WHERE THE GREENS COME FROM

Jayleaf in Hollister, California

THE VOLUME About 67,000 pounds of mesclun, spinach, and arugula per month are shipped to locations in California, Philadelphia, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

THE CHALLENGE In 2016, Sweetgreen needed a spring-mix farmer that could ship tons of greens across the country. Jayleaf checked a lot of boxes: Its greens are organic, and its plant is 100 percent solar powered. But the farm had never shipped outside of California, so its greens weren’t holding up well over the long haul to the East Coast.

THE SOLUTION Distributor Keany Produce (see page 63) helped Jayleaf figure out how to pack its greens more effectively, swapping in a different bag that allowed the lettuce to breathe better and packing fewer bags per box. Jayleaf has also changed its systems so that it can supply Sweetgreen with detailed data. “We have to stay on top of our volumes and transfer that info to Sweetgreen,” Jayleaf COO Henry Catalán says. “In the end, it actually helps our sales team understand where the farm is at any given moment.”

THE PAYOFF Catalán says the Sweetgreen account is responsible for increasing Jayleaf’s revenue by 15 percent since 2016. As a result of the relationship, Jayleaf has added 180 acres to its farms and invested in a new packaging machine that has cut down on product-prep time.