Michael Bergonzi has been in the alternative health field for the past 16 years. Getting into the field of wheatgrass was not at all what he had in mind! Following his mother and father to a health institute and working in the store/office in 1990, the greenhouse was in need of a new manager. The job was offered to Michael and the rest became history. It seemed that wheatgrass was his new (age) path. (Check out the book by Steve Meyerowitz called "Wheatgrass, Nature's Finest Medicine" page 117 www.sproutman.com photo & quote page below) Working eight years there, he then worked for an entertainer in the music industry (she is in a photo below if you look close, you might guess who it is), getting away from wheatgrass, but not nutrition as he was able to work with Ellen Tart Jensen (www.bernardjensen.org check out their site for information on "colema boards") at times. After three years, he then took a job with long time friend and wheatgrass owner, Debbie Kleven owner of Grassroots Organic Wheatgrass, growing over 400 trays of grass, 6 days a week.
Moving to West Palm Beach in Oct. 2001 to work with Hippocrates Health Institute, just seemed the next best choice. Since that time, he has developed a seed department, specialty racks for growing on a large & smaller, home version, scale, found two different size planting trays, an organic vegetative compost, designed a system for sprouting every kind of bean available, teaches two different growing classes throughout the program, travels to NY twice a year for health expo's as well as all around Florida (check calendar page for dates & locations), and the Hippocrates Store offers several of Michael's work, including home growing racks, seeds, planting trays, 'how to' video and one of his favorite classes on CD called "conscious communication." (working on part two & three called "moving beyond fear" and "understanding judgement") (Conscious Communication CD now available on line through the Hippocrates store at www.hippocratesinstitute.org )Every six weeks offers a sprouting and wheatgrass growing class to the public along with executive chef Kelly on raw food prep held at Hippocrates. He is honored to now be a part of the number one alternative health retreat in the country! (Which, by the way, his mother & father now work for as well!) For personal questions, please email: wheatgrassking@yahoo.com Also, visit his personal myspace page as well as the Hippocrates myspace page! Come and be added to our friends list!!!
Michael would like to thank a few growers that helped him back in the beginning to become the number one wheatgrass grower in the country and get his picture in a book! Thank you to Ken & Robin Taylor of Sungrown Organic Dist., Mark Bakula AKA Solman, Rick Sokol, Harley & Nurit. If you are interested in starting your own wheatgrass greenhouse, please email Michael at michael@hippocratesinst.org and ask for some advice. "Unconditional Love is Total Silence" MB
(More info on MOLD etc... below)
Michael & Rockette in CA grass! The old way, 1990 in CA!
Michael, J & Sister Donna
Michael & Steve Meyerowitz (www.sproutman.com) at DC Expo
Grass grows through the snow in VT, April 2007 (yes, I like the Yankees)
Body, Mind & Spirit Expo Tampa 2004
BMSExpo in West Palm Beach, 2004
Me & Executive Chef Kelly, Expo 2002
HHI Greenhouse & Michael
Pull me over, not in CA! =)
Where am I in this CO photo??
Now at Hippocrates Health Institute....
Moving to CA in 1990 to take a job at the Optimum Health Institute, there were no thoughts of every becoming a wheatgrass grower. After 3 months of changing jobs within this alternative health field, the greenhouse manager position was offered. I took it. There was MOLD everywhere and on every tray of wheatgrass. The grass was running out for the guests who were there to heal. Having to travel to three different growers in the local area to buy the OHI supply of grass was not solving the mold issue. When we talk about mold, we are meaning the ‘spider-webby / cotton’ looking mold that grows up the grass. When the seed is still within it’s first few days of growth and you notice this cotton looking mold, it is NOT mold. Look closer at it and water your seeds. It is actually the root hairs that are reaching for food (water). When the grass is mature, there might also be a greenish type mold on the seeds themselves. Do not be concerned as we always harvest the grass above the seed. Here are the steps I took to solve this, as well as a brown mold on the seeds that were not growing. Please note that there is no “quick fix” to get rid of the mold once it is on your grass. Also, you can still use the grass. Just rinse it off before juicing as this mold is ‘around’ the grass.
Control the temperature: Always keep it between 60 – 80 degrees. Colder than 60 will not kill your grass, it will slow it down and even stop it’s growth.
Create Air Circulation: Air circulation blowing around the grass, especially if the temp. starts to get above 80 degrees. (ceiling fan, osculating fan, air condition, exhaust fan, in front of an open window, etc…) Air movement will prevent 90% of all mold issues. I have grown mold free wheatgrass in 95 degree weather in
Plant thinner: Plant less seed per tray. This will allow more air to flow through your wheatgrass.
Change your seed: If you have good air flow, and you are still getting mold, it is time to change your variety of wheat seed you are using. Note that there are approx. 1,500 varieties of wheat grown all across the
In my quest for “no mold”, I tried several different brands of soil as well as hydroponics (without soil). Just choose a very basic potting mix or top soil from a bag. A soil that looks dark, like the earth. Organic soil, out of a bag, might cause more problems with mold issues as that soil can be to acid based. The wheat likes more of an alkaline base soil. Personally, I will always use soil for growing wheatgrass as well as sunflower greens, pea greens and buckwheat lettuce rather than hydroponics. The reason for using soil is NOT for nutrition, however, something more than what science can prove at this time. It’s for the “vibration / energy / life force” that you can see, feel and taste in the greens. When Ann Wigmore healed herself from grass, it was grass grown in the earth. The message she learned was simple: Get the EARTH back into our diets and more Oxygen back in our blood. The farmer that is growing the wheat seed should be using these other products that add to the soil (Ocean Grown, Sea Kelp, etc…), so that the seed itself will have a better immune system. These products added to 7-10 old wheatgrass will not be as effective as once thought. Once a seed becomes a seed, there isn’t anything you can “feed” it within this short cycle that will help with its nutritional value or with mold problems. Use these products where they are needed, in the EARTH, your garden, your back yard fruit trees, etc…
Spray the grass with Hydrogen Peroxide, grapefruit seed extract, acid base water, etc… These are all nice ideas to get rid of MOLD, but they are not quick fixes. There is no quick fix to get rid of the mold. Once you get it, don’t let it get you down and don’t give up. Just rinse it off.
Change your seed source and this is what worked every time. Throughout the process of changing soil, temperature, watering, planting trays, air circulation, the things that worked the best for the spider web / cotton looking mold was “air movement” and then changing the seed. There are over 1,500 varieties of wheat seed out there these days, and every one of them grow differently. I try to buy my seed from farmers that “summer fow” and put the nutrient back into the earth before planting their next crop of wheat. So, in turn, I get a seed with a better immune system. This makes all the difference. When all else fails, try a different wheat. I choose “hard winter wheat” however; there is a hard spring wheat that might be good too. Soft wheat or white wheat will not work well at all. Hard wheat is at times referred to as “wheatberries”. However, they are not berries, they are seeds.
Michael’s background:
Michael has been growing wheatgrass since 1990 and designed / built the state of the art greenhouse at the Optimum Health Institute. In 1998, he then worked for three years with singer/song writer, Jewel. Still in the alternative health field, traveling as a nutritionist and working with Ellen Tart-Jensen (Ellen spent 12 years with Dr. Bernard Jensen www.bernardjensen.org ), learning about the Colema Board and the importance of colon health. He then went back into the wheatgrass field working for the largest grower in