By Julie Murphree, Arizona Farm Bureau Communication Director: A perennial flowering plant, alfalfa is an important forage legume crop throughout the world and certainly in the United States. This forage crop is used for grazing, hay, silage and well as what’s known as “green chop” in the industry and even cover crop.

Alfalfa is a hay crop that grows well in Arizona. Photo courtesy of Yuma Farmer Jonathan Dinsmore.

In an earlier article, we talked about the benefits of alfalfa to our agriculture industry, especially the beef and dairy industries. Now meet our farmers in Arizona who grow it.

  1. The Sossaman Family (Traditional row crops and ancient grains)
  2. The Gladden Family (Dairy and row crops)
  3. Sanders Family (Alfalfa)
  4. Scott Koehn (Alfalfa and small grains)
  5. Stambaugh Family (Cotton and Cattle)
  6. Shedd Family (cotton, wheat and alfalfa)
  7. Milton Smith Family (Cotton, Wheat and alfalfa)
  8. Paul Prechel (cotton and alfalfa)
  9. The Alder Brothers (Cotton, cattle and alfalfa)
  10. Wilbur Lunt (Cotton, small grains & assorted crops)
  11. Pacheco Family (Cotton, small grains, alfalfa):
  12. Rogers Family (Cotton, small grains, alfalfa):
  13. Bales Family (Cotton, Wheat & alfalfa):
  14. Harold Payne and Fort McDowell Farms (citrus, alfalfa, small grains):
  15. Vernon Schulz Family (cotton, corn, barley, wheat, alfalfa, milo, melons and almond trees):
  16. Shawn Wright Family (crop advisor):
  17. Neely and Morrison Families (cotton, wheat and alfalfa):
  18. David Sharp Family (cotton and produce):
  19. Brooks Family (Vegetables, Hay and Grains):
  20. Dinsmore Family (Vegetable, Hay and grain farm):
  21. Cullison Family (alfalfa and wheat):
  22. Claridge Family (Cotton and alfalfa):
  23. Palmer Family (Cotton, wheat and alfalfa):
  24. Caywood family: (Various corps):
  25. Ware Family (various crops):
  26. Ott Family (various crops):
  27. Murphree Family (Cotton, Wheat and alfalfa):
  28. Saylor Family (cotton, alfalfa, small grains):

Alfalfa hay varieties are uniquely adapted to the low desert climates of central and southern Arizona. So, you’ll see plenty of alfalfa continue to be grown in our desert state.

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