By Sue Erwin
Photos submitted
Making smart food choices every day can affect your health, and as a result, how you feel both
physically and mentally. Ileana Perez, owner of Pleyoo Microgreens, has discovered an
ecologically healthy way to create good nutrition by growing organic produce in any kind of
environment.
Microgreens are the seedlings of vegetables and herbs. Once the seed of an herb or vegetable
begins to grow, it is considered a sprout. Once the sprout begins to develop, the baby plant is
considered a microgreen.
Several years ago Ileana and her husband, Orlando, started a little garden in front of their small
apartment in Fort Myers, after learning about the variety of health benefits from consuming the greens.
Two years ago they cleared out the jacuzzi patio area of their home and Orlando constructed a 10’ X
15’ greenhouse.
“Our passion is gardening, working outside, planting, cleaning, removing weeds, picking fruits and
vegetables, and so much more; we always felt the need to plant something, to watch it grow and to be
able to harvest it,” Ileana said. “The experience of growth and the savory outcome enriched us with joy.
58 GASPARILLA ISLAND September/October 2019