Amid Cyclospora Outbreak, Demand for Locally Grown Lettuce Surges

Oliver’s Produce, a small family-owned farm and market in upstate New York, sold 700 heads of lettuce last July. This July, as an outbreak of cyclosporiasis scared people off from leafy greens at chain restaurants and grocery stores, sales more than doubled, to 1,500 heads.

“We actually sold out last Friday, ahead of the weekend,” said Sawyer Oliver, part of the husband-and-wife team that owns the farm.

Sales of prepackaged salads in grocery and other retailers dropped more than 20 percent in mid-July from a month earlier, according to Nielsen IQ, a consumer research firm. Instead, more consumers are turning to local produce stands, farmers’ markets and even greenhouse-grown produce in the belief that romaine, spinach and butter lettuce are safer than produce grown in large industrial farms.

Ms. Oliver was managing the sudden surge in demand this week, dealing with calls from customers disappointed they couldn’t get their hands on leafy greens and local restaurants frantic for new sources for lettuce.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/06/business/cyclospora-lettuce-local-produce.html