He measures his "fields" by square inches rather than acres and harvests with scissors, but Eric Barenfeld believes his microgreens could play a big role in the future of food.

“I’m a few weeks away from being certified organic,” Barenfeld said from his front porch in Mar Vista, where he grows 70 trays of microgreens for local farmers’ markets, boutique grocers and chefs. “The average meal travels 1,500 miles. Your meal (from here) travels three miles. It’s totally hyperlocal.”

Research suggests Barenfeld’s signature crop, microgreens, could be the most nutritious food on earth. Microgreens are just baby plants, but because the germ contains all the building blocks to grow into an entire cabbage or radish, it’s a nutritional powerhouse packed with Vitamins C, K and E and cancer fighting compounds.

“We’re changing the food system one square inch at a time,” Barenfeld says.

Microgreens take a lot less water and space to grow, which has allowed Barenfeld to turn his front porch into a tiny farm. He’s developing a number of varieties, including kale, radish, cabbage and arugula with the goal of becoming a “microgreen whisperer.”

His kids, Rian and Silas, are getting a kick out of growing up on a tiny farm in the heart of Los Angeles. Local chefs are catching on too.

“Traditionally, microgreens have been used as a garnish,” Barenfeld said, “but now chefs are using them as an ingredient as they become more mainstream.”

Barenfeld is just getting started and still scaling his business. He believes his baby plants are heavy hitters when it comes to creating a more nutritious and sustainable food system.