Bursting with energy and vital nutrients such as enzymes and minerals, fresh and crunchy sprouted grains, beans and seeds are the quintessential "alive" food and are much sought-after in natural foods stores and restaurant salad bars.

Interestingly, however, sprouts are not as easy to grow commercially as they once were, which is one reason why you see fewer local farmers making a "go" of the tender sproutlets.

Used for thousands of years in Asia, sprouts, which began to be popular in the West in the 1970s, are well known for their powerful nutritive and healing properties. The use of sprouts for digestive disorders, muscular cramps, and hair and skin problems has been well known for centuries, and blood purification and liver detoxification properties are also touted.

Lesser known is that sprouts bear the largest relative amount of nutrients per unit of intake of any food known. They abound in antioxidants and are ample in proteins. Many sprouted seeds, such as those of alfalfa and sunflower, contain the essential amino acids in their "free" state, which means that more nutrients reach the cells with less food. In fact, a study in the late 1970s found that one ounce of broccoli sprouts contains more anticarcinogenic nutrients than two pounds of broccoli.

A sprouted seed is easier to assimilate than the seed itself. People who have a hard time digesting beans, for instance, can easily digest bean sprouts.

"The protein in sprouts is predigested, which is very beneficial, and sprouts are high in enzymes and chlorophyll, which in our day of processed foods we generally don't get enough of," says Rich Frommer, owner of Gourmet Greens, who grows sprouts in a 92-foot greenhouse in Chester, Vermont. "We try to grow vibrant, healthy greens."

Rich says he grows sprouts in 18x26-inch trays that he fills with soil. He harvests his sprouts in 8 days, composting the root stubble, which he uses to enhance the soil.

Albany's Honest Weight produce manager Gayle Anderson says she buys Gourmet Greens sprouts indirectly through natural foods distributor networks. Similarly, she buys sprouts from The Sproutman, a company in Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania, and from Jonathan's in Rochester, Massachusetts.

Murray Tyzer, owner of The Sproutman, grows his sprouts hydroponically from the very best seeds that are tested. Initially he started to grow a lot of sprouts for himself, then sold a few. Gradually he built it into a business. "Sprouts are good, fresh produce - an alive food," said Murray.

Produce manager Anderson explained that the Coop used to buy primarily from Alfa Sprouts, a local grower in Stuyvesant, but that Alfa Sprouts left sprout growing due to increased federal regulations.

Sara Pechar of the Schenectady office of Cooperative Extension confirmed that federal regulations on sprouts increased about two years ago, when the Food and Drug Administration grew concerned about risks associated with sprouts, which when grown in contaminated environments and eaten raw may contain food-borne diseases such as salmonella. Sara said cooking sprouts eliminates contamination risks. Young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems, in particular, are cautioned to eat sprouts in moderation. Mung bean sprouts are not recommended for those with candida.

Jane Jessup Mayer, former Alfa Sprouts owner, grew her sprouts in huge rotating tubs, 100 pounds at a time. Her business was more affected by federal regulations as it grew sprouts without soil, which increases the chances of rot, especially during the warm summer months. She recalls the joys and challenges of sprout growing.

"We miss growing and eating our fresh sprouts,-and our former customers up and down the Hudson Valley say they miss them too - but it became too expensive to keep up with the seed cleaning regulations, which favor chlorine rinsing," Jane said. "Sprout growers are an easy target for keeping up with regulations. The number of instances where people got ill after eating sprouts is really low, but there is usually a big deal made of it, whereas you rarely hear about people eating bad deli meat."

Sproutman owner Tyzer asserts that recent federal guidelines help sprout growers put out a good product and increase safety.

For those wanting to grow their own sprouts, he advised "buying good seed growing kits and good seeds," stressing that the quality of the sprout is reflected in the quality of the seed. "Home sprouters make the job easy."