The Million Dollar Plant: Crossroads’ Veggie Share – Week #1 – 6/11/25

 In CSA Newsletter

I can still remember at my first farm job, 23 years ago, when my boss, Farmer Claire, said to me: Lettuce is dumb, but kale, I’ll make my million with kale.

At the time, I didn’t really understand what she meant. I was brand new to the whole growing food business.

Now, I get her. While I do not think lettuce is dumb ( I love love love crisp salad with romaine and hard boiled eggs or a softer salad mix with radish and blue cheese), I do think kale has something on it.

You see, both plants have similar inputs. We seed them in our potting shed using a pneumatic seeder, let them germinate, and then take care of them in the greenhouse for about 3 weeks. They both get planted using our water wheel transplanter. Both need to be cultivated (weeded) using tractor implements. Kale does need to be covered in the early season, and we do go through the planting one time with hoes due to the larger spacing they have in between plants, but on the whole it’s not that much more work.

Come harvest time, the plants couldn’t be more different. Lettuce gets cut as a head and then the plant is done. Literally 1 and done. Kale, by contrast, can be harvested over and over again.  The minute it is in the ground, it starts growing upward and adding leaves in a whorled pattern. We harvest the largest leaves that are lower on the plant and leave behind the smaller leaves at the mid range and top of the plant to size up. Then the next time we come around, we take the ones that have sized up, while still more smaller ones are growing. Kale plants can grow as high as my stomach. Each plant yields multiple bunches (probably 5 each on average across the different types of kales).

This enormous difference in yield is what prompted Claire to call kale the million dollar vegetable. It’s about 5 times as profitable as lettuce! She never did make her million with kale, but her deep love of kale has stayed with me all these years.

Not only have I come to understand the greater profitability of kale, I’ve also come to love its versatility and greater health benefits. The AI oracle on google sums it up nicely: “Kale is a more nutritious choice than most lettuce varieties, offering a wider range of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. While lettuce is still a healthy option, kale provides a greater “bang for the buck” in terms of nutrient content.”

Kale is often the first green I eat after a long winter of cabbages and roots. Last week I charted all the different ways I ate it, just in case you might be looking for a little inspiration. The key to kale for me is the sprinkle of salt and the massage to soften it up a bit. Such an important step!

  • Kale chopped up, cooked down, and hidden in taco meat, with salted, limed, fresh kale leaves as the taco salad base.
  • Kale salad base with tuna fish, thinly sliced radishes and a sesame dressing.
  • Braised kale and a fried egg for breakfast.
  • Braised kale with soy and coconut aminos as a side dish!
  • Ribboned kale with ramen noodles and scallions with sesame oil and soy.

We hope you enjoy the kale and all the other yummy early summer treats coming your way this week.

Cheers,
Farmer Cassie