. We do not advertise Sproutpeople. The only way people can usually find us is via word-of-mouth or by searching the internet (We discovered years ago that we are happier selling to people who want what we have - as opposed to selling people on what we have.)
We are very happy to welcome all of you new sproutpeople.
We put items that may be of interest to you right here, but we hope you'll look around.
We have over 400 pages - including detailed instructions for every Seed/Mix we sell (and some we don't), instructions for Sprouting Devices, Sprouting Basics and more. The deeper you navigate the more detail you will find. We also have printable versions of all of our helpful pages. Enjoy clicking and learning. Happy Sprouting!
|
Note - Due to poor weather and the relentless assault on our food supply in the form of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), seed supply is down and high quality seed is more and more difficult to find.
As optimistic as we are, we are concerned regarding future supply of quality sprouting seed. The latest problem is Monsanto's choice to plant GMO Alfalfa. This will certainly create a serious shortage of safe (unless you think GMO food is safe) Alfalfa seed in the very near future. This trend is potentially devastating to all life forms on Earth.
And then there's price.
The first thing we see is decreased supply and higher prices. We have been living with this problem for years now. When farmer's seed is contaminated by GMOs there is no undoing it. Supply will go down (eventually to zero?) and price will continue to rise. We are paying 50% more for Alfalfa than we did a couple years ago! We are paying almost 100% more for Clover than we paid 2 years ago.
The cost of doing business just keeps going up and up and up. The credit card companies take about 4% right off the top, then there's taxes, taxes, taxes and more taxes, the web services, phones, power, etc., etc., etc. The cost of packaging, labels, literature... then there is insurance and did I mention the taxes?
We WISH we could afford to keep your costs as low as we did in the past, but we feel survival is the most important goal. We believe, and are told often by customers, that our prices are the best you can find. In addition, we provide this enormous, informative web site. You will find more information here than in any 4 books put together - and it is FREE and always available. Costs are a very big deal these days, as inflation continues to threaten all of us, but they are not the most important concern.
Global warming is a very real problem. As agricultural people we live with it perhaps more than the average person, but anyone is hard pressed to deny it is a serious problem these days. For Sproutpeople, global warming is a cause of decreased seed availability and lower quality seed. Having been around as long as we have, we are able to find seeds of quality in almost every case, but it gets more and more difficult, and eventually it will become impossible unless we can change the course of global warming. Do what you can to lessen global warming: Plant more plants (trees especially), drive less, work locally to improve your environment: get your town to plant more trees - or at least not cut down those that are there. If we all do a little it will add up to a whole lot of good. Of course - demanding attention from your elected representatives on all levels of government is good too - they can make a much bigger difference - Corporations Are NOT People and that definition MUST change - RE-Regulate Corporations - tell your reps to do that for the America our fathers and mothers and their parents fought for - but - until that happens - change has to come from us little people.
Also vitally important is the need to stop the invasion of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), PLEASE join the Organic Consumers Association and write to every single politician you can, DEMANDING that GMO crops be stopped. Example: After GM Alfalfa is planted, its pollen will be carried to non-GM Alfalfa and will contaminate those plants with GMOs. The farmer growing those non-GM plants will now have GM seeds AND if he saves and plants those seeds (a tradition of farmers for centuries) his crops will now NOT be organic, WILL be a GMO AND he may even get sued by Monsanto for patent infringement (it has happened)! That MUST be stopped!
Anyway...
Be well and happy.
Thank you again for your continued patronage and support!
Happy Sprouting!
Gil & Lori
Notes about us and our site:
We are a tiny business. We have been Sproutpeople since 1993, and at this point we no longer sacrifice our children to our business (though they may not agree). We do our business VERY well (if we do say so ourselves) but it is no longer our goal to be great at business above all else (it never really was, but one does get carried away sometimes) - - we think it is essential that we be good parents and happy people. To that end we have some limitations - like all orders come from this web site - you MUST shop online to buy from us. We fill orders quickly (usually 2-4 business days) but we reserve the right to take longer . We are very fast on E-mail, but we reserve the right to be slow (you wouldn't believe some of the questions we get! I mean really, we have this huge, free, always available (24/7/365.25) web site, but people still write us even though their questions are easily answered here. We also get a lot of E-mail from folks who buy cheap seeds elsewhere and then want us to fix them....), and we virtually never use the phone anymore. We have spent years (actual years - we've had this site since August of 1996!) building this site up and we think you can find any answer to any question - if you look (use the search boxes for help) a little.
Since September of 2001 (when this current web site was launched - 9/21/01 to be exact - after 2 years of very late nights writing and writing) we sell all seeds by the pound. With the exception of some Kits and Samplers we no longer offer fractional weights (except Garlic and Onion, which sell by the 1/2 pound).
We will bag your seeds in as few bags as possible - for example:
If you order 3 pounds of Alfalfa, we will send you one bag weighing 3 pounds.
If you want us to ship your multiple pounds in 1 lb. bags, please tell us -
by using the Comments Box as you check-out of our online store.
Our store allows you to pay with a credit card on-line or by sending a check.
Our Attitude
Unlike some other sprout sites we will not tell you we are the biggest supplier (though we know we are several times bigger than some who claim to be the biggest) of sprouting seeds because we don't care! We will tell you that we are the best - because we are! But you should look around the web and compare. We like people to make their own decisions and to be happy with them.
We have one warning: As you look around our site and especially others - BEWARE DOGMA! Whenever anyone tells you something is so - QUESTION IT! We have been upset for years by the "wealth" of false information offered in books and on web sites about sprouts. It is our opinion that too many people who claim to be experts are not (in all fields - not just sprouts). Most seem to pass on - without question - what they were taught (as opposed to what they've learned for themselves). The result is Dogma and it is very often wrong or at best, only partially correct. Our example is this: When we started sprouting in 1993 we just did it - we didn't go get a book - we just did it. We were market gardeners at the time, so we knew quite a bit about seeds and plants so we had knowledge to begin with. It was a year later that we first picked up a sprouting book, and what we found was this: We had been enjoying great success sprouting, using methods that were said to be impossible. Because of that we realized that experimentation is the single most important thing and that the key words to remember as we wander through life are:
Question Authority! Keep an Open Mind: Experiment Freely. And Be Respectful.
We are responsible for our actions and must be responsible to humanity
if we are to make a better world, so Respect all things and just say NO to Dogma!
Resolutions
Every day is an opportunity to do better - not just New Year's Day.
But for many of us the New Year provides the motivation to begin anew.
Sprouts can help.
Want to treat yourself better? Eat better.
You don't have to change everything - just add more of the good stuff.
Sprouts are the most powerful nutrition you can grow.
Good nutrition improves your health, gives you more energy, and is the first step to losing unneccesary pounds. The raw energy of sprouts supports you when kicking bad habits like smoking or drinking. Sprouts help you to think more clearly so you can get organized and enjoy life more with family and friends. Want to help others?
Tell them about sprouts!
(If you tell them about us you'll also be helping a small family business and family farmers).
Learning something new! Learn sprouting - it's easy.
Growing your own food is truly awesome and liberating.
In short, if you want to resolve anything, here is a great way to start:
Eat More Sprouts!
Happy New Day!
|
Popular Stuff and Pages
Our Help Page
Search Sproutpeople's Organic Sprout Wonderland:
|
