What is Living Lettuce?

Last week I was at the 99cent store in Encinitas when I saw a produce item I had not seen before. It was a plastic bag filled with a head of lettuce, somewhat like butter lettuce, with the roots attached and floating in water. You take the leaves off as you need them, presumably to keep the lettuce fresher and last longer. I was skeptical, but bought it anyway (it was only 99 cents) and was surprised at how crisp and fresh the lettuce was, and how long it lasted. Often a head of romaine will wilt in a few days. Not so with living lettuce. So let me tell you a bit more about this unique lettuce

The growers of Living Lettuce claim that the elimination of soil results in higher growth rates, yields and even crop quality than organic methods can achieve. The fertilizer for the lettuce, including minerals, is added directly to the water. Hydroponic technologies are more efficient than soil methods, thus more people can be fed with less area and ecological impact. Sounds like a win-win situation to me. This lettuce is grown hydroponically. That means it is grown without soil and with a complete nutrient solution. That's so simple. We're all hung up on "organic" today, and this is definitely organic, but goes further because it doesn't even use soil.

Look for living lettuce in your health food store or supermarket. It's just another alternative to tradionally grown produce, and from the research I have done a great way to save farmland and water.