Quality Inn Salinas

World's Lettuce Capital

by atufft

"Fresh Express to Chicago"

I drive a refrigerator truck around the entire USA, but one of the most common deliveries I make with my huge 53' trailer is from Salinas to Chicago for Fresh Express. This company is among a few in Salinas that cut and package a mix of lettuce greens that housewives and restaurants may buy at the retail level. Salinas is so big in this business, that during the winter, when many fields lay dormant, lettuce and cabbage is trucked from Southern California, from the Imperial Valley and other desert farm areas, to be factory packaged, prior to shipment to the cold east coast. The Fresh Express Chicago warehouse is itself a huge redistribution center for the entire Northeast. During summer, the farms around Salinas are clearly the world's leader in the production of broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, and other produce. California exports this produce by truck and by air to all parts of the world.