Lettuce Chat, Eat Local Lettuce, 7/21/2026

Howdy Friends and Fans! Y'all okay out there? Lettuce Chat, shall we? I really hesitate to chime in on this whole parasite thing, (I refuse to use its name), because I'm no microbiologist or parasitologist (is that a word?). I'm more of a salad builder and our resident food safety contact. But we've had some folks message us with questions, so I thought I'd give it a go. We are so glad that you are contacting us AND doing your research. Everyone should indeed be doing their research when it comes down to what products we are consuming, so thank you for asking, and thank you for doing

your research! Without pretending to be any sort of expert on the matter, I am going to attempt to touch the surface.

If you're new here, I'll present to you a quick rundown of Endless Summer Harvest's offerings. We grow hydroponic lettuces, herbs, and microgreens in a water system, which is fed by a dedicated well. Our plants are grown on raised tables, not in soil, in a controlled agricultural environment (it's fancy high tech stuff in greenhouses), and we do not use any animal waste fertilizers. We do everything by hand from seeding and planting to harvesting and packing, following strict food safety protocols. For more in-depth information, please see our page Our Commitment To You or our FAQ page.

Now, for our recommendation for the best place to get your lettuce blends, herbs, and microgreens, we highly recommend skipping the mass produced and distributed vendors and instead shop Endless Summer Harvest. What I meant to say was please shop locally farmed produce. Maybe that means a small local farm like ESH, maybe it means a farmers market like Falls Church Market on Saturdays, or maybe that means a local store that carries local items like Hamilton Mercantile or The Organic Butcher of McLean. There are also local restaurants and caterers who get their produce from small farms, a la farm-to-fork. Some of our personal favorites include Magnolia's at the Mill, Tuscarora Mill, Dough Baby, Pizzaria Loco, Oak and Ember, and Savior Fare (C'est Bon) Catering. We like to eat good food around here, and that includes local lettuce!

Wherever you get your produce, the small local producers are your best and probably safest bet. Your farmer should be using good agricultural practices (GAP's) and following produce safety standards and food safety practices. Best practices ensure that you can contact that farmer or purveyor if you have any questions or if you need to chat with those who know.

Regardless of where you buy your produce or even if you grow your own in a back deck garden, please make sure you wash your produce. Consumer safety experts, ESH, and all food safety guidelines implore you to wash your produce. Use whatever method you like best, but wash it! Thoroughly. Even if it says "triple washed", do it anyway! If it's peelable like oranges or cut-able like watermelons or limes, you should still wash it very well. The main message here is wash your produce, even ESH greens.

Friends and Fans, we appreciate you trusting us for your leafy greens goodness. We work really hard to do it the right way, and we will continue to maintain the safest lettuce production as usual. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to hit the contact us page, or email the Head of Lettuce (her email is on the contact page also). We'll do the best we can to alleviate any fears or concerns that you may have.

Thanks for your ear, Lettuce Chat again sometime!