Today we’d like to introduce you to Gloria Cherny.
Gloria, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Our story started with our dog, Finley.
Penn Grows began after Finley was diagnosed with cancer. Like many families, we were faced with painful choices and not many great options. Mitch started researching ways to support him naturally and came across broccoli microgreens and sulforaphane, a compound studied for its potential health benefits. That led us to begin adding microgreens into Finley’s diet, and he went on to live another 29 months. That experience changed everything for us. It made microgreens feel personal, powerful, and full of possibility. This part of our journey was recently shared in our ABC Localish feature.
From there, Penn Grows grew into an indoor microgreens farm rooted in family, curiosity, and wellness. Mitch leads the growing side, experimenting with varieties, systems, and nutrient-dense mixes, while I bring my background in art, education, branding, product development, formulation, and community outreach. Together, we realized microgreens could be more than food on a plate. They could become a bridge between nutrition, education, sustainability, pets, skincare, and everyday wellness.
In many ways, we like to say we are trying to be the George Washington Carvers of microgreens. He saw endless potential in one crop and found new ways to use it. That is how we see microgreens. We are constantly asking: what else can they become?
That question has led us to fresh microgreen mixes, products for pets and feeder insects, supplements, educational programs, freeze-dried powders, and our skincare line, Microglams, where we use microgreens in masks, toners, oils, and self-care products. What started as something we did for a dog we loved became the foundation for a family-grown business with a much bigger mission.
Today, Penn Grows is about helping people see microgreens differently. We grow them, teach with them, formulate with them, and continue exploring new ways these tiny plants can support healthier lives. Finley was the spark. Penn Grows is what grew from it.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road, but we also never expected building something this different to be easy.
We are a startup, and like most startups, we have had to learn, adjust, and problem-solve constantly. Penn Grows is not just a traditional farm. We are growing microgreens, developing products, building educational programs, exploring skincare, working with pets and wellness, and trying to show people that microgreens can be used in many different ways. That means we are often creating the road while walking on it.
One of the biggest challenges has been resources. Indoor farming requires equipment, space, climate control, packaging, labor, and consistency. Product development adds another layer because every idea has to be tested, refined, labeled, packaged, and explained to customers. There have been moments where we had the vision before we had all the systems in place, so we had to build piece by piece.
We have been grateful to receive support through the USDA, which has helped us keep moving forward and invest in the growth of Penn Grows. But even with support, the work is still very real. There are long days, unexpected costs, trial and error, and plenty of moments where something does not go as planned.
The biggest struggle has probably been educating people. A lot of people know microgreens as a garnish. We see them as ingredients, nutrition, wellness tools, teaching tools, skincare ingredients, and even part of pet health. Helping people understand that bigger vision takes time.
But every challenge has pushed us to become more creative, more disciplined, and more committed. We are still growing in every sense of the word — as farmers, founders, educators, and innovators.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Penn Grows/ Microglams?
Penn Grows is an indoor microgreens farm, but the farm is only the beginning of what we do.
We grow pesticide-free microgreens and turn them into fresh food products, wellness ideas, educational experiences, skincare, and pet nutrition. Our work is built around one question: how many meaningful ways can microgreens support everyday life?
Mitch leads the growing side of Penn Grows. He focuses on the plants, the systems, the varieties, the yields, and the science behind getting the best quality microgreens possible. I focus on the creative, educational, branding, formulation, and product development side. Together, we have built Penn Grows into a family-run business that blends farming, wellness, innovation, and community.
One of the biggest parts of our brand is Microglams, our microgreen-powered skincare line. With Microglams, we take microgreens beyond the plate and use them in self-care products like toners, scrubs, masks, bath products, oils, and our signature Face-icles. Face-icles are frozen cryotherapy skincare treatments infused with microgreens. They are designed to be frozen and glided over the skin as a cooling, refreshing facial ritual. They are one of the products we are most proud of because they show exactly how we think: unexpected, useful, fun, and rooted in the power of microgreens.
We also created Beardie Greens, our pet-focused line. That came from our original story with our dog, Finley, and our belief that microgreens can play a role in pet wellness, too. Beardie Greens focuses on microgreens for pets and feeder insects, especially for reptiles like bearded dragons. It is another example of how we take something people think they already understand and show them a completely new use for it.
What sets Penn Grows apart is that we are not just growing microgreens and selling them in containers. We are building an entire microgreens ecosystem. Food, skincare, pets, education, wellness, and product innovation all connect back to what we grow.
Brand-wise, we are most proud that everything feels personal and original. We are not following a template. We are building from our own story, our own farm, our own research, and our own ideas. We often say we are trying to be the George Washington Carvers of microgreens because we are constantly exploring what else these tiny plants can become.
What we want readers to know is that Penn Grows is a family-grown brand with a big vision. Whether someone discovers us through fresh microgreens, Microglams skincare, Face-icles, Beardie Greens, or one of our educational programs, they are seeing a piece of the same mission: to help people experience microgreens in new, practical, and powerful ways.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, Mitch and I met in middle school, and we were actually in the gifted program together, so in a way, our story goes back much further than Penn Grows.
We were both curious, creative, and a little different in the best way. The gifted program gave us space to think bigger, ask questions, and explore ideas beyond the usual classroom routine. Looking back, that really shaped both of us. We were surrounded by projects, problem-solving, imagination, and the feeling that learning did not have to stay in one box.
Mitch was always hands-on, observant, and inventive. He liked figuring out how things worked and finding better ways to do things. That is still who he is today. He brings that same energy to growing microgreens, improving systems, experimenting with varieties, and solving the million little problems that come with farming indoors.
I was always drawn to creativity, art, communication, and bringing ideas to life. I loved making things visual, meaningful, and connected to people. That grew into my work in design, education, branding, community outreach, and product development.
What is funny is that the same qualities we had as kids are still the qualities driving Penn Grows now. Mitch is still experimenting and problem-solving. I am still creating, storytelling, and building experiences. We just traded middle school projects for microgreens, skincare, pet products, and a whole family-grown brand.
We first knew each other, where we were encouraged to think differently, and where some of those early sparks of curiosity started. Penn Grows feels like an extension of that — two gifted kids who grew up, kept asking “what if,” and somehow turned that question into a farm.
Pricing:
- Microgreens are between $6-$15
- Microglams prices are on www.microglams.com
Contact Info:
- Website: www.microgmals.com. www.penngrows,com, www.beardiegreens.com
- Instagram: @microglams, @penngrows
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/microglams, https://www.facebook.com/penngrows
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gloriacherny/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchellcherny/
- Other: ABC Localish Feature – https://6abc.com/videoClip/19106138/
