The symphony of vegetables inside the fermentation tanks at Micro Mama’s – cabbage, carrots, and beets to name a few — are much more than healthy condiments and side dishes.

The products are all steeped in Stephanie Zydenbos and Samantha Cleveland’s passion for change. The sisters behind this probiotic culinary venture in Weare are committed to weaving eco-conscious practices into the core of their business.

“Food preservation is human preservation. Food preservation is land preservation. It is water and air preservation,” said Zyndenbos, who believes Micro Mama’s mission is to pave the way for a better future in the environment, agriculture and health.

The company was hailed this week as an example of a business that has used money from the federal Inflation Reduction Act to lower energy costs while generating new income. 

In November, the business received a $52,846 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy America Program to replace 93% of its annual energy consumption by installing solar panels on its roofs. The array is expected to save their business $13,500 a year.

The grant is one of the ways the federal government is investing in assisting agricultural producers and rural small businesses. It provides loans and grants to make the switch to renewable energy systems as well as install energy efficiency projects like insulation and lighting.

“To get to see how an investment in one company is an investment in many farmers in many value-added opportunities in the resiliency of a farm ecosystem that also provides the health for people all across New Hampshire,” said Xochitl Torres Small, USDA deputy secretary, while visiting the business Tuesday morning.

Investing in food

Apart from a focus on sustainability, Micro Mama’s has been a heartbeat for local farmers in New Hampshire since it started in 2012. Most vegetables in Micro Mama’s fermentation tanks are sourced from nearby farms, creating a symbiotic relationship with the local agricultural community.

Like other local farmers, Dale Willoughby, owner of Willoughby Farm in Kensington knows he can always rely on Micro Mama’s to buy his produce and support him.

“The benefit that I have got from my relationship with Micro Mama’s was just having a stable market,” said Willoughby at Tuesday’s event to support rural farmers. “It’s certainly not my most profitable market. However, it doesn’t matter what you’re growing, whether it’s wheat, zucchini or garlic.”

Prioritizing investment in how food moves through the system and sustainable growing practices are important, said small farm owners across the state.

This involves investing in farmers, providing them with tools for sustainable cultivation, and nurturing soil health. Additionally, local farms need year-round farmers markets to serve as an outlet to customers.

“The role in the food system that we really need to invest in from farm gate to dinner plate,” said Hannah Flanders, co-founder of Kearsarge Food Hub, a nonprofit center for local farms. “Our farmers are not only growing our food, they’re stewarding and preserving our lands and we should be investing in them as a community service.”

Access to land is still a significant barrier, both for established farmers and newcomers to agriculture. Reducing costs by investing in sustainable practices like learning to cultivate a variety of crops in limited acreage and marketing smart agriculture practices can help farmers financially.

“Most farmers that I talked to don’t want to make a killing, they want to make a living, and their next generation might be willing to take on that operation if they can just make a living,” said Torres Small.