Today we’d like to introduce you to Lynnette Cirillo.
Hi Lynnette, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Little Plants Farm is a woman-owned, Filipina/Native American Urban Farm in the heart of Santa Monica. I specialize in farming Microgreens and serving fresh pressed juices for my community and friends.
I used to work as a Business Operations Manager back in 2019, but unfortunately, I lost my job due to COVID and struggled to find work for a number of years. The pandemic of 2020 brought me the awareness of things that normally I would have taken for granted. As a resident of Santa Monica, I recognized there was a need for food independence and access to high-quality food. Especially during the height of the pandemic, seeing empty shelves in stores really got me worried to the point of wanting to produce my own food. So, I decided to start an Urban Farm to provide my community with a source of nutritious food, such as Microgreens. So instead of relying on a company for work, I carved out my own job and created a new career for myself. It has always been a dream of mine to own my own business; little did I know that that business was a Microgreen Farm.
As a personal trainer and nutrition enthusiast, I am committed to farming the freshest, most flavorful, long-lasting greens. Bringing farm-to-table freshness to my community!
In 2020, Little Plants Farm became a Certified Food Producer by the State of California while perfecting the art of growing Microgreens. It has been said by my customers that our greens taste fresh, last long, and have incredible vibrant flavor, a direct reflection of the care and love I put into growing my greens.
I believe in food independence and local food production as a way to minimize our carbon footprint. All greens are grown indoors with certified organic seeds, organic soil, and organic nutrients.
I offer delivery every Tuesday and Friday in Santa Monica and the surrounding area in addition to my subscription service. We can be found at the Santa Monica Farmers Market @Virginia Park from 8am-1pm every Saturday and Beverly Hills from 8am-1pm every Sunday at the Civic Center.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The past three years have been fun but challenging. It’s been a one woman show this whole time, this past year is the first year I started taking on employees which has been amazing because I needed the support.
Growing Microgreens is a 24/7 job, as is owning my own company. So there is always growing pains when one is trying to build a business. They say being an entrepreneur is a spiritual journey, and their right. Having a business forces one to take a hard look at themselves and see where one may be blocking themselves. So much of my business has been trial and error.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Little Plants Farm?
Little Plants Farm is an Urban Farm within the community of Santa Monica. I specialize in farming Microgreens and serving fresh press juices for my community.
My mission is to connect people to their bodies, rooted in plants, grounded to earth. I want to provide the freshest Microgreens and freshly pressed juices possible. I sell to restaurants, directly to consumers, and at Farmers’ Markets on the weekends. What sets me apart from the rest is that I am local to the community, a female minority-owned business, wider variety than most Microgreen vendors. I’m focused specifically on providing live fresh food to my local community, steering away from a corporate structure opting for a local urban farm of Santa Monica. and the surrounding community. I’m interested in closing the gap between farmer and consumer, how it used to be. By doing so, we can put fresher food in people’s hands, contributing to the overall health of our communities. We offer delivery Tuesday and Friday and a subscription service.
Contact Info:
- Website: littleplantsfarm.com
- Instagram: @littleplantsfarm
- Facebook: @littleplantsfarm
Image Credits
Tony Sombrano Lynnette Cirillo
