Clyde Sharp farms about 2, acres in Roll. Over half of his farmland provides food for the cattle at McElhaney Cattle Co. In , Sharp moved his farm to Yuma County because he liked what he saw. Yuma County ranks No. Production has been relatively stable over the last few years, Nolte said. Spinach growers were not only hit hard by the recession, the E. Melon production — predominantly cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon — are a pretty stable crop grown on about 10, acres in Yuma County.
This area is the top producer of melons in Arizona, with most of the crop grown in the spring. Lemons that appear ready for picking hang from a tree in the Yuma Valley. Citrus has a long history in Yuma County, but far fewer trees dot the mesa compared with a decade ago. Cotton acreage in the area increased for the first time in about five years in , topping out at about 15, acres. Upland cotton is a unique crop in that it is both food and fiber.
Cottonseed is used as a supplement for dairy feed and is also processed into oil. Valencia Oranges: A total of about acres of valencia oranges are under cultivation annually in Yuma County. The late season citrus variety is known for its sweet and colorful juice. Yuma County is the leading producer of watermelons in the state. Every part of the watermelon is edible, even the seeds and rinds.
Yellow Squash: In Yuma County, yellow squash acreage is small, but overall acreage totals about 10, There are a number of varieties grown. Summer squash have a very mild, nutty taste, sometimes resembling fresh corn. In addition, immature winter squashes, such as the acorn, can be eaten like summer squashes while they are still tender. Some have a pebbled texture and some have no crook at all. Zucchini: Zucchini is a variety of summer squash.
It is tender and tasty when young, but most varieties tend to become tasteless when large and overgrown. In Yuma County, zucchini is a rather minor crop, with only about 50 acres in production. The squash are planted in early March for a early May harvest.
Zucchini has four notable qualities: it is abundant, it is low in calories, it is a good source of fiber and versatile! Newest Features.
January 11, in Uncategorized: Dee-licious! January 11, in Food: Holy Moly, Guacamole! Honeydew Melon. Italian Squash. Mustard Greens. Upland Cotton. Valencia Oranges. Yellow Squash. Field note: Lettuce sold by the head is usually field-packed into cardboard boxes, that bound for salad plants are harvested into blue plastic bins.
But lettuce is just part of the story: More than different crops are grown in the Yuma area, including many grown to seed here because of our perfect growing conditions. For example, Yuma County ranks number one in Arizona for lemon, tangelo and tangerine production, and for watermelons and cantaloupes; a local cattle company usually has more than , head of beef cows on its lot. There also are more than 40, acres of wheat grown in this region.
Desert durum comprises about 95 percent of Arizona's wheat crop, with two-thirds of that exported -- mainly to Italy for use in making premium pasta. Yuma growers also grow kosher wheat to used by Orthodox Jews to bake matzo or matzoh , the unleavened bread wafers that are eaten at Passover.
Because the rules for kosher production include that the wheat not receive moisture immediately prior to harvest, Yuma's desert conditions and controlled irrigation make it a perfect spot to grow this specialty crop. Dates are another local crop with Biblical roots. The oldest known tree crop cultivated by humans, dates have been a key food source for more than 6, years.
Because of a disease outbreak in Morocco, eleven Medjool offshoots were brought to the United States in To be sure they were disease- free, the trees were quarantined in Nevada and later transplanted to California, and in , offshoots of the original trees were brought to Bard Valley near Yuma. Thanks to ideal soil and weather, the area around Yuma and Bard is now the world's largest producer of premium-quality Medjools.
Dates are harvested from the end of August through the first weeks of October. Each date palm must be climbed approximately times a year to carry out hand operations necessary to ensure a good crop, including pollination, thinning, separating strands of fruit with metal rings to help the air circulate, and finally, bagging the date bunches.
Dates are high in fiber, potassium and anti-oxidants and contain no fat. They are an organic product, as no pesticides or chemicals are used on the trees or the dates.
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