Did you know the largest indoor lettuce farm in the United States is in Owatonna, Minnesota? Revol Greens is a grows lettuce on a seven acre greenhouse. Greenhouses are indoor farms where the environment is controlled, similar to how we are able to change the temperature in our homes for our comfort.
Watch the Revol Greens virtual field trip to see just how neat this lettuce greenhouse is!
Fun Facts from Today’s Tour
- It takes about 2 days for the seed to sprout. In 19 to 20 days the lettuce plant gets to the end of the pond and is ready for harvesting. From the moment the seed sprouts to harvesting and packing the lettuce is within 22 to 23 days before it is in the grocery store.
- Stainability is important to Revol Greens. All water is cleaned with UV light and ozone to be reused again. They also collect rain and snow water to be used inside the greenhouse as well.
- There are about 5,000 packages ready to be shipped to the grocery store each day at the greenhouse, seven days a week.
- Currently there are about 80 employees today at the Owatonna, Minnesota greenhouse. New greenhouses will be opening soon in Texas and California with future plans to expand even more.
- Lettuce from Revol Greens is so fresh. Something that makes this lettuce different than other lettuce from different farms is that it continues to grow in your fridge for 3-4 weeks! In order to keep the lettuce fresh in your fridge, pull off only the pieces of lettuce that you will be eating with a meal. The rest will continue to thrive in the fridge, without soil or water, for weeks.
Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom would like to thank Revol Greens for their time showing us the greenhouse and teaching us about hydroponic greenhouses. For additional information about their farm and where to purchase their lettuce, check out the Revol Greens website.