What’s in Store: Cucumbers!

February 17, 2025

This week, I was surprised to find small sandwich bags of mini whole cucumbers for sale on the shelves at Argus. At this point in the year, I tend to be used to the usual Michigan winter storage crops: onions, potatoes, rutabaga, beets, carrots, and more root vegetables. We also have plenty of winter squash and apples harvested and stored by our local farmers. However, some of our local growers have invested in season extension equipment, such as greenhouses or hoop houses. This has allowed us to have items like kale or spinach.

We also have farmers who use hydroponic growing practices. “Hydroponics, in its simplest form, is growing plants by supplying all necessary nutrients in the plants’ water supply rather than through the soil. The word derives from the Greek root words “hydro,” meaning water, and “ponics,” meaning working. Growing plants hydroponically helps gardeners and farmers grow more food in smaller areas (classrooms, greenhouses, rooftops, and living rooms, for instance) and to produce food in parts of the world where space, good soil, and/or water are limited.” I came across this Kids Gardening resource that provides an overview of hydroponic gardening and includes learning activities for kids. Check it out!

Sells Farms & Greenhouses is one of our local farms who specializes in hydroponic growing. They are an Ypsilanti-based, family-owned business operated by husband / wife team Dean and Susan Sell. They started the farm in 1992 with one small, wooden greenhouse. Every year or two, they added another small greenhouse as the market demanded, selling their plants primarily at local farmer’s markets, until 1996 when they began selling at the farm. The small wooden greenhouse served its purpose until 1998 when it and two others were removed to make room for a large, 12,500 square foot greenhouse. They continued to sell out of a large tent in front of the greenhouses until 2011, when they opened their new sales barn.

Sell Farms & Greenhouses specializes in perennial plants and hanging baskets. They also carry a wide variety of annuals, bedding plants, herbs, and vegetable plants — everything for the garden. All winter-long, you can find their hydroponic lettuce, herbs, (and now cucumbers!) at Argus Farm Stop. You can follow them on Instagram or Facebook.