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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Little Leaf Farms Establishes McAdoo, Pennsylvania, Greens Production Complex

06/02/2023
Locally grown lettuce producer Little Leaf Farms plans to establish an indoor-grown leafy greens operation in McAdoo, Carbon County, Pennsylvania.

The new production facility will integrate the brand’s hands-free automated grow system, meaning the leafy greens are untouched from seed to packaging and do not require washing.

According to state officials, Little Leaf Farms already owns 180 acres in McAdoo and opened its first 10-acre greenhouse in July 2022. The additional capacity of 10 acres in its expansion will allow Little Leaf Farms to increase its retail presence to nearly 5,000 grocery stores, making its fresh greens available at most major retailers from the Midwest to the Southeast, and employ nearly 170 Pennsylvania workers by the end of 2023.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania supported this growth with $3.5 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grants.

“Pennsylvania has been an excellent partner in bringing our vision for expansion to life. With its ideal location on the East Coast, we’ve been able to grow significantly to the Southeast and are now looking forward to even more growth in the Midwest to bring our delicious and fresh greens to more consumers, all still within 24-hours of harvesting for ultimate freshness,” said Paul Sellew, Founder and CEO of Little Leaf Farms. “We continue to build on our ambitious plans for growth and our growth in Pennsylvania is a testament to how we’ve been able to continuously scale our efficient production and operations.”

Little Leaf Farms is a brand of packaged lettuce sustainably grown through controlled environment agriculture. The company’s lettuce is farmed 365 days a year, harvested daily, and delivered from greenhouse to grocery store in 24 hours.

“Pennsylvania has a proud agricultural heritage, and our agriculture sector is a key driver of our economy, contributing over $132 billion to our economy and supporting nearly 600,000 jobs,” noted Governor Josh Shapiro. “I want to plant a flag and show the rest of the country that Pennsylvania is a leader in agriculture, job creation, and innovation – and Little Leaf Farms’ investment in our Commonwealth is proof that the future is being grown right here in Carbon County. Pennsylvania is open for business and my Administration will continue to support our farmers, scientists, and entrepreneurs who want to grow and thrive here in the Commonwealth.”

“What we see in facilities like Little Leaf Farms is that agriculture is no longer confined to wide-open spaces. With emerging technologies, we can grow food anywhere, and make it available to the communities who might otherwise find themselves in food deserts,” added Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding. “The future of agriculture starts in places like Little Leaf Farms, in their amazing greenhouses that are built with the best technology available today. Agriculture has always been a driver of technology, and today our goal is to see that continue well into the future.”

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