Have you heard the buzz about Pittsburgh’s very own forward-thinking farm, Fifth Season?! This local, sustainable farm focuses on growing healthy, good-for-the-planet produce all right in the Braddock neighborhood of Pittsburgh! Whether you’re looking for spinach, greens blends, or premade protein-packed salads, Fifth Season is your answer.
Image via Fifth Season
First brought up at Carnegie Mellon back in 2015, Fifth Season has now combined the talents of engineering, robotics, and other technologies to transform the farming process. Compared to traditional farming, Fifth Season’s vertical farming technology can use 97% less land and up to 95% less water. Not only are they reducing their footprint, but at the same time, they are producing these delicious greens YEAR ROUND right in our little home of Pittsburgh.
Image via Fifth Season Instagram
Now let’s dive into some of the products! The premade salads are an absolute game-changer. Currently, there are 5 different options to choose from, and are all vegetarian. Certain salads are dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan, just be sure to check the labels on their website before ordering if you have these dietary restrictions. A classic crowd-pleasing salad is the Caesar shakeup. This salad begins with a bed of baby romaine and is topped with white beans, carrot sticks, little pretzel bites as a fun take on the crouton, and of course the Caesar dressing. Next up is the Toasted Tuscan Salad. This salad is a base of spinach topped with sundried tomatoes, lentils, crispy bagel chips, and a delicious vinaigrette. Our all-time favorite might be a tie between the Sweet Grains and Spicy Southwest Salad. Both have a base of mixed greens, but then they are both taken in two protein-packed directional Sweet Grains is topped with quinoa, organic chickpeas, crunchy dried corn, feta cheese, and poppy seed dressing, I mean COME ON. The Spicy Southwest is topped with black beans, pepitas, cotija cheese, corn salsa sticks, and chipotle ranch dressing (our fave of the dressings). The last premade salad is the Crunchy Sesame which begins with a bed of mixed greens and is topped off with farro, sesame sticks, dried cranberries, and ginger mandarin dressing.
Image via Fifth Season Instagram
You can order any of the premade salads separately in packs of 2 or 4. If you’re looking to try a variety, Fifth Season offers several different variety packs. Score one of each in their variety 5-pack/10-pack, go plant-based with the duo of Crunchy Sesame and Toasted Tuscan, or pack on the protein with the Sweet Grains and Spicy Southwest pack! Whatever combo you can think of, Fifth Season likely offers it. If you’re absolutely loving your first order, subscribe to a weekly or biweekly order and save 10%! This way, you won’t even have to think about what to pack for lunch or a quick dinner on the go, because Fifth Season will deliver the salads right to your door each Wednesday!
Image via Fifth Season Instagram
If you happen to fall outside of the delivery zone, no worries! Fifth Season salads and greens are now available at Giant Eagle and Get-Go. Exchange your everyday salad mix or spinach for the sustainably grown Fifth Season brand and get creative! Greens aren’t just for salads. In fact, on Fifth Season’s website, they have a recipes tab titled, “The Green Room,” where you’ll find all sorts of fun dishes and drinks to create. Some of our favorites include kale dip, spinach mushroom casserole, and a kale and pineapple taco boat. A little bit of something for any time of year!
As the food scene in Pittsburgh is quickly becoming more modern with local cafes and small restaurants popping up, you see a lot more vegan and vegetarian-focused eateries. If you are one of these local business owners, consider ordering Fifth Season at wholesale prices. Just reach out to them on their website’s contact page!
Image via The412Franimal Instagram
Whether you’re looking for a quick after-work bite or fresh, sustainably grown spinach to include in a breakfast quiche, Fifth Season makes it convenient. Although there are only a small number of items on their site, for now, this is only the beginning for this team of innovators. Be sure to keep your ears and eyes open around the community, because this will not be the only time you’ll hear about Fifth Season. It was just announced that they were named to FORTUNE’s 2021 Impact 20 list for their commitment to doing good while doing well. Fifth Season’s business model has a local focus, but their ideas have “global potential,” according to FORTUNE. So give it a try because it was started in Pittsburgh after all!
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.