Regional grower Salad Days has reached full operational capacity at its new 68,000-square-foot hydroponic facility in Flora, Miss. The Mississippi-based company says the completion of this controlled-environment site positions it as one of the Southeast's largest regional suppliers of greenhouse-grown lettuce.
“Our focus has always been on delivering a consistent, high-quality product our customers can depend on,” says Leigh Bailey, president of Salad Days. “This facility is a big step forward for Salad Days, allowing us to scale that commitment while maintaining reliable supply, freshness and responsiveness across the region.”
The facility in the Flora Industrial Park officially opened March 17. Using Prospiant greenhouse systems and FGM moving-table automation, the operation is capable of producing up to 3 million heads of lettuce annually for distribution across the Southeast.
State and local officials attending the opening event included Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson, USDA Mississippi Director Dane Maxwell, Madison County Economic Development Authority Executive Director Joey Deason and Flora Mayor Les Childress.
The new greenhouse significantly expands Salad Days' production capacity and enables year-round supply of hydroponic lettuce varieties for foodservice operators and grocery retailers across Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama and Florida.
The facility uses controlled environment agriculture to deliver pesticide-free leafy greens while maintaining consistent production regardless of seasonal conditions.
“This expansion moves us from a niche grower to a scaled regional supplier,” Bailey says. “Demand from chefs and retailers across the Southeast has outpaced what we could produce for years. With this facility fully online, we can finally deliver the volume the market has been asking for.”
Product from the Flora operation is now shipping daily to restaurants, foodservice distributors and regional and national grocery chains.
The project received support from the city of Flora; the Madison County Economic Development Authority; the Mississippi Land, Water and Timber Board; the Mississippi Development Authority; and USDA.
Deason says the investment further strengthens Madison County's growing specialty food manufacturing and agriculture cluster, commenting, “Facilities like this demonstrate that advanced agriculture can thrive in Mississippi.”
Additionally, Gipson notes the project reflects increasing diversification within the state's agricultural sector.
“A facility of this scale producing fresh food for the Southeast highlights Mississippi's leadership in agricultural innovation,” he says.
