Little Leaf Farms, the Devens, Mass.-based cultivator of packaged lettuce grown through controlled environment agriculture, is thinking big this National Salad Month.
The company has filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to officially trademark the biological morphology — or shape — of its Baby Crispy Green Leaf lettuce. The application to trademark refers to the lettuce’s signature shape, a rounded curve leading into the ruffled edges of the leafy greens.
“We've learned how to grow our lettuce in this way, and it's distinctive to Little Leaf Farms. We felt that a trademark was something that made sense for us,” Little Leaf Farms CEO Paul Sellew told The Packer.
Beyond its distinctive shape, Baby Crispy Green Leaf is also known for its fresh, crisp crunch, says Sellew, who attributes these qualities to Little Leaf Farms’ greenhouse technologies and commitment to local delivery within 24 hours from harvest.
‘Big Salad Energy’
From main dishes to side salads, the role of lettuce is versatile, says Little Leaf Farms, which wants to encourage Americans to dream and think bigger and bolder about their salads.
May is National Salad Month, and to inspire consumers to take their salads to the next level, Little Leaf Farms is launching a “Big Salad Energy” digital resource page with recipes and tips for enjoying the brand’s leafy greens in a big way.
“We're expanding our footprint and we're thinking bigger and bolder about our business, and we want people to think bigger and bolder about their salads,” Sellew said.
Big Salad Energy for National Salad Month and the recipes and tips on the digital resource page are designed with both retailers and consumers in mind, he says.
Related: Little Leaf Farms puts farming first: A Q&A with CEO Paul Sellew
Little Leaf Farms is also celebrating with a National Salad Month sweepstakes on the @littleleaffarms Instagram running through May 31, where consumers can enter to win a year of free lettuce, grocery gift cards and other accessories to build their own big and tasty salads at home.
“Ultimately, we want people to eat more salad because it's good for you,” Sellew said. “It's something that promotes positive health in so many different ways. And anything that can get Americans to eat more salad, we think is a really good and positive thing. Ultimately, at the end of the day, that’s what we're trying to do.”
Little Leaf Farms began growing lettuce in its first greenhouse in Devens, Mass., in 2016 and has since expanded its operations to Pennsylvania, with additional plans to continue expansion over the next five years. In addition to its Baby Crispy Green Leaf, the brand offers Baby Red and Green Leaf, Baby Spring Mix and its newest lettuce variety, Sweet Baby Butter.