Friday Food Facts

Food safety labels on leafy greens identify the growing region and the “Harvested after” date. This label helps you understand different regions of the country have different harvest seasons. Plus, during the winter, you’ll see “Yuma, Arizona” as the growing region, where my family farms.

Worldwide, a third of crops are lost to pests. With the proper use of pesticides, organic and conventional farmers, protect our food supply. In the battle with the bugs, the best defense is a good offense. So, Arizona farmers fight with a variety of tools to keep your food safe.

22,000 ag careers are projected to go unfilled but needed to support our food system. The University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences was created to fill the gaps! Today, there are 18 agriculture majors and 6 campuses including UofA Yuma!

Food waste isn’t cool. In the U.S., it’s estimated that 30 to 40 percent of our food is wasted in some form or fashion. Help contribute to reducing food waste by ordering only what you’ll eat, planning your meals and appreciating every bite of food you take.

Arizona’s 300 plus days of sunshine help us grow all the healthy food groups, even fish for protein. Our state’s farmers are busy planting and harvesting 12 months out of the year. Yuma serves up 130 million servings of leafy greens to the U.S. and Canada every day during the winter months.