01
Seed & propagate
Seeds are sown into a clean growing mix, so every seedling starts strong.
The future of farming
grows here.
District Farms is a high-tech greenhouse growing lettuce and basil in Maryland for grocery shelves across the Mid-Atlantic.
Why greenhouse-grown
A better way to grow a salad.
Most lettuce in the eastern U.S. still travels cross-country from open fields. Ours grows in a controlled greenhouse a short drive from your store.
Clean
No glyphosate. Plants grow off the ground in a clean growing mix.
Protected
Enclosed glass keeps deer, rabbits, rodents and birds away from the crop.
Fresh
Harvested and packed in Maryland, then shipped quickly to grocers across the Mid-Atlantic.
Year-round
Harvested every day of the year, whatever the weather outside.
How we grow
From seed to shelf, grown off the ground.
Every plant spends its whole life inside a computer-controlled greenhouse, from seed to harvest.
02
Grow in sunlight
A high-transmission glass roof lets natural light do most of the work.
03
Feed precisely
A balanced nutrient solution feeds the roots. Unused water is captured, cleaned and reused.
04
Tune the climate
Sensors and a climate computer adjust heat, shade and airflow around the clock.
05
Every day
Harvest & ship
Picked and packed fresh each day, then shipped to grocers across the Mid-Atlantic.
Our greens
Lettuce & herbs
Tender heads and leaf blends, plus fragrant basil, grown in the same clean greenhouse.
Lettuce
Select a variety to learn more.
Basil
NewFragrant, spotless leaves, packed in retail clamshells for East Coast shoppers.
From our greenhouse to your cart
You may already be eating our lettuce.
We grow and pack every day, and our distribution partner ships our greens to grocers across the Mid-Atlantic.
Fewer miles on the truck, more days in your fridge, and a Maryland-grown option in the salad aisle every week of the year.
Our greenhouse
Rooted in Maryland.
Our glass greenhouse sits on a 40-acre site surrounded by Maryland hills and farmland, with fresh greens for millions of neighbors within a few hours’ drive.
222,000 sq ftGreenhouse
174,000 sq ftUnder glass
40 acresSite
2019First commercial harvest
About the founders
Engineers who became growers.
Two of our founders trained as engineers, and they built District Farms the way engineers build anything: measure everything, automate what repeats, and improve the system every crop cycle.
We have been growing and operating hands-on since 2017, from early trial crops through construction and into daily commercial harvests. Lessons from the greenhouse floor shape our plans for the next, fully automated phase of growth.
Is your lettuce hydroponic if you use a soil mix?
Yes. Our plants grow off the ground in a clean growing mix. The mix anchors the roots, while a balanced nutrient solution delivered through the water does the feeding.
Where does District Farms lettuce go?
We grow and pack every day in Frederick, and our distribution partner ships our greens to grocery stores across the Mid-Atlantic.
How does a greenhouse use less water?
Our greenhouse captures the water our plants don’t use, then cleans and reuses it, so very little goes to waste. Hydroponic lettuce can use up to 90% less water than lettuce grown in a field.
Why grow in a greenhouse instead of a field?
A greenhouse lets us harvest every day of the year, keeps animals and weather away from the crop, and puts the farm a short drive from the stores we supply.
Careers
Grow with us.
Year-round work where agriculture meets technology. Apply anytime.
Research
Test ideas at commercial scale.
Universities, extension programs and industry partners welcome.
Investors
Multi-state expansion.
A proven operation with built-in distribution, planning fully automated growth.