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Sprout Lab

Purpose

Sprout Lab is the indoor sprouting and seedling development system for NoMad's Farm.

It is not just a shelf with trays. That would be too easy, and apparently we insist on learning things properly.

The purpose is to create a compact indoor system for:

  • sprout production;
  • microgreen production;
  • seed viability testing;
  • germination testing;
  • workflow optimization;
  • small-scale controlled experiments;
  • data collection before field scaling.

Current Setup

The current setup uses a multi-tier indoor rack.

Top Shelf

Primary function:

  • seedlings;
  • propagation;
  • selected experiments;
  • sensor testing;
  • small development batches.

Possible crops:

  • tomato;
  • pepper;
  • squash;
  • amaranth;
  • herbs;
  • test seedlings for Baylovo and future field work.

Lower Shelves

Primary function:

  • sprouts;
  • microgreens;
  • rotation testing;
  • production workflow.

Priority crops:

  • alfalfa;
  • amaranth;
  • lentil;
  • chickpea;
  • mung bean;
  • pea shoots;
  • sunflower;
  • buckwheat;
  • radish;
  • clover.

Design Logic

The system prioritizes high output per unit of space, water, labor and light.

Primary metric:

Useful food + useful data / resources used

This means the setup is evaluated by:

  • germination rate;
  • days to harvest;
  • yield per tray;
  • water use;
  • light requirement;
  • mold risk;
  • cleaning time;
  • taste and practical food value;
  • repeatability.

Workflow

Batch Log

Each batch should record:

Crop:
Seed weight:
Soak time:
Tray type:
Substrate:
Start date:
First germination:
Harvest date:
Fresh weight:
Problems:
Notes:

Experimental Rules

Change one variable at a time when possible.

Useful variables:

  • soak time;
  • rinse frequency;
  • tray density;
  • substrate;
  • light duration;
  • airflow;
  • harvest timing.

Changing five variables at once produces mystery, not data. Humanity has enough mystery. We are trying to grow food.

Monitoring

Planned monitoring:

  • temperature;
  • humidity;
  • light level;
  • airflow;
  • tray moisture;
  • batch timing;
  • failure causes.

Possible hardware:

  • ESP32;
  • Raspberry Pi Pico;
  • SHT31 / SHT41 sensors;
  • simple light sensor;
  • 120-140 mm low-speed fan;
  • LED strip or panel lighting.

Role in the Larger Project

Sprout Lab supports the wider NoMad's Farm system by producing:

  • food in apartment conditions;
  • practical experience;
  • seed viability data;
  • crop comparison data;
  • workflow discipline;
  • seedlings for field trials;
  • confidence before larger outdoor mistakes become expensive.

It connects directly to:

  • Crop Matrix;
  • Plant Profiles;
  • Experiments;
  • Field Journal;
  • Baylovo observations.

First Priority Experiments

Experiment Purpose
Alfalfa sprouts baseline reliable crop
Amaranth microgreens test practical use of bulk seed
Lentil sprouts protein and simplicity
Chickpea sprouts larger seed behavior and mold risk
Sunflower microgreens high biomass and taste
Pea shoots productivity per tray
Buckwheat fast cover crop and sprout comparison

Success Criteria

Sprout Lab is successful if it produces:

  • reliable weekly edible output;
  • repeatable germination data;
  • low failure rate;
  • documented workflows;
  • useful seedlings for field work;
  • clear comparison between crops.

The long-term goal is not decoration.

The long-term goal is a compact indoor food and data system that improves field decisions.