At Greenswell Growers, food waste reduction isn’t just a goal—it’s one of the founding principles that drives every decision we make. As a controlled-environment agriculture company growing leafy greens in a 1.4-acre greenhouse in Virginia, we believe it’s our responsibility to be part of the solution to one of the most pressing challenges in our food system: waste.
According to the USDA, nearly 30–40% of the food supply is wasted in the United States. That’s billions of pounds of food—and the energy, water, and labor that went into growing it—lost each year.
For us, reducing waste starts at the seed and continues through every stage of the process, from germination to harvest to how our greens are packed and delivered.
Precision Growing for Zero Waste Harvests
One of the key ways we minimize food waste is through our Green Automation mobile gully system, which allows us to grow exactly what we need—no more, no less.
Because we operate on a short growth cycle, we don’t end up with surplus crops sitting around in the greenhouse. Every plant we start is tracked through its lifecycle and harvested at its peak, meaning there’s no unharvested or overgrown produce going to waste.
This kind of precision growing is only possible because of our highly automated, controlled-environment system. We’re not at the mercy of weather, pests, or other common field-growing uncertainties, which allows us to plan with confidence and reduce loss.
Our high-tech greenhouse allows us to harvest more than 10x what a field of the same size can produce each year!
Longer Shelf Life, Less Waste at Home
Beyond the greenhouse, our packaging process is another key part of our waste-reduction strategy. We pack our greens in a clean, controlled, refrigerated environment—without ever touching the lettuce with human hands.
Harvesting and packaging in a cold environment, while avoiding human contact, are crucial to extending shelf life and reducing the chance that greens will wilt in your fridge before they’re eaten.
Our Mid-Atlantic location also helps ensure that products reach neighboring states and stores faster than if they were transported from the West Coast. This gives more time for stores to sell the product, reducing waste on the shelf. Then when you buy a package of Greenswell Growers lettuce, you’re getting greens that stay fresher, longer—cutting down on waste in your kitchen, too.
