Hidden Gems: Meet Chelsea Tague of Tague Farm

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Tague. 

Hi Chelsea, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Tague Farm was established halfway through the Pandemic. I have always dreamed about being a farmer, but that usually led me down the road of swaths of land with rows of veggies and animals. The reality is I live in a city. I had to think outside the box for ideas of what I could grow in the space I have. On YouTube, I came across videos of people growing microgreens in their basements, and I was intrigued. I already had experience starting seeds with grow lights, this would just be on a bigger scale. In January 2021 I had begun to turn my ideas into a business. I set up a vertical farm in my basement with a couple chrome shelves and some trays. By June I had outgrown the space and moved into a separate building on our property. I am now focused on automating some of the processes to save time and resources. I am fortunate to have a husband and family who support my dreams, and a day job that I can work from home. Not having to commute to the office every day allows me the extra time to maintain my farm and my business. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
There has definitely been a learning curve on the business side of running a farm. I taught myself website design, came up with a home delivery system and signed up for weekly farmers’ markets. One of the biggest struggles I’ve had is learning how to market my business and myself on social media. 

Beginning new flavors of microgreens can also be a struggle. Each variety is different and needs different growing conditions. Fitting them into the schedule and into the environment of my farm requires patience. Recently we have finally begun to have consistent success growing Basil and Cilantro, however, it has taken more than six months to figure out what each crop needs. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Tague Farm is a local, urban farm that specializes in growing microgreens. We currently grow leek, basil, cilantro, radish, sunflower, pea, nasturtium, broccoli, and a brassica mix. 

We provide home delivery to customers each Friday throughout the Denver Metro Area. We sell in several local markets such as Tom’s Seafood & Gourmet Foods, Deli Italia Pizzeria & Market, and Sun Market. We also sell to local chefs in larger quantities. 

Our goal at Tague Farm is to create sustainably raised food. To lower our usage of resources we are using LED grow lights and recirculating water. We also feed the remaining microgreens to our chickens and reuse the soil in our outdoor vegetable gardens. All our packaging is compostable and we use all organic materials. 

I am most proud of finding a way to fulfill my dream of becoming a farmer and growing healthy fresh food for our community. 

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I have always been a hard worker. It takes a lot of time to grow, market, and distribute my microgreens. I like to be busy and feel like I have accomplished something each day. Running a business is a lot of work and farming is a lot of work, but I love the process of planting tiny seeds that grow into such a healthy product. 

Pricing:

• Tague Farm offers a wide variety of products. From our 1 ounce Leek priced at $4 up to our most popular mix The Medley at $22.
• We also offer up to 10% if you sign up for a subscription.
• Tague Farm also offers free delivery to all orders over $15.

Contact Info:

• Email: Chelsea@TagueFarm.com
• Website: www.TagueFarm.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taguefarm
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taguefarm