Greenhouse Lettuce Grower Invests in Major Expansion
September 16, 2020 
Massachusetts-based greenhouse baby green lettuce producer Little Leaf Farms is doubling its growing capacity to 10 acres of lettuce fields under glass, producing more than 2 million packages of lettuce each month, and broadening distribution to stores across New England and into New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and throughout the East Coast.
“During the pandemic, we continued to see how vital locally grown food is to keeping people healthy,” says Paul Sellew, Founder and CEO of Little Leaf Farms. “The increased demand warrants this major expansion.”
Little Leaf Farms also recently bought 180 acres of land in McAdoo, PA, and has plans to build another state-of-the-art greenhouse to further distribution down the East Coast of the sustainably grown lettuce. In addition, with the global hydroponics market expected to reach $16 billion in 2025, Little Leaf Farms also plans to build a greenhouse in North Carolina with Bank of America supplying significant funding for this expansion.
“The way in which we grow acres of fresh lettuce under glass with natural sunlight and captured rainwater is the way of the future,” Sellew says. “The pandemic has shown us that we need strong local food systems to make our communities more resilient and improve the freshness and quality of produce. We are part of the nation’s critical infrastructure.”
With each phase of expansion, Sellew and his team are adapting and integrating advanced technology into its greenhouses, including the latest energy efficiency systems in heating, cooling, and lighting, advanced data analytics, and the next generation of hands-free automated grow systems.
“The East Coast is accustomed to lettuce that loses its freshness every mile it travels from the West Coast, and whether it’s the problem of COVID 19, soil erosion, wildfires, or drought, the West Coast is no longer a reliable source of fresh produce,” Sellew says. “By growing in controlled environment agriculture, we have brought year-round produce back to the East Coast. It means we can all eat much fresher, tastier, and crisper lettuce as a result.”
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