Journey of a Bite: Lettuce

Lettuce is a mainstay of many meals on dinner tables across the country. Humans have long relied on the leafy green as an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin K. Stone carvings from ancient Egypt reveal our long history of lettuce cultivation, and many farmers today face the same challenges in raising the crop as those who came before us. Despite those obstacles, lettuce is available year-round, with annual consumption reaching about 24.5 pounds per person. In order to meet this demand, Bayer’s Crop Science division is constantly looking for ways to partner with farmers to protect crops from pests and apply innovative solutions.

Sources:

Fatemeh Malekian et. al, “Transportation of Fresh Produce,” Louisiana State Agricultural Center, https://www.lsu.edu/agriculture/plant/extension/hcpl-publications/2_Pub.3442-TransportationofFreshProduce-BestPracticestoEnsureOn-FarmFoodSafety.pdf.

Rebecca Rupp, “From Ancient Egypt to Outer Space, the Delicious History of Lettuce,” National Geographic, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/people-and-culture/food/the-plate/2015/08/13/from-ancient-egypt-to-outer-space-the-delicious-history-of-lettuce/.

Amy Storey, “Harvesting and Handling Lettuce for a Longer Shelf Life,” Upstart University, https://university.upstartfarmers.com/blog/harvesting-handling-lettuce-longer-shelf-life.

“Growing Lettuce,” Almanac, https://www.almanac.com/plant/lettuce.

“Lettuce,” Ag Marketing Resource Center, https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/vegetables/lettuce.

“Lettuce,” University of Illinois Extension, http://extension.illinois.edu/veggies/lettuce.cfm.