The Grateful Dead Wants To Shake Up Your Salad With New Collab
Dedicated Deadheads are in for a nutritious treat thanks to an unexpected new produce collab. Urban farming pioneers Gotham Greens have teamed up with one of the music world's most iconic bands for a partnership designed to be rock fans' summer jam.
In a press release, the New York City-based produce company announced the debut of Grateful Greens, a leafy greens mix designed in partnership with legendary rock band the Grateful Dead. The limited-edition packaging will contain the company's best-selling Gourmet Medley (with pesticide-free butterhead, green, and red leaf lettuces) and prominently feature the band's iconic Dancing Bears logo. A QR code on the packaging also unlocks a Grateful Dead cooking playlist, salad recipe, and other exclusive content.
The partnership, which the press release explains was born out of a "shared commitment to sustainability, community, and plant-based eating," also aims to give back. For each package of Grateful Greens sold, the duo will plant trees through ForestNation's reforestation programs.
For Viraj Puri, Gotham Greens' Co-Founder and CEO, the partnership with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees was a natural fit. "Partnering with the Grateful Dead is not only incredible on a personal level but really speaks to our collective passion for preserving the earth and bringing joy back to cooking and eating plants," Puri said. "Over the years, what has really stuck with me is not only the music itself but also the monumental cultural impact of the Grateful Dead community."
The Grateful Greens lettuce blend will be available nationwide
Born on a Brooklyn rooftop in 2011, Gotham Greens has since become one of the largest hydroponic greens producers in the country, supplying around 3,000 grocery stores across the U.S. with sustainably grown leafy greens, herbs, dressings, and dips (per the press release and Forbes). Ahead of the partnership announcement, TechCrunch reported the company unveiled major expansion plans, with the goal of increasing its nationwide greenhouse capacity from 600,000 square feet to more than 1.2 million square feet.
In addition to the Grateful Dead collab, Gotham Greens — which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary — announced it will be embarking on a series of partnerships with other popular bands and musicians. While the produce company has yet to tease its next musical partnership, teaming up with one of the most iconic bands of all time to kick things off is starting on a strong foot.
Available now, the Grateful Greens lettuce mix is sold at major grocery stores (including Kroger, Albertsons, Whole Foods, and Sprouts) nationwide through September 2022. As David Lemieux, Legacy Manager of the Grateful Dead, aptly put it: "Eating your greens has never felt so great."