He Makes It Easy to Be Green

Despite having come into this world with a myriad of debilitating medical issues, teen entrepreneur Connor Hiebel, radiates an aura of tenacious positivity.

The 19-year-old founder of Amelia Island Microgreens and soon-to-be-published author explains his lifelong health challenges had reached a peak at age seven, “I couldn't wear clothes, I couldn't get out the door for six months. Fortunately, my parents went the holistic medicine route rather than loading me up with a bunch of drugs.”

A gut repair diet was implemented, which strictly limited Connor’s food options. While walking through a farmers market, Connor saw some microgreens and the family thought it would make a fun project. The tiny plants grow in seven days, and “because they're the most nutrient-dense stage in the life cycle of a plant, as well as live food, it really helped me. Connor notes, “I consider them a big part of my medicine.”

Since his first entrepreneurial endeavor at age four, selling a rock for a dollar to a stranger in Beall’s (the man gave Connor the dollar, refusing the rock), Connor says, “I knew I wanted to create a business. That flame never flickered. I was 14.”

At the time, Connor’s dad had enrolled in a business start-up program. Following the course material, it clicked for Connor during COVID-19. After seven years of eating microgreens, “I was starting to feel better and I saw that the world wasn't,” Connor states. “Remember when there were empty shelves and the food quality was so bad? COVID-19, food scarcity, and profound medical issues are the reasons why I started Amelia Island Microgreens.” For Connor, COVID-19 highlighted the need for people to have autonomy over their food.

Connor received a $1,000 scholarship for completing each step of the program. After securing an LLC, developing a website, designing the growing kits, and purchasing products and items for market booths, Amelia Island Microgreens debuted at last year’s Right Whale Festival.

Initially, like most growers, Connor grew and sold microgreens. “The profit margin was so much bigger and we really needed that supplemental money to start,” says Connor. After a few months, Connor’s mom, Christine, asked if this approach met the company’s mission of educating and empowering people to grow nutritious, delicious and economical food.

Upon reflection, Connor said it didn’t. “I want to be able to teach people. I didn't really want to grow for people.” Amelia Microgreens became a feature at festivals and farmers markets where it introduced microgreen growing kits.

Connor tells the story of Elijah (he’s featured on the Ready, Set, Grow box), who came to the booth at age seven. He had no interest in vegetables but wanted to start growing food because it seemed interesting. After a couple of weeks, Elijah started eating the microgreens. Then he started eating vegetables. “And that was from a kid who only ate chicken nuggets and hamburgers,” exclaims Connor. “One of the things we've started doing is going into schools and teaching other kids how to grow their own food.”

The idea of writing a book to become the expert on growing microgreens and being a teen entrepreneur percolated. “I've always wanted to write a book. I have the story in me.” Speaking into a recorder while walking around his neighborhood, “I just kept saying stuff, whether it turned out good or not.” Ultimately, Connor liked what he read.

The audience for the self-published book, “Let’s Get Growing,” is “teen entrepreneurs as well as homeschool groups. And then, of course, any entrepreneur who's looking to move forward in their business,” Connor explains. The book is available September 16 through Amazon.

Enduring excruciating physical periods in his life, Connor persistently pursued solutions. He not only found food as medicine in microgreens, but he also launched a sustainable business.

His advice, “It's never too early and it's never too late to start your own business. Don't let your feeling that you're not enough stop you from doing that. There's going to be someone who is looking for what you have.”

For more information, visit Amelia Island Microgreens.