"It's a big clock!" said Cornell alumnus and Little Leaf Farms founder and CEO Paul Sellew. Life at Little Leaf Farms is rhythmic, a meticulously controlled environmental system following a precisely timed and executed loop.
Sellew started Little Leaf Farms, a hydroponic packaged lettuce farm in Devens, MA, in 2015. Hydroponics refers to the technique of growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution instead of soil. Its greenhouses integrate engineering and plant science to provide a fresh product and solution for soil degradation, food waste and changing climates.
Sellew was immersed in the agricultural business from a young age, growing up on his family's ornamental farm in Connecticut. From 1976 to 1980, he pursued a B.S. in horticulture at Cornell's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
During this time, the late Professor Emeritus Louis "Lou" Albright, biological and environmental engineering, sparked a vision for Sellew that would shape his career. Albright's work in peri-urban agriculture inspired Sellew to found Little Leaf Farms to return hydroponically grown leafy greens to the perimeters of urban markets.
Through this venture, Sellew has worked to create a regional, self-sustaining food system while bringing customers better-quality, fresher food. Little Leaf is the country's number one brand of packaged lettuce sustainably grown through controlled environment agriculture, forging new territory in hydroponics and sustainable agriculture.
This is especially important considering that, globally, agricultural soils are becoming infertile. Scientists estimate that the world's remaining topsoil will disappear within the next 60 years. Sellew views hydroponics as a solution to this problem, providing a reliable, continuous and controlled food supply while immediately reducing agriculture's ecological footprint.
Merging engineering with horticulture, Sellew has constructed 50 acres of hydroponic greenhouses. A timed gutter system cycles lettuce through 24 days of its life stages, adjusting for space, light and nutrient concentration as it grows.
The lettuce is grown in a soilless substrate made up of peat moss and wood fibre. A glass roof harnesses natural sunlight for photosynthesis. This roof intercepts rainwater and funnels it down through downspouts, which double as foundational structures.
Unused water is captured, filtered, cooled, cleaned and replenished with nutrients before being returned to the greenhouse for use. The result: 90 percent less water and 30 times more yield than conventional terrestrial agriculture, and a 99 percent germination rate.
"Nature is my air conditioner," said Sellew. The greenhouse is designed to work symbiotically with nature, harnessing natural airflow to stabilize rising temperatures from the greenhouse effect. Ladybugs work as organic pesticides, while synthetic beehives foster the neighboring ecosystem's resilience and ensure healthy pollination interactions with the lettuce.
Little Leaf Farms' hydroponic strategy, focused on efficiency and commitment to sustainability throughout the lettuce's life cycle, has eliminated food waste, according to Sellew. While one-third of the food produced in the US is wasted, 100 percent of Little Leaf Farms' lettuce reaches packaging. The product is cut and delivered to stores within 24 hours. According to Sellew, "freshness translates directly into reduced food waste."
Growing crops in a water-based, nutrient-rich solution, hydroponic farming allows companies to overcome soil degradation and bring fresh produce to market 365 days a year. Little Leaf Farms' greenhouses maintain a temperature of 70°F year-round, providing optimal conditions for regions facing harsh climate fluctuations.
One of the hydroponic industry's biggest criticisms is its energy consumption, which requires supplementary lighting when natural sunlight is not readily available. While not entirely independent of artificial energy, Little Leaf Farms sources 40 percent of its electricity from on-site renewable energy. Still, Sellew argues, "I have a lower carbon footprint on my lettuce in Massachusetts than the product grown on the West Coast."
Sellew sees his horticultural experience as foundational to his entrepreneurial success and credits his management and employee team's commitment to day-to-day execution.
His long-term vision is to become "the number one package salad brand in the United States." His advice to Cornellians aspiring to careers in sustainable entrepreneurship? "Don't be afraid of failure. Go for it."
Source: The Cornell Daily Sun