$11 for a head of California lettuce? Here’s what’s behind the shortage causing ‘outrageous’ prices

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Don’t look now — the price of lettuce is soaring across the Bay Area. It’s $5.99 for a head of romaine at Country Sun Natural Foods in Palo Alto. Nearly $10 for little gem lettuce at Draeger’s Market in Los Altos. And a whopping $10.99 for iceberg at Piedmont Grocery in Oakland. Nationwide, the average cost of a head of romaine is currently just $2.50, according to federal data. But that’s still a 47% jump from October. Produce prices can vary widely across regions and even individual stores due to a range of factors, including local seasonal growing trends and the contracts...