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Rogers’ indoor grow room features stacked trays of microgreens at various stages of growth. | Courtesy Patsy Rogers
A Lakeland micro-farm, My Tiny Greens started as a pandemic survival experiment.
Founder and self-described “prepper” Patsy Rogers asked herself a simple question, “If all we had were rice and beans, what could we grow quickly that was actually good for us?”
Her answer — microgreens — led to a personal experiment with a tray of sunflower seeds. It has since grown into an indoor micro-farm, a small-scale operation that produces nutrient-dense crops in small spaces using efficient, controlled growing techniques.
As traditional large-scale farming in Polk County declines and development expands into former farm areas, small and specialty growers like micro-famers are carving out new space in the local agriculture economy.
Fresh-cut microgreens from My Tiny Greens, harvested and packed for local restaurants and customers. | Courtesy Patsy Rogers
Microgreens are tiny, nutrient dense seedlings harvested within seven to 10 days. Unlike sprouts — eaten root and all and subject to stricter regulation — microgreens are cut above the root and carry fewer safety risks.
Rogers’ first batch came from three trays of sunflower microgreens after watching a YouTube tutorial. They grew quickly, tasted nutty and proved easy to replicate — sparking her first retail partner, Anthony’s Health Hut, and eventually her business. Her offerings now range from arugula, radish and sunflower to Swiss chard, amaranth, broccoli and a six green salad mix.
Polk’s shifting agriculture industry
Polk County has about 560,000 acres of farmland and 2,200 farms, generating more than $300 million in agricultural products sold each year, according to the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture. The Census also shows that statewide about 70% of Florida farms are under 50 acres.
Polk County’s numbers reflect that trend, showing a substantial share of small-acreage operations. About 21% of the county’s farms are 1 to 9 acres, and another 43% are 10 to 49 acres, according to the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture data.
Citrus, once a dominant crop, continues to shrink statewide — Florida’s citrus acreage fell 24% in the 2024–25 season, with Polk County now holding 48,473 citrus acres, from the Commercial Citrus Inventory Preliminary Report.
Barriers for small growers
While micro-farming offers a low-acreage, adaptable model for some crops, running a small farm comes with more costs and requirements than many expect.
To start, Rogers needed equipment, climate-controlled space, packaging and time to test growing methods. She also faced a stack of licenses: a city business license, food safety insurance, and depending on what she sells, a seed or nursery license.
Rogers estimates she spent about $750 on her initial home setup — racks, lights, soil, seeds, trays and containers — before later investing $10,000 to $12,000 to enclose her back porch, which now serves as her grow space.
“All those things add up,” she said.
Rogers believes farms would benefit from a simplified licensing system — one umbrella that covers seed sales, nurseries and basic city requirements.
Census data supports her point: small farms face the same regulations as large farms but operate with far smaller sales volumes and rely more heavily on off-farm income, leaving them with less capacity to absorb added costs.
Her experience mirrors national trends. Small family farms make up 85% of all U.S. farms but only 14% of agricultural sales, according to the 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture. They were also the only group to shrink between 2017 and 2022 — down 10%. The Census also shows 42% of small-farm producers work more than 200 days off-farm annually to stay afloat.
Rogers keeps inventory tight to avoid waste, but that means no backup supply if a crop fails. “Sometimes I have to tell a chef I don’t have what they ordered,” she said. “I hate doing that.”
My Tiny Greens founder Patsy Rogers stands at her microgreens display during a local event in Polk County. | Courtesy Patsy Rogers
Growing in classrooms
Rogers sees big potential for microgreens in schools.
They grow quickly, take little space and give students fast results. She’s connecting with educators at Southwest Middle School and has worked with Ag in the Classroom groups.
“They’re perfect for nutrition lessons,” she said.
Polk County School Board Member Justin Sharpless, a longtime agricultural educator, said the trend aligns with what he’s seeing.
“I see micro-farming or small indoor farming as a viable option for students in a more suburban or urban setting,” he said. “As our population increases, resulting in the loss of agricultural lands due to urban sprawl, we will need to be innovative in food production.”
Sharpless said students are already exploring nontraditional food production in middle and high school agricultural education programs. “I have visited schools with hydroponics and raised-bed gardening systems,” he said.
He added that urban agriculture taps into demand for locally grown food.
What’s next
Rogers plans to expand restaurant partnerships and continue exploring school-based projects. She hopes Polk residents see the value in supporting small growers. “You’re supporting someone who wants to help feed the community,” she said.
Sharpless hopes students continue discovering opportunities across the agriculture industry. “Urban and suburban agriculture, including micro-farming, is full of opportunities,” he said.
Insight Polk examines community conditions and solutions in six target areas from UCIndicators.org: economic & employment opportunity, education, housing, food security, transportation & infrastructure, and quality of life.
LkldNow’s Insight Polk independent reporting is made possible by the United Community Indicators Project with funding by GiveWell Community Foundation & United Way of Central Florida. All editorial decisions are made by LkldNow.
Kayla Borg is a Lakeland native and graduate of Western Carolina University, where she earned her degree in English and film production. She began her media career in Atlanta at CNN, quickly rising from production assistant editor to technical director/editor, leading live broadcasts alongside field reporters. Since then, she’s worked in education, instructional design and independent filmmaking.
