Carson City’s Jazi’s Greenz is expanding local, technology-controlled agriculture with the weird and wonderful

Sea Ice, Sea Stix, Akulikuli are just a handful of edible plants you’ve probably never heard of, but that’s exactly why local agriculture enthusiast Brian Harasha and his family chose to produce them.

Brian is producing more than a dozen pounds of produce per week, which he grows in either a handmade greenhouse he erected in his driveway, or the far more controlled, laboratory-like grow room he built inside his garage.

Sea Ice is his specialty, a bizarre-looking edible succulent native to southwestern Africa and western Asia, and in other areas of the world that could even be considered a weed. In Northern Nevada, however, it is considered a rare delicacy.

Brian grows the majority of his Sea Ice plants in hydroponic towers in his greenhouse in a few different forms. In the younger plants, the Sea Ice grows larger, lettuce-like leaves that can be used for wraps or salads. In the older plants, tightly formed spiral-like buds form with small hints of yellow or pink colors popping through, and small gem-like flower heads poke out.

The reason Brian calls the plant Sea Ice is because from far away, it appears that the plants are encased in ice crystals. The succulent-like leaves are covered in tiny membranes that form tiny crystals filled with sap.

The taste is equally bizarre; the leaves hold both a decent amount of water within their succulent-like leaves, but have an unmistakable salty taste. Their salinity is part of the plant’s bid for survival; in the wild, when the plant dies, the salt from its leaves will leach into the soil and keep other plants from growing.

The plant is considered a delicacy in Japan, and unsurprisingly, many of Brian’s clients are upscale sushi restaurants in the Lake Tahoe or San Fransisco areas, as well as Lake Tahoe area resorts.

Brian did not always grow weird, highly-coveted plants in his garage. He used to work for the Forest Service until an injury meant he could no longer keep his career. He first started growing micro-greens, or sprouts, six years ago, and quickly found his calling.

“I’m less of a farmer, more of a scientist or researcher,” said Brian.

Part of what he has been working on with his grow operations is experimenting with growing conditions. In his outdoor hoop house he has many of his plants — including Sea Ice — growing directly in soil. But inside the greenhouse, in which the elements are far more controlled, the plants are grown in hydroponic towers. By experimenting with light, water, and temperature, Brian has been able to produce precise, high-quality versions of his plants.

Choosing unknown rare plants might seem like a gamble to a burgeoning agriculturist, but to Brian, its necessary.

“We need to diversify our food; not only our food sources, but the food itself,” said Brian. “Regardless of what is going on in the world, at the end of the day, everyone has to eat. Our health primarily stems from what we eat, and we need to eat a variety of different foods to achieve the amount of nutrition we need.”

Brian has his eyes on the horizon not only for himself, but for the world at large.

“Hydroponics are not going to save the world and end hunger, but they are a part of the future,” said Brian. “My vision and goals are to bring food to not only food deserts, but real deserts as well where food doesn’t grow easily due to heat, or even cold deserts like the arctic.”

One experiment Brian is currently taking on are seaweed experiments, which come from an interest in the expansion of marine agriculture, which has to do with growing food on, near, or even in the oceans.

However, due to growing at home, Brian is limited on space. That’s why he says expansion is in his future once he can find the proper location.

In the meantime, he is partnering with the Rural Health and Nutrition Initiative greenhouse in Dayton, which was started by the Healthy Communities Coalition to grow fresh fruits and vegetables for food pantries, farmers markets, and local restaurants, all for the goal of creating food security for our local communities.

Brian’s wife, Megan, and his mother Teri were recently selected as part of the Nevada Department of Agriculture and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA)'s Farm2Food Accelerator program, which will provide female entrepreneurs with the tools and training they need to grow their operations, develop new business strategies and launch a new value-added food product.

“We’re very excited about the program,” said Megan. “We were looking for different ways to promote and propel the business, and adding value-added products will be a great next step.”

As part of their expansion, Brian and his family are currently looking to expand their team, and are open to anyone who is interested in learning more about hydroponics.

“We especially want to bring on some youth who may be interested in hydroponics and growing with technology,” said Brian. “There’s a lack of youth in agriculture right now, and I want to help influence the entire culture. I envision myself farming from my phone in the future, and I want to teach others how to as well.”

You can learn more about Jazi’s Greenz by visiting their website at https://www.jazisgreenz.com/ their Facebook, or their Instagram.