Little Leaf Farms Plans New Greenhouse, Boosting Capacity to 20 Million Pounds
Little Leaf Farms, a packaged lettuce grower and processor using controlled environment agriculture (CEA), announced plans to open a new greenhouse in McAdoo, Pa., in the fall of 2023 — the fifth greenhouse for the company. According to a company release, the additional 10 acres of indoor lettuce growing space will allow Little Leaf Farms to grow its retail presence to nearly 5,000 grocery stores from the Midwest to the Southeast U.S.
The new greenhouse is expected to boost Little Leaf Farms’ capacity to more than 20 million pounds of leafy greens produced annually. The fast-growing company opened its first 10-acre greenhouse in July 2022 and anticipates it will employ more than 170 people by the end of this year. Little Leaf Farms has also projected it will break $100 million in retail sales by the end of 2023, and expects to expand its greenhouse footprint in both Pennsylvania as well as Devens, Mass., where it operates three greenhouses.
The new greenhouse in McAdoo will feature advanced heating, cooling and lighting systems to supplement the natural power of the sun and fresh rainwater, to grow produce. The greenhouse will also integrate the brand's hands-free automated grow system, which means the leafy greens are untouched from seed to packaging and never require washing, the release said. Little Leaf Farms lettuce is farmed 365 days a year, harvested daily and delivered from greenhouse to grocery store in 24 hours.
