Phoenix, AZ: Arizona is known as the winter lettuce capital of the U.S., providing Americans with an abundance of lettuce and leafy greens from November to March.
According to United States Department of Agriculture statistics, Arizona farmers grow approximately 25% of the total U.S. lettuce supply each year. On an annual basis, the leafy greens farming community in Arizona generates a $2 billion impact.
“Right now, Arizona farms are actively growing and harvesting all leafy greens from Iceberg and Romaine to spinach and spring mix.” said Teressa Lopez, Administrator of the Arizona LGMA program. “Arizona LGMA food safety audits will begin this week and continue regularly throughout our growing season.”
To celebrate the start of harvest, Arizona’s governor, Katie Hobbs proclaimed November 2023 as Arizona Leafy Greens Month. This is the 11h annual celebration, and during that time Arizona farmers have produced more than 99 billion servings of lettuce (based on the average production of 9 billion servings per year).
About Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement
Arizona LGMA works to protect public health by cultivating food safety practices, verifying on-farm compliance, utilizing data for improvement and empowering industry with tools to advance food safety. www.arizonaleafygreens.org