The Best Way to Avoid Diarrhea Lettuce? This Indoor Garden

experts say this summer's main threat of lettuce-borne cyclospora may finally be waning, with investigators having identified the likely culprit as iceberg lettuce sold through Taylor Farms de Mexico. But the fact remains that commercially-produced lettuce isn't always safe.

The FDA continues to flag cluster outbreaks of cyclosporiasis and salmonellosis, with a recent cyclosporiasis outbreak possibly tied to parsley and cilantro. If you're not growing your own food, you can never truly know what’s in it or on it.

For almost two years, I have been growing my own organic salad greens and herbs—and even vegetables like beans and zucchini—right in my living room in a Lettuce Grow Farmstand, producing enough food for my family of three to avoid purchasing nearly all our vegetables from the grocery store. Here's what my garden looks like right now:

A full-size setup like Lettuce Grow's is an investment, but one that's likely to pay for itself over time; the water pump and LEDs don't use a noticeable amount of power, and all Farmstands come with their own first round of seedlings and enough nutrients to last a couple of grows.

• Photograph: Kat Merck
• Photograph: Kat Merck

Lettuce Grow

Farmstand

I have few complaints about the Farmstand, other than that it's rarely on sale. (Shown is the Medium Indoor, which has space for 24 plants.)

For a more in-depth look at the growing process and maintenance required with the Farmstand, see my full review. Note that I do mention pest problems, but Lettuce Grow now recommends quarantining and treating seedlings as soon as they arrive, which did solve the problem with my current batch of Lettuce Grow-provided seedlings.

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