MN Greenhouse May Need To Close Despite No Link To Outbreak

STEELE COUNTY, MN — Revol Greens has notified Minnesota's State Rapid Response Team that it could lay off about 89 workers at its greenhouse in Medford amid declining sales.

The company said the southern Minnesota facility will permanently close if it is not sold or does not secure additional funding before Oct. 4, 2026, with layoffs expected that same day.

The potential closure comes as a multistate outbreak of the parasitic infection cyclosporiasis, linked to lettuce sold at chains including Taco Bell, has weighed on consumer demand for greens.

No specific product or brand has been identified as the outbreak's source, and Revol Greens has not been named in connection with it.

In a food safety statement posted July 22, the company said its controlled greenhouse growing method, using treated irrigation water and no open field soil contact, carries a lower contamination risk than open field produce.

Positions affected by the potential layoff span the full operation, including Assistant Grower, Controls and Mechatronics Technician, Custodian, Delivery Driver, Food Safety and Quality Assurance Supervisor, Greenhouse Associate, Greenhouse Supervisor, Head Grower, HR Business Partner Manager, Maintenance Manager, Office Clerk, Operations Manager, Packhouse Associate, Sanitation Lead and General Manager. Mee Yang, a State Rapid Response Team senior specialist, is leading the state's assessment of the layoff.

Revol Greens closed a California facility last year but continues to operate a location in Temple, Texas, alongside the Minnesota greenhouse, the Star Tribune reported.

Founder Jay Johnson also started Bushel Boy, a nearby tomato operation, decades earlier.

'Lettuce-Gate': As The Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Grows, Here's How To Safely Ordr Fast Food

Ordering fast food has become a gamble due to “lettuce-gate” — the internet’s shorthand for a multistate outbreak of the severe diarrhea-causing parasite cyclospora associated with shredded lettuce.

Earlier this month, officials announced that a five-state outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal infection, has been linked to shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Fresh Foods and used in Taco Bell menu items.

Read more here.