If you happen to live in California, you don’t need to worry about finding good, local field greens in winter. But, for the rest of us, especially during these long, cold months, it takes some dedication to avoid slipping into the iceberg or bagged greens trap.

Hydroponics is the practice of growing plants without soil. A recent visit to Endless Summer Harvest, a local hydroponics farm in Purcellville, VA, showed us that this technique goes way beyond tomatoes and can produce perfect, delicious greens. Their impressive modern, high-tech operation is about as environmentally-friendly as it gets – well water is re-circulated, recycled vegetable oil from neighboring restaurants is used to operate the greenhouses, natural plant food nutrients are provided, and no pesticides or runoff means there is limited concern of bacteria. This “living lettuce” also has the valuable aspect of a longer shelf-life because it travels directly from farm to your kitchen attached to its own root system.

Although a more expensive option and harder to find, hydroponics is a growing business in the U.S. as open land continues to shrink and water becomes even more of a precious resource. We see the value in its future.

RECIPE: Watercress Soup