Revol Greens Making Great Strides

With the opening of a 16-acre greenhouse in Tehachapi, California, last fall, Revol Greens claims to be the largest lettuce greenhouse grower in the United States, and most of its production is USDA certified organic.

Brendon Krieg, vice president of sales and marketing and one of the five founders of the company, said Revol Greens has made considerable headway since its founding in 2017 and the launch of its first branded product of “Baby Leaf Lettuce” in February of 2018 from its Minnesota facility. And it is poised for significant growth in the next few years as it can quadruple its California operation. The company has started construction on a 20-acre greenhouse plant in Temple, Texas, and has acquired a small greenhouse in Georgia for future production in that region.

Brendon Krieg, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Revol Greens

Revol Greens was launched by five partners with different areas of expertise, including farming, greenhouse technology, and marketing skills. Krieg had been a produce buyer at Target, specializing in leafy greens. What he brings to the table is the knowledge that supply chain issues and food safety concerns have created space in the market for a reliable producer of sustainably grown greenhouse lettuces.

Starting with 2.5 acres in southern Minnesota, Revol quickly increased that facility to a 10-acre site. Krieg said its location on a major north-south interstate (I-35) and proximity to an east-west corridor (I-90) gives it access to many retail and foodservice customers. The Minnesota plant, which launched with baby head lettuce and salad kits has about 25 percent of its production certified organic and the other 75 percent grown conventionally, though almost all the growing techniques and inputs are similar.

“The only thing different is the nutrient source,” said Krieg. Subsequently, Revol Greens, which gets its name as a shortened version of “revolution,” purchased a 64-acre greenhouse facility in the southernmost town of Kern County, California. Krieg said the area in the San Joaquin Valley gets 270 days of sunshine per year, which allows for nonstop production throughout the year. The first 16 acres have been converted to lettuce production.

The company was launched by five partners with different areas of expertise, including farming, greenhouse technology, and marketing skills.

“In California, 75 percent of our production is certified organic and 25 percent conventional,” he noted.

Revol Greens Tehachapi, CA facility

With crops cycling every two to three weeks, Krieg said 16 acres of greenhouse production is equivalent to about 500 acres of open field yields. From the Tehachapi facility, Revol Greens is producing several baby leaf products, salad kits, living romaine and butter head lettuce, and chopped romaine.

“We should be able to get another 16 acres in production in as little as six months,” he said, guesstimating that conversion could begin this year. “We aren’t sold out yet, but we’re pretty close.”

“In California, 75 percent of our production is certified organic and 25 percent conventional.” – Brendon Krieg

Krieg believes Revol Greens has proven the concept that it can grow lettuces in scale in a greenhouse environment and compete against open-field production. It also helps that the company is concentrating on higher-end items, such as the specialty baby lettuces and organic blends. He believes the company’s use of natural light—though it does use LED lighting as a supplement in the winter—allows it to combine natural advantages with the inherent stability of a protective agricultural environment for products that are performing very well in the marketplace.

Revol Greens organic salad blends

One of the company’s main value propositions is that it can go from the greenhouse to the buyer’s warehouse in 24 hours. In fact, the company’s website notes that once its Texas facility is up and running, it will be able to reach one-third of US consumers within 24 hours of harvest. California production services the Southwest while products grown in Texas and Minnesota serve the Midwest corridor from the Canadian border to the Mexican border.

Krieg believes Revol Greens has proven the concept that it can grow lettuces in scale in a greenhouse environment and compete against open-field production.

Krieg indicated that there are many CEA (controlled environment agriculture) facilities in operation or being built for the Northeast so servicing that region is not currently in Revol's growth plans. The Southeast is a possibility, with expansion to the Northwest another idea with merit, he said.

The company, Krieg said, is delivering on its sustainability promise—using less water and less land—and it offers a consistent option to buyers. That point of differentiation is only going to increase as climate change alters growing patterns, he noted.