Devens, Mass.-based Little Leaf Farms recently announced the location of its third site, located in Manchester, Tenn. Construction on a 40-acre greenhouse on 215 acres will begin this summer with plans to launch in fall 2026.
Little Leaf Farms founder and CEO Paul Sellew says Tennessee is a natural progression for the company, with the new facility servicing the Midwest, Southeast and Texas.
“It’s all about delivering a great quality product within 24 hours of harvest to our customer base, which is spread out to the eastern part of the United States,” Sellew says. “Tennessee was a logical decision and a really good state to do business in. We were really welcomed there with open arms, and it fits in with our strategy of delighting our customers with great fresh locally grown leafy greens.”
Sellew says the new greenhouse in Manchester will use sustainability practices and advanced greenhouse technologies for low-carbon, energy-efficient growing practices with water conservation, all of which Little Leaf Farms deploys on its other facilities.
The company also recently added Romaine Leaf to its product line, which is available in 4-ounce packages and also available for foodservice customers.
Little Leaf Farms says it has grown to supply more than 7,000 grocery stores since its founding a decade ago, and Sellew says he sees a bright future for controlled environment agriculture.
“We’ll be 10 years old this summer, so we’re still a relatively young company,” he says. “But I think any investment decision is combined with optimism for the future.”
Sellew says as Little Leaf Farm has grown to hold more than 50% of the market share of indoor lettuce growers, the company will continue to grow as long as there’s demand.
“The customers love our product, and so long as that’s the case and there’s a demand, we’ll continue to build more greenhouses, and that ultimately was the decision making process in deciding to expand, and then also to expand in Tennessee,” he says.
