By: Alexander Meraz, Phoenix EPSD
As the harvest of leafy greens comes to an end in Arizona, we see majority of harvest crews head back to California. But not all, Arizona still has other fruits and vegetables to be harvested during spring and summer months. Some fruits and vegetables that can be expected are watermelon, cantaloupe, asparagus, onions, tomatoes, chili peppers and among others. With warmer weather we can expect a change in produce in our local super markets that are labeled "Arizona Grown".
We want to remind everyone to help our agricultural industry by buying Arizona Grown seasonal produce. By shopping with the season, you should be able to notice certain fruits or vegetables at a reduced price. Benefits of buying Arizona Grown products include, you are more likely to get fresher and better quality produce, as it will at most take about 250 miles to get to your supermarket, compared to 2000 miles, buying cross county. By the time you get your produce from thousands of miles away, it is also losing valuable nutrition and freshness.
Whatever time of the year it may be, always try to buy from local producers. You are not only helping the local economy you are also getting the freshest product available. For more information about Arizona Grown, visit: azgrown.azda.gov.
You may reach Inspector Alexander Meraz at: ameraz@azda.gov.