Faribault-Based Living Greens First Franchise Is Open For Business
It used to be if you wanted truly fresh lettuce you'd have to wait until spring to grow it or you'd have to hop in your car and drive to the supermarket and pick up a bag or head of lettuce. Faribault-based Living Greens has already changed that, and now has a franchise in New London that is ready to do the same for that community. Lettuce Abound is the first franchise operation of the Faribault-based Living Greens Farm, which developed this type of 'year round growing' due to their aeroponics system.
Kevin Ortenblad and Brian Dengler along with their wives Julie Ortenblad and Melody Dengler, started the process 16 months ago to build the region's first commercial-scale aeroponics lettuce farm when they asked local grocery stores and restaurateurs if they would be interested in buying lettuce grown year-round in rural New London.
Ortenblad and Dengler modified their system and the plants are growing faster than expected. When the facility is eventually in full year-round production, the 102- by 50-foot building will produce the equivalent of a 180-acre farm.