Little Leaf Farms Overpowers Algae. 2019

Little Leaf Farms grows lettuce greens year-round in a protective greenhouse located in Devens, MA. Little Leaf received a grant from the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) to evaluate an effective approach to cleaning their growing gutters without using chemicals. Unwanted algae was growing in the gutters in which the lettuce is grown, and the algae needed to be cleaned out before the next lettuce-growing cycle. TURI partnered with Boce Zhang, Assistant Professor of Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences at UMass Lowell, to perform a scientific study evaluating a high-pressure washer to do the job. Professor Zhang and his team of students were able to validate the cleaning capacity of the washer and recommend a minimum temperature for its use.