DEVENS, Mass. — Little Leaf Farms, already the country’s #1 brand of packaged lettuce sustainably grown through controlled environment agriculture (CEA), can now add one more milestone to its list: the #1 best-selling packaged lettuce in New England1. According to the most recent Nielsen data available in the category, the brand has seen a 46% increase in total dollar sales year over year2 and is now capturing 20% of all packaged lettuce sales in the region, inclusive of field-grown greens3.
“The New England packaged salad category is highly competitive, so we’re pleased with this latest sales achievement,” said Paul Sellew, Founder and CEO of Little Leaf Farms. “As we continue to work towards our goal of 100 acres under glass by 2026 its clear that our model of fresh, local, greenhouse-grown lettuce is resonating with consumers, and we look forward to replicating this success in additional markets in the months to come.”
Building on the growth in New England, Little Leaf Farms recently opened its newest greenhouse in McAdoo, Pennsylvania. This is the fifth greenhouse for Little Leaf Farms, and the brand’s second greenhouse in Pennsylvania and will increase its retail presence to nearly 5,000 grocery stores, expanding Little Leaf Farms’ footprint to include retailers in the Midwest and Southeast. One of the first products to be grown and packed at the newest PA greenhouse is Sweet Baby Butter Leaf, which will be introduced in a new 8 oz. size this fall.
Little Leaf Farms also recently broke ground on a third greenhouse on the McAdoo site in August, with a planned opening in the second half of 2024. The third greenhouse is projected to be operating at capacity by the close of 2024, bringing the total active acreage of Little Leaf Farms’ Pennsylvania site to 30 acres by the end of next year.
“We are excited to bring our exceptional lettuce to even more consumers with our expansion in Pennsylvania,” said Chris Hill, Chief Revenue Officer at Little Leaf Farms. “We believe that we are creating a better eating experience and that our industry leading freshness and quality, along with our ability to engage with new consumers, will continue to drive exciting growth for our customers as we enter new markets.”
About Little Leaf Farms
Little Leaf Farms is on a mission to transform the way food is grown through peri-urban agricultural practices that are rebuilt for the modern world. Using advanced greenhouse technologies, Little Leaf Farms is growing fresh, sustainably farmed lettuce 365 days a year. Little Leaf Farms utilizes captured rainwater, natural sunlight that shines through high transmission glass, and solar-powered energy in their precise, soil-less hydroponic farming. The crispy, flavorful baby greens are harvested without ever touching human hands and are never treated with chemical pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. For more information, visit littleleaffarms.com or @littleleaffarms.
- Nielsen • YTD Ending 08/12/2023 • TOTAL – LITTLE LEAF FARMS • New England Division xAOC • 115 Comparison Products
- Nielsen • YTD Ending 08/12/2023 • TOTAL – LITTLE LEAF FARMS • New England Division xAOC • 14 Comparison Products • Total $ Sales Change vs YA
- Nielsen • 4 Weeks Ending 08/12/2023 • New England Division xAOC • 9 Comparison Products • PRE PACKAGED SALADS – Basis • Total Dollar Sales
