Oscar Cisneros-Magana, co-owner of Chico Sprouts, cuts a sample of wasabi sprouts at the University Farm in Chico, California on May 31, 2024. (Molly Myers/Enterprise-Record) Chico Sprouts co-owner Oscar Cisneros-Magana holds a sample of sprouts at the University Farm in Chico, California on May 31, 2024. (Molly Myers/Enterprise-Record) CHICO — Though supportive, Oscar Cisneros-Magana’s family didn’t fully understand his new business, Chico Sprouts.
“They didn’t really know what I was doing,” Cisneros-Magana said. The business was born out of a Chico State classroom with the intent of selling a nutrient-filled product in the form of microgreens, which are known to many as simply “sprouts.” Educating people on what microgreens are and how to use them has been part of the company’s journey, Cisneros-Magana said.
In starting the company with classmates before adding a new partner, Aidan Bagwell, Cisneros-Magana said the original team “wanted to offer something that could be eco-conscious, and not use up many resources, but still provide a great product for our customers.” Chico Sprouts' Oscar Cisneros-Magana, gestures toward a variety of sprouts at the University Farm in Chico, California on May 31, 2024. (Molly Myers/Enterprise-Record) Rose radish sprouts grow at the University Farm in Chico, California on May 31, 2024.
(Molly Myers/Enterprise-Record) Daikon sprouts grow at the University Farm in Chico, California on May 31, 2024. (Molly Myers/Enterprise-R.