Little Leaf Farms says that it will open a new greenhouse in McAdoo, Pa., this fall. This will be the fifth greenhouse for Little Leaf Farms, and the brand's second greenhouse in Pennsylvania. With the expanded capacity of 10 additional acres of indoor production of fresh, sustainably-grown lettuce, Little Leaf Farms expects to increase its retail presence to nearly 5,000 grocery stores. The expansion news was shared at a ceremony the brand hosted on May 31.

"We believe in the CEA industry's role in the path to more sustainable produce production and are focused on our mission of delivering fresh and delicious leafy greens to consumers," says Paul Sellew, founder and CEO of Little Leaf Farms. "We're thrilled to have increased our retail sales by more than 50% in the past year."

These 10 additional acres under glass represent a capacity increase, enabling Little Leaf Farms to harvest more than 20 million pounds of leafy greens yearly across its sites. The new greenhouse will employ Little Leaf Farms' technology and efficiencies, including advanced heating, cooling and lighting systems, as well as utilize the natural power of the sun and fresh rainwater. 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. Little Leaf Farms' lettuce is farmed 365 days a year, harvested daily and delivered from greenhouse to grocery store in 24 hours.