Carpeting Carpinteria with Lettuce
Pete’s Living Greens Builds a Hydroponic Empire of Healthy Leaves Under Acres of Greenhouse
Just a few blocks away from the big Motel 6 that sits along Highway 101 on the north end of Carpinteria, the whole life cycle of lettuce is marching forward, minute by minute.
It starts as a seed, coated in a protective protein that helps with germination, and drops into a cell of peat moss, purchased by the truckload from Canada. It’s watered and then moves methodically through acres of greenhouse, the sights shifting from brown squares to bright green sprigs, the aromas from rich soil to young vegetation. As the lettuce roots grow, they soak directly in flowing water, sucking up nutrients as needed.
Within a few weeks, when the heads are large, leafy, and ready to eat, the butter lettuce, watercress, and other species are loaded intact, roots and all, into plastic clam shells. They’re then shipped to grocery stores throughout the United States, where you’ll find them for sale as Pete’s Living Greens, though also under other proprietary labels.
