It is a well-developed head lettuce with a history of production in the Salinas area, so it has adapted to local growing conditions. JM: Romaine is a relatively easy crop to grow. Q: What are the biggest benefits and challenges to growing romaine versus other greens? From late October to April, we grow in the Imperial Valley of California, Sonora (Mexico), and Arizona. From mid-April to mid-November, we grow romaine in California from Gilroy to San Ardo in the Santa Clara and Salinas Valleys. Q: Where are romaine hearts grown and when? ![]() We transplant little romaine plants in areas where weeds can out-grow crops and limit growth/yields soil type is heavy and may not allow for germinated seeds to break through soil or early or late in the season to ensure a good stand of crops for seasonal rotation.Ĭheck out this video from one of our growers about how we cultivate romaine hearts. We direct seed on ranches where we do not anticipate issues with germination, field conditions or weather. Both pieces of equipment are attached to the back of a tractor and driven across beds intended for planting. All planting is essentially mechanized by using a direct seeder or a transplanter. JM: How we plant romaine varies based on a few factors: primarily, the grower preference (transplants or direct seeding), seasonal timing (spring and fall plantings) and soil and water conditions on a given ranch. Q: How is romaine lettuce planted and cultivated? John McKeon (JM) – once our head of supply and now our Director of Organic Integrity – spoke to us about the fascinating world of romaine hearts. Why romaine hearts? Because it is a particularly manual process, which you’d probably never guess when you reach for the convenient, perfectly trimmed and delicious 3-pack in the market. Today, we explore the journey of romaine hearts. In an effort to help bring you closer to your food, and the people at Earthbound Farm who work so hard every day to bring it to you, we occasionally share stories about the journey from root to leaf and field to fork. But because they are now so readily available, it’s easy to lose sight of everything that goes into getting those beautiful greens on produce shelves. In fact, this convenience is something that Earthbound Farm helped pioneer. This chart is drawn from an article titled, “Lettuce Trends: Conventional, Organic Growth, and Production,” from USDA, Economic Research Service’s Vegetables and Pulses Outlook, April 2023.These days, we as consumers are incredibly lucky to have the convenience of fresh organic greens year-round. From spring through fall, local production in most other States serves farmers markets, regional/local retail and restaurant demand, and community-supported agriculture. ![]() From late April through mid-November, production shifts to Central California. Shipments of lettuce from Florida help fill in regional market gaps during winter and spring months. From mid-November through early April, most lettuce sold in the United States is sourced from the irrigated desert valleys of Southern California’s Imperial County and the Yuma area of Arizona. While production of lettuce occurs year-round, areas of production shift with the growing seasons. An estimated 85 percent of the lettuce available for consumption in the United States was produced domestically in 2022. Romaine lettuce sales totaled $1.54 billion, iceberg lettuce sales were $1.33 billion, and leaf lettuce sales trailed at $1.25 billion. growers received in cash receipts from sales of vegetables and melons. In 2022, lettuce accounted for nearly one-fifth of the $21.8 billion that U.S. Lettuce-the main ingredient in many salads and a popular sandwich topper-is the most widely consumed leafy green in the United States.
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