Ribbon cut on state’s largest indoor-grown leafy greens production facility near McAdoo
PHOTO COURTESY / COMMONWEALTH MEDIA SERVICES - Business leaders and dignitaries cut the ribbon on Little Leaf Farms in the McAdoo Industrial Park on May 31, 2023.
BANKS TOWNSHIP – State dignitaries and business leaders joined Little Leaf Farms today to cut the ribbon on the state’s largest indoor leafy greens facility near McAdoo Wednesday.
The facility is in the McAdoo Industrial Park just outside the borough in Banks Township.
Paul Sellew, Founder and CEO of Little Leaf Farms, said that most of the lettuce and such grown year-round in the country comes from the Salinas Valley of California and from Yuma, Arizona, and is trucked across the country to the east coast market.
He said that his company wants to provide the east coast market with the freshest product possible, which led them to settle in Pennsylvania, with the help of Hazleton’s CANDO economic development organization.
“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,” Sellew said. “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 currently has 20-acres of greenhouse space and owns 180 acres of land in the area. Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting celebrated the opening of the second 10-acre greenhouse.
The new facility will house state-of-the-art technology and efficiencies, including advanced heating, cooling, and lighting systems, and 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.
Little Leaf Farms’ lettuce is farmed 365 days a year, harvested daily, and delivered from greenhouse to grocery store in 24 hours.
Sellew said there are more grand plans on the horizon.
“This’ll be the world’s largest producing area for baby leaf hydroponic greens and our goal is to turn this into the Salinas Valley of the east coast,” Sellew said.
The company hopes to employ nearly 170 workers by the end of the year, and has received $3.5 Million in grants from the state so far.
Governor Josh Shapiro was also on-hand for the ribbon-cutting.
“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,” said Governor 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.”
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