Food demand is projected to increase in the coming decades, with current production strained by environmental factors like soil erosion and increasingly erratic weather events in regions of major food production. Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) allows for crops to be produced in regions lacking arable farmland and has potential to fill gaps in the food supply. Utilizing recirculating hydroponic techniques in CEA allows for food production in a greatly reduced footprint while reducing water and fertilizer application. The results of the following studies highlight strategies to manage nutrient solutions in recirculating systems to reduce water and fertilizer application while sustaining the yields of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and spinach (Spinacia oleracea). We found that producers can grow spinach and lettuce under a wide range of light intensities in two distinct production systems using substantially less water and fertilizer while avoiding any penalties in yield or crop quality.