Crop focus: Lettuce

Froelich believes, like many others, that there is growing opportunity for lettuce growers, particularly of leaf lettuce. For decades, iceberg lettuce dominated consumer taste because of its shipping ability and shelf life. As drought conditions worsen on the West Coast, particularly in California, field production of crops (like iceberg lettuce) is diminishing.

 

“I got involved with lettuce for that reason only. I’ve been to those areas, very warm, very wonderful climates. But agriculture in these areas is disappearing at an alarming rate,” says Froelich.

 

Part of the reason it’s disappearing is the need for excess water in field production. Froelich says that in his greenhouse in rural Minnesota he can produce a head of lettuce using approximately one gallon of water.

As lettuce demand increases, and field production decreases, the need for greenhouse grown lettuce will increase dramatically. However, once you’ve decided to grow lettuce, you also have to understand the market you’re selling to.

 

“If you’re going to get into the lettuce game, then you have some options. You could go the niche route where you’re growing specialty lettuces for an upscale restaurant or farmer’s market,” says Froelich. “Or, you’ve got to look at the big wholesale markets, the big-buyers, CISCO, US Foods, the big buyers that will be able to take a large volume of lettuce and then distribute it into the market.”

 

If you’re selling niche, or to smaller groceries then you may have to also play educator.

 

“Customer perception on lettuce is changing. Living in the Midwest, when you would go into the grocery store, you were hard pressed to find any leafy lettuces. It was always iceberg lettuce because it has that hard knot, that hard ball and it ships very well,” says Froelich. ‘That’s an opportunity for us. But also, it’s an education process on teaching people in our community’s that this is a healthier, better option than buying iceberg.”