Tucked between seasonal veggies and artisan breads at the Lakewood Ranch Farmers’ Market you’ll find a colorful burst of life: Mandy’s Microgreens. What started as a curiosity during the pandemic has blossomed into one of Sarasota’s freshest foodie obsessions.
Mandy Marco’s journey wasn’t the straight path to farming you might imagine. A Virginia native, she moved to Sarasota eight years Tago, working in nursing and later in health insurance sales. But after reading an article about micro-greens during the height of COVID lockdowns, something clicked. She began experimenting at home, sharing greens with coworkers, and before long she was knocking on the back doors of restaurants, introducing chefs to her vibrant little harvests. Her background in sales helped; in Mandy’s words, “You’ve got to get it in the chef’s hands.”
Fast forward to April 2022, and Mandy officially launched Mandy’s Microgreens. What began on her kitchen counter is now a flourishing commercial operation (with a new facility in the works). She grows more than 25 varieties, from radish and broccoli to high-end picks like lemon basil and red-veined sorrel. She even grows cantaloupe microgreens, a sweet favorite among kids.
The life cycle of a microgreen is a speedy one—anywhere from nine days to a month—so there’s always something fresh sprouting. Mandy harvests about 10 pounds of greens a week, supplying local restaurants, cafés, vegan kitchens, and even a dog treat company. And it’s not just people who are fans: Tortoises and turtles happily munch them too.
What makes Mandy’s Microgreens so special is the heart behind every tray. After losing her mother, Mandy became passionate about how nutrition can support health and healing. For her, microgreens are a simple way to sneak more wellness into everyday life. A sprinkle of broccoli on avocado toast, edible flowers on a cocktail, or a pop of radish on salad—each tray offers a rainbow of flavor, never quite the same twice.
Mandy sources her seeds from trusted suppliers like Hoss and follows organic growing practices from start to finish. As one of the few farmers in the area focused solely on microgreens, she’s committed to knowing exactly what goes from seed to soil to plate. Clean, healthy, and beautiful—that’s her promise.
From farmers’ markets to fine-dining tables, Mandy’s Microgreens prove that sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest impact. Catch her at the Lakewood Ranch Market this fall, and taste for yourself why Sarasota chefs (and turtles) can’t get enough.
