Greens Day

Lettuce

“The resources of the earth should be used as God’s gifts to the whole human race and used with due consideration for the needs of the present and future generations.” (From- The Soil and Health – A Study of Organic Agriculture; Sir Albert Howard, pg 13)

Lettuce falls into six specific categories or groups. These include: Butterhead, Chinese Lettuce, Crisphead, Looseleaf, Romaine, and Summer Crisp. From these six categories there are hundreds of different distinct breeds and hybrids of lettuce. Below are the lettuces that will be grown at Z Food Farm this coming season. Lettuce does best in the spring and the fall, when the weather is relatively cooler. However, by following a program of continuous seeding, germinating, and planting David’s goal is to have head lettuce and/or salad mix (a combination of baby lettuce greens) on a weekly basis throughout the entire season. As with most things related to farming, success in this matter will be greatly influenced by the weather.

Adriana (Johnny’s) – Heads are full and dense with good taste. A butterhead.

Baby Oakleaf (Johnny’s) – Just the right size for a “mini-head”. Oak-shaped leaves.

Black Seeded Simpson (High Mowing) – Large, loosely packed bright green leaves are juicy, crisp and slightly crumpled. Tender and sweet.

Bronze Arrowhead (Fedco) – Scores a bullseye for form and color, developing a gorgeous oakleaf rosette in a dance of green and bronze.

Deer Tongue (Johnny’s) – Highly rated for baby leaf. Toungue-shaped outer leaves. A nice heirloom specialty. Dates back to the early 1740’s. Good texture and wonderful flavor that is pleasantly sharp.

Devil’s Ears (Fedco) – One of the lovely rare treasures once maintained by the Abundant Life Seed Foundation. Starlike rosettes of tasty glossy leaves are deeply tinged with burgundy for a shimmery appearance. Nutty texture and bitter-free flavor.

Forellenschluss (Fedco) – Also known as Speckled-Troutback due to its similarity to the patterns of a trout. An old variety that has been a favorite of lettuce collectors for many years; dates back to 1793.Originated in Austria. Leaves are very crispy. Excellent flavor. A Romaine type lettuce with the delicate taste and texture of a butterhead.

Lovelock (Seeds of Change) – Beautiful, thick, bright green leaves edged with maroon.

Magenta (High Mowing) - Good taste. Red-tinged leaves form a whorled, conical head with a crispy, green heart.

Nevada (High Mowing) – Excellent summer variety. “French crisp” type that forms large, open heads. Vibrant green leaves are glossy, thick, and beautifuuly ruffled with a satisfying combination of crunchy texture and buttery smoothness.

New Red Fire (Johnny’s) – A terrific full-sized red summer lettuce. Crisp and sweet. Ruffled red leaves.

Ridgeline (Johnny’s) – Tall, upright plants produce long, dense hearts with good flavor. A Romaine lettuce.

Royal Oakleaf (Fedco) – Darker, larger, and fancier than most other green oakleaf types. The “Rolls Royce of oakleaf lettuce.”

Skyphos (Johnny’s) – Beautiful, large dark red heads with nicely contrasting green centers. Excellent flavor and texture. A butterhead.

Speckled Amish (Fedco) – Origins date back to 1660 in Holland. In the late 1790’s it was brought to North America. A bibb lettuce. Has a pleasant, muddy flavor which is similar to watercress. Its apple-green leaves are splashed with maroon flecks.

Tropicana (Johnny’s) – A standard Greenleaf lettuce with heavy leaves and full heads.

Crispino (Johnny’s) – Medium-sized, glossy green, firm heads. Juicy and mild.

Red Iceberg (Seeds of Change) – A gorgeous iceberg with copper-head outer leaves surrounding the green-to-white inner head. Delicious sweet flavor and crispy texture.

Good health through healthy eating to one and all. Support organic agriculture. Support local and sustainable agriculture. Long days and pleasant nights.