Healthy eating has always been a part of my life, but until I learned that I was going to be a dad, the importance of clean, nutritious food for the health and development of our children was just a concept for me. As I dug deeper, I was confronted by the reality that fresh, healthy food is unaffordable and inaccessible to many households across the country.

At the same time, shockingly, half of all farmed produce goes to waste before it is eaten. Heavy water usage, transportation emissions, toxic chemicals and excessive packaging mark a process that isn’t doing any good for our bodies, our souls or the planet.

What began as dismay turned to determination -- what if we could cut waste and conserve resources by revolutionizing the fresh produce distribution model? What if we could create a new future for clean, unprocessed food?

That’s when we set out to develop Lettuce Grow, a novel approach that championed health, autonomy and sustainability, free from the constraints of the current food system. It was definitely outside of the box, but we trusted that we’d find a community that shared our values and determination to act with intention for our bodies and the world.

Thank you for proving us right.

Together, since we started shipping Farmstands in May 2019, we have already raised more than 660,000 veggies, fruits and greens, saved over 13 million gallons of water, and prevented 436,000 milk jugs from entering the oceans. These might just sound like numbers, but each time growers like you harvest your own produce, you’re not only nurturing yourself - you’re sustaining the planet. I’m extremely proud of these stats, and you should be too!

Beyond impressive numbers, the most unexpected and rewarding part of this project, for me, is something that’s hard to put into words: It’s the magic. It’s sharing the feeling of growing your own food, of being a farmer. Of creating and observing life. Of enjoying the bees and the butterflies. Of watching kids sneak off, “stealing” fresh produce off of Farmstands, and popping it into their mouths between giggles.

There is power in growing your own food, and it brings us joy, confidence, and health. This connection to food and growing is in our DNA. I want

to experience these transformative feelings.

That’s why we’ve made equitably spreading this experience an essential part of our mission. Through the Lettuce Give program, we have gifted over 160 schools with Farmstands in our first year alone. Looking forward, we want to continue touching as many lives as possible, welcoming children and neighbors from all walks of life to join this compassionate family of growers we’re building together.

Our team can’t be everywhere, but we invite you to be our eyes by nominating organizations and schools near you that would benefit from a little farm of their own. You can share nominations with our team at giving@lettucegrow.com.

I am grateful for your support. I’m deeply encouraged by our community’s progress. There’s still work ahead, but together we can bring health back to the roots of our food, our families and our neighborhoods.

With gratitude and hope,

Jacob Pechenik