The future of salads: Indoor-grown, "teen" lettuce

Hydroponic lettuce grown indoors, long regarded as niche, is edging into the mainstream as climate change hits outdoor growers and the salad-lovers who depend on them.

• Greenhouses enable “proximity growing” — a hot industry term — where lettuces are shipped shorter distances to markets, saving on freight costs and emissions.

• The rise of indoor growing comes with a new category: “Teen” lettuce, which is larger and crispier than baby greens, yet more tender than a mature head. 

Why it matters: While indoor growing is no replacement for vast outdoor fields, it’s expected to play a bigger role going forward — evening out the transition between summer and winter lettuce, and filling in when climate-related crop failures strike.