The Hidden Journey of Our Salad Bags

Taking you from seed to salad bowl.

At Wolves Lanes Centre, one thing we are very passionate about is making fresh, seasonal produce more accessible to the local community. We all recognise the importance of eating food grown close to home, and the grounds also serve a point where people can connect through the food grown on site.

As part of our weekly salad share, members receive a changing selection of produce, herbs and a bag of mixed salad leaves. They are all grown with care and without chemicals. In an effort to diversify the bags, the produce follows seasonal harvests.

Eating a varied and balanced diet supports our overall health. Adding greens to a plate provides a valuable source of vitamins and fibre. But what does it actually take to get our produce to plate? In this article, we are taking you behind the salad bag to explore the journey from seed to salad bowl.

Growing from Seed

Here at Wolves Lane, we grow a wide variety of fresh salad leaves on site, nurturing them from their earliest stages through to harvest. Our growers and volunteer team begin by carefully sowing seeds. Once strong enough, plants are transferred to larger beds, usually in our glasshouses. Here spacing, watering and temperature are controlled factors. Depending on the season, our beds are home to a revolving mix of salad crops, including lettuce, mustard frills, and rainbow chard. Crops such as our kale plants are often grown from seeds saved during previous harvests.

Growing a variety of crops means there is always something different moving through the growing cycle. There is colour and variety on your plate, but it also means produce follows the natural rhythm of the seasons.

Harvesting and Packaging

Once our growers feel produce has reached the right stage, it is time to harvest. For salad greens, larger outer leaves are cut, leaving the plant intact to continue producing. For loose-leaf varieties, our growers will gather handfuls of leaves and cut the entire top growth off a plant. Often different crops can be harvested simultaneously for the same bag to create a fresh and varied mix.

The leaves are then brought in to be washed and prepared for packing. This ensures any soil is removed and the mix is ready to eat. Each salad mix in our Salad Share bags is packed by hand; the aim always to keep the process as fresh and varied as possible.

At Wolves Lane

Finally, once your salad mixes are packed, they are ready for collection with other produce as part of the Salad Share or additionally available for standalone purchase in our shop. On site, the excess produce we harvest is also utilised for fresh meals served from our on-site cafe.

From here, the final part of the journey is up to you. Take your fresh, locally grown leaves home and enjoy them as part of your meals throughout the week. This can be alone as a simple salad or alongside a larger meal. Because the produce is grown and harvested right here in North London, the journey from our growing spaces to your plate is a short one.

Find out more about our Salad Share here.