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. Today, My Tiny Greens supplies local restaurants and health stores like Anthony's Health Hut and The Old South Country Market, Hakucho, The Terrace Grille and several Catapult chefs — plus roughly 50 individual customers. Rogers runs the operation herself with no employees.
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.
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