No sarcasm: But, no, our fruits and vegetables do not begin at the grocery store but at the farm gate. True, most of us know this but sometimes my actions say otherwise. My often ungrateful attitude as an American consumer walking into the abundance found at our local grocery stores can reveal a lack of appreciation for our modern-day food supply chain.

This last Saturday we were reminded of the food supply chain complexities regarding the leafy greens industry here in Arizona. Arizona Farm Bureau President and Yuma farmer John Boelts was our guest and helped us have a more intimate look at why Yuma is the Winter Lettuce Bowl of the nation from November through April. Right now, Yuma, Maricopa and Pinal counties are in peak leafy greens production as we begin 2025. Daily, between Thanksgiving and Easter, 1,500 to 2,000 refrigerated semi-truckloads of leafy greens leave Yuma to deliver all over America and Canada for us to enjoy our winter salads.

The ideal conditions that create such a perfect growing environment in Yuma are numerous and were central to our radio discussion.

The show explains those conditions. To hear everything about this important agricultural industry, I share the full radio show below.