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Lef Farms Keeps Front-Line Workers Happy And Healthy With A Quarter Million Dollars In Food Donations
The whole reason we started Lef Farms was to reduce our community’s reliance on food sources outside our region by offering healthy local alternatives. We feel a healthy community is one that grows and prospers together
(LOUDON, NH) – As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, New Hampshire-based lef Farms continues to do its part by providing hard-working front-line healthcare workers across New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey with more than $250,000 in baby greens over the past six months – a total of 50,000 meals.
“We’ve always seen ourselves as community advocates first and foremost”, begins lef Farms founder, Henry Huntington. “The whole reason we started lef Farms was to reduce our community’s reliance on food sources outside our region by offering healthy local alternatives. We feel a healthy community is one that grows and prospers together. Our ability to bring fresh greens to those logging countless hours to fight this pandemic is just another way to keep our community healthy and strong.”
“Front-line heroes are pulling 12- sometimes 16-hour workdays. For weeks!”, exclaims lef Farms Sales Manager, Donald Grandmaison. “When you put in that kind of hours, your meals end up a second thought. Our team felt a strong call-to-action. As our local heroes poured themselves into helping our community, we wanted to give them the fuel to continue their amazing work”, finishes Grandmaison.
What began in March as a casual conversation about the country’s incredible pandemic relief efforts led to lef taking a more aggressive approach in its own region. lef immediately reached out to its business partners to gauge interest in supporting healthcare workers. In a matter of just hours, Lef secured thousands in financial support from key vendors, like International Paper, Macaran Printed Products, Inline Plastic, and its parent company, Pleasant View Gardens – demonstrating the willingness of the businesses community to rally for this cause.
With support from business partners, Lef also contacted one of New England’s top grocers, Stop & Shop, joining forces and providing fresh greens directly to dedicated front-line workers. Through the Stop & Shop’s “Feeding the Frontline” program, lef provided 30,000 servings of fresh baby greens to medical first-responders at Mount Sinai and Long Island Community Hospital in New York, Pascack Valley Medical Center in New Jersey, and Boston Medical Center and Children’s Hospital.
Given the success of the Stop & Shop partnership, lef turned its focus closer to home by inviting local New Hampshire food suppliers to join in. Without hesitation, Pete & Gerry’s added their organic eggs to the mix. And, like a series of dominos, other suppliers fell in line, like Contoocook Creamery, who donated fresh milk. Before too long, a small team of farmers were assembled to lift the spirits of healthcare providers and motivate them to continue their good fight. This local program provided an assortment of local products for 1,000 healthcare professionals at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Centers (DHMC) throughout New Hampshire.
“With several special events throughout the month of August, our dedicated staff was treated to fresh greens, milk, and eggs to keep them going”, notes DHMC media relations manager, Audra Burns. “Plus, lef’s efforts mesh perfectly with the hospital’s own internal wellness and healthy eating. We couldn’t be more grateful”, finishes Burns.
“While the pandemic continues, we’re proud that our farm and other businesses can work together to give back to those who are giving so much. For them, it’s an outward demonstration of community support. A strong message of hope. And that’s exactly what this country needs”, smiles lef’s Henry Huntington.
lef Farms is a 1-acre hydroponic greenhouse growing facility located in Loudon, NH, producing nearly 1.5 million pounds annually of its Crisp, Smooth, Spice, and Fusion baby greens for New England. www.lef-farms.com.
Lead Image Caption:
lef Farms of Loudon, NH, keeps medical first-responders happy and healthy with a quarter of a million dollars in food donations.
CANADA: Bringing Local Greens To Ontario Year Round
The state-of-the-art farm is fully automated and equipped to grow microgreens and baby greens 365 days a year, without the use of pesticides, herbicides or fungicides and with dramatically less water consumption
NEWS PROVIDED BY
Sep 15, 2020
Vertical Farm In Guelph Is Now Fully Operational
GUELPH, ON, Sept. 15, 2020,/CNW/ - The revolutionary GoodLeaf Farms' 4,000-square-metre indoor vertical farm is now fully operational.
The state-of-the-art farm is fully automated and equipped to grow microgreens and baby greens 365 days a year, without the use of pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides and with dramatically less water consumption. The result is a safer, more nutrient-dense, and sustainably grown food source, providing a domestic alternative in a produce aisle highly dominated by imports from the southern United States or Mexico.
"Knowing where their food comes from is important to Canadians," says Jacquie Needham, Accounts Manager for GoodLeaf Farms. "Our growing system mimics the spring sun without the use of chemicals, releasing farming from the restrictions of the changing seasons. We can grow local, fresh, nutritious, and healthy leafy greens for the Ontario produce market all year long — we do it safely."
Vertical farming is an innovative growing process that naturally grows plants with hydroponics under specialized LEDs that concentrates the waves from the light spectrum that plants need to maximize photosynthesis. This method of farming is cost-effective, uniquely suited for Canadian climate, and scalable. GoodLeaf Farms is a leader in food safety. Every crop is tested for contaminants before it is shipped, ensuring it is safe for consumers.
GoodLeaf Farms is also sustainable. It uses 95 percent less water than a traditional farm, has no run-off issues or potential contamination of nearby water sources, it is local which eliminates thousands of kilometers of transportation from the supply chain and more food can be grown per acre, reducing land-use pressures.
GoodLeaf currently has four microgreens and two baby greens available in Ontario:
Spicy Mustard Medley — Blend of Asian greens create a spicy touch reminiscent of Wasabi or Dijon Mustard. It makes for a perfect peppery finish.
Pea Shoots — Sweet and crisp with a subtle pea flavour, they add a fresh bite to salads, seafood, and summer rolls.
Micro Asian Blend — Mild peppery flavour with a hint of mustard, this makes a great addition to stir fry, soups, or as a crunchy culinary adventure to any dish.
Micro Arugula — Intense spicy flavour that is both peppery and nutty. Use this to elevate the look and flavour of any meat or seafood dish, as an addition to your salad or to garnish your sandwich.
Baby Kale — Earthy and nutty, it is a calcium-rich dark green to add a nutritional punch to any salad.
Baby Arugula — Excite your taste buds by adding this spicy and peppery green to your salad or as a topping for sandwiches or burgers.
"The pandemic has underscored how important it is to have access to local food sources – food that we know is safe, grown responsibly, and immune to border closures," says Ms. Needham. "Compared to a green that was grown thousands of miles away, packed onto a hot truck and shipped across the continent, our process is far superior. Local food is simply better — better for you, better for the environment and better for our economy."
Follow GoodLeaf Farms on Instagram at @goodleaffarms and like it on Facebook at /GoodLeafFarms.
About GoodLeaf Farms:
With a passion for delicious, nutrient-rich greens, GoodLeaf was founded in Halifax in 2011. Using an innovative technology and leveraging multi-level vertical farming, GoodLeaf has created a controlled and efficient indoor farm that can grow fresh produce anywhere in the world, 365 days of the year. The system combines innovations in LED lighting with leading-edge hydroponic techniques to produce sustainable, safe, pesticide-free, nutrient-dense leafy greens. GoodLeaf has ongoing R&D Programs in collaboration with the University of Guelph, Dalhousie University, and Acadia University.
Learn more at goodleaffarms.com.
SOURCE GoodLeaf Farms
For further information: Jacquie Needham, Accounts Manager at GoodLeaf Farms, jneedham@goodleaffarms.com, 416-579-6117