"Lettuce" talk about…lettuce – and Little Leaf Farms
Little Leaf Farms – based in Devens, Massachusetts – helps grocers to make fresh, locally and sustainably-grown lettuce available throughout New England all year round. Little Leaf Farms was a sponsor of Lovin’ Spoonfuls’ recent Chef-a-Thon, a series of virtual whole ingredient, low-waste cooking demos in partnership with professional chefs. Learn more about Little Leaf Farms in this interview with Brand Manager, Jeannie Hannigan, and snag a coupon below to try Little Leaf Farms’ baby greens for yourself!
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How does Little Leaf Farms’ work align with Lovin’ Spoonfuls’ mission?
At Little Leaf Farms, we’re focused on creating a more sustainable food system here on the East Coast. We grow lettuce hydroponically (without soil) using sunlight, captured rainwater, and other sustainable methods.
When the lettuce is full-grown, we’re able to harvest, pack, and send lettuce to stores within 24 hours, which drastically cuts down food miles and increases shelf life of our greens. In contrast, 98% leafy greens in New England are transported across the country from California or Arizona, contributing to spoiled produce, food waste and rising transportation emissions.
By building a strong, regional food system, we are also making fresh, local food more accessible and creating sustainable agriculture jobs in our region. This goes hand-in-hand with Lovin’ Spoonfuls’ mission to reduce food waste and provide healthy food to those in our community who need it most.
What are a couple of fun things you can do with greens (think: beyond salad)?
Greens are surprisingly versatile! We saw Chefs Colin Lynch and Andrew Zimmern sauté our greens with pasta and seafood during Chef-A-Thon – that was a great idea. You can also add our lettuce to sandwiches (including Lobster Rolls), to a pasta or potato salad, or use it to top your pizza. And we know more than a few people who like to snack on our lettuce straight from the container, so we designed a lineup of dipping dressings for just that purpose. Check out our recipes page for even more inspiration!
Any tips/tricks for making product last longer?
Temperature is important – we recommend refrigerating our lettuce immediately after purchasing for best results. Keeping it sealed in its original container (or other airtight storage) helps with shelf life, too. Properly stored, our lettuce will last in your fridge for two weeks or more!
Try Little Leaf Farms for yourself! Enter your email for a printable coupon. It’s redeemable anywhere Little Little Farms’ products are sold.