Archive for May 2022

By Kurt Nolte Broccoli has been around for more than 2000 years, although Americans have grown it for only 100 years. Broccoli is native to the Mediterranean and East Asia and is believed to be the first of the cole crops to evolve from the wild species of kale or cabbage and was cultivated by…

By Kurt Nolte • In 2012, Yuma County producers grew more than 2,300 acres of black-eyed peas, an increase from 800 acres in 2000. • The seeded pods of various legumes are among the oldest foods known to humanity, dating back at least 4,000 years. • The first domestication of black-eyed peas probably occurred in…

BY Kurt Nolte • Most of the world’s supply of registered Bermuda grass seed is grown in Yuma County. There are few other spots known where Bermuda grass will even produce viable seed. • Bermuda grass is a major seed crop planted on America’s lawns, sports fields and golf courses around the southern U.S. and…

BY KURT NOLTE Tango, a beautiful lettuce variety that resembles endive, is grown in the Yuma area primarily for the baby leaf salad industry as its curly and frilly leaf edges make a favorite contrast in bagged salads and specialty markets. The bright-green color makes a gorgeous salad, especially when paired with a red leaf…

BY Kurt Nolte • Yuma County is known for growing alfalfa with about 32,000 irrigated acres valued in 2012 at more than $55 million. • While production of alfalfa seed is a small part of the total alfalfa production here, this area is considered prime for growing the seed crop with its dry weather and…