What do you think of when you think of Arizona? Do images of cactus, sandstorms, perhaps a cowboy riding off into the horizon with that sandstorm blowing against his back, and miles and miles of brown dirt? That is the visions that are conjured up in my mind.
But did you know, that brown dirt is expensive??!
As we drive from the military post toward Yuma, we see fields of that brown dirt being irrigated, preparing for the winter growing season. In the Yuma Valley, acreage ranges from $23,000 - $26,000 per acre.
Why so much? Well...
I was surprised to learn that Yuma County produces 90% of packaged lettuce that the nation consumes. It is grown from November to March. Yuma County is the nation's third largest vegetable producer. There are 175 different crops and seeds grown or produced in the area to include Cauliflower, broccoli, spinach and other vegetables.
"Orchards and vast melon patches stretch across the landscape. Not only is Yuma County Arizona’s top producer of lemons, tangelos and tangerines, it is also tops for watermelon and cantaloupe cultivation".
Rain is scarce in this region in fact, less than three inches annually.
The brown dirt was fertile "but water was the missing component, though the mighty Colorado flowed nearby. The Bureau of Reclamation's first big water project in the West gave nature a hand, with construction of the first dam on the Colorado and completion of the Yuma Siphon - delivering water through a huge tunnel built under the riverbed - in 1912, the same year Arizona became a state".
"There also are more than 40,000 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 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. Date production in the Yuma area is now total about 10 million pounds a year, a $30 to $35 million dollar industry that employs more than 2,000 people annually".
Knowing nothing about dates, I was surprised to learn that there is a male and a female Date Palm. But, birds nor bees are attracted to the female flower, so they are hand pollinated. Only the female tree produces fruit. The "Medjool" dates are the most expensive because they are large, soft and very sweet.
"Medjool" dates In their native land used to be reserved for royalty. A small number of "Medjool" offsets came to the United States in 1927 from Morocco. These few plants gave rise to the current "Medjool" date industry of California's Bard Valley and adjacent Yuma, Arizona, that produces about 30 million pounds of date annually with an approximate value of $40 million.
I haven't tasted a date milkshake yet but I know I will. Also, I'm hoping to take a tour of a date farm....
Please note that I used some pics and info from various internet web sites such as visityuma.com.
