Mama Kali’s Farm: A mother-daughter duo’s microgreens business in Te Puke

Mother and daughter duo Yu Kali and Yu Jiang of Mama Kali's Farm in their greenhouse. Photo / RNZ / Sally Round

By Sally Round of RNZ

A pocket-sized bit of land, a small shed, a few trays and lots of health-conscious customers - that is all it took to get Mama Kali’s microgreens farm sprouting.

After starting out selling their produce at farmers’ markets two years ago, Yu Kali and Yu Jiang are now also sending out 2000 packs of nutrient-dense seedlings every week to the vegetables aisles of 30-odd supermarkets in Aotearoa.

The mother and daughter duo started out in a small greenhouse on a rural block on the outskirts of Te Puke in the Bay of Plenty.

Microgreens - closely planted baby vegetable plants harvested after a couple of weeks - were the best crop for two women starting out in horticulture, Jiang said.

“Traditional farming, it’s just not realistic. We don’t have machinery, we don’t have that much land.

“It’s easy. It’s not a lot of investment. We just bought some trays. We did a bit of research as well.

“And we’re quite lucky in the Bay of Plenty. There [are] no other microgreen growers in this area.”

They now have a purpose-built 72sq m greenhouse with a packing shed alongside, providing room for hand-harvesting and sorting.

It is a far cry from Kali’s days selling shoes in China.

She married a Kiwi and arrived in New Zealand in 2007.

Sprouts first spend a few days in the dark to develop. Photo / RNZ / Sally Round

Jiang followed two years later, completing her schooling at Te Puke High.

Jiang said her mother had always had a passion for nature and growing things.

“She always wanted to have lots of garden, but being in the city is really hard,” Jiang told RNZ’s Country Life.

Kali's home shows her passion for greenery. Photo / RNZ / Sally Round

“We have very small apartments [in China] and it’s hard to have a garden.

“When she came to New Zealand, [it was] like a dream come true for Mum.”

Kali’s transformation from “city girl” to “farmer girl” was a bit of a “shock” for her family in China, her daughter said.

The small greenhouse where the pair started growing the sprouts. Photo / RNZ / Sally Round

They moved into microgreens after Jiang lost her job as an indoor plant technician during the pandemic.

The working-from-home movement meant offices got rid of their indoor plants.

The pair initially wanted to set up an indoor plant-growing business but realised they had missed the moment.

Kate Crossman completes the three-woman team at Mama Kali's Farm. Photo / RNZ / Sally Round

Instead, they decided to nurture edible plants.

They started off growing from trays on a small trolley in a 12sq m greenhouse, selling at markets in Hamilton and Tauranga.

They thought people would only want the sprouts as a fancy garnish and were surprised at the demand.

“We have people that love them and they eat them every day, and they said, ‘Oh, can’t live without it in my sandwich.’

“I started doing more research on microgreens and we started to get really, really amazed [by] how beneficial [they] can be to your diet.”

The demand grew so much, they employed friend Kate Crossman fulltime to keep up with the constant task of sowing seeds, sprouting and watering the crop.

The microgreens are harvested by hand. Photo / RNZ / Sally Round

It is then sorted and hand-harvested before being delivered - sometimes in person - and sold directly at local farmers’ markets.

They grow five different types of microgreens, including a customer favourite, a blended pack of eight vegetables, based on a lucky number in Chinese culture.

“We love the number eight, and the more, the better!”

As for family dynamics affecting the flow in the greenhouse?

“Always fighting!” Kali laughed.

Not so, Jiang said.

“I feel like me and Mum definitely [have come] a long way from the beginning, understanding each other’s, like, strengths and weaknesses, and I guess compromising as well.

“Of course, Mum always comes on top, because [she’s] your mother!”

- RNZ