Long rows of tender lettuce plants, some just sprouting and others ready to be picked, fill nearly every inch of space at Milestone Specialty Produce in Elizabeth Township.

It looks like a typical greenhouse with a beautiful location, overlooking the Youghiogheny River on one side and the Youghiogheny River Trail on the other in Buena Vista.

		Milestone Specialty Produce's Summer Salads program provides fresh lettuce from April 2 through June 25. Pickup is on Wednesdays at the Rochez Building, 600 Ross Ave., Wilkinsburg, and Enterprise, 510 Seco Road, Monroeville. Cost is $50 in advance for two heads a week, grower's choice. Register by Friday at 412-371-7391, ext. 116, or www.aemhmr.org.

What sets this place apart are its workers. On this day, Mike Conner and Andy Reigel from Milestone Centers, a nonprofit that helps people with mental and other disabilities, are harvesting lettuce. They can pick and pack nearly 3,000 a week, says Jessica Tallman, managing grower at the greenhouse.

"They handle everything. They handle the daily operations. Today is harvest day, and they essentially do all the harvesting and the packing," she says.

In addition to red, green and Bibb lettuce, Milestone grows greens hydroponically -- without soil, in a nutrient-rich solution. Mrs. Tallman stresses the use of natural growing techniques.

"We use no pesticides. Everything is organic-based. Some of the seeds we're using are organic, and some of the fertilizers are organic."

One of the advantages to hydroponic lettuce is its freshness. The plant is still living when it's packed in a clear plastic container with the moist cube still attached. Milestone products are distributed locally, including at Giant Eagle's Market District stores.

Milestone's Summer Salads program allows consumers to buy lettuce direct -- two heads a week -- from April through June and pick it up at locations in Wilkinsburg and Monroeville. The deadline to sign up is Friday.

This warm, humid, bright greenhouse seems a pleasant place to work. A relaxed feeling allows everyone to work at his or her own pace.

"It's sort of like horticulture therapy to them," Mrs. Tallman says. "It's a very stress-free, relaxed environment."

There's always something to do. Mr. Conner and Mr. Reigel often work side by side with Mrs. Tallman. One day, they are planting seeds. The next day, they're harvesting plants. The cycle continues year-round.

Milestone's hydroponic technique -- nutrient film -- is common in bigger greenhouses. Seeds are sowed in starter cubes made of rockwool, which supports the plant but contains no nutrients. The cubes are in a long white tray that is pitched on a slight angle to let the solution drain. A nutrient-rich liquid is continuously pumped through the rockwool and replenished when needed. Lettuce grows so quickly under these conditions that it can be picked in a little more than a month.

Home gardeners who grow hydroponically use an ebb-and-flow system. Plants are grown in either cubes or another material through which the nutrient solution is pumped at certain times. A timer controls how long the liquid stays in contact with the plants, then releases it back into the reservoir.

The orderly operation suits all three "green" workers.

"It makes me happy every time I step foot into this greenhouse, seeing the sea of green when I walk in," Mrs. Tallman says.

"I like being around things growing, seeing them grow from seeds to full plants," Mr. Reigel says.

Mrs. Tallman cherishes the bond she has built with her two employees -- and friends.

"They hold a special place in my heart. I'm just amazed by them every day. ... I just want them to know that I feel that way."