The sound of lettuce growing is louder than one might expect. A loud hum fills the grow room. It's a combination of precise temperature regulation, a spritz of water rich nutrients every five minutes and CO2 getting pumped up from the brewery below.
Greg Hayes is cutting heads of lettuce that sprout from small circles on a panel that hangs from the ceiling. He's the restaurant's marketing manager, but this winter, he's also its interim farm assistant. Hayes explained why this intricate system makes sense in a small, remote town.
"Here in Skagway, we're at the wrong end of a long barge trip from the Lower 48 which is how we get all of our groceries and most of our other supplies," he said. "And the quality of the produce is not always what you would hope for. Having our own space like this allows us to grow more varieties of lettuce that you don't typically find at other restaurants up here."
There are several varieties of lettuce growing, including red oak and Rhone. The room produces about 200 pounds of lettuce weekly along with herbs like basil and cilantro.
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