When your menu builds the colors of the rainbow in fruits and vegetables, remember your leafy greens are coming from Arizona right now. So that produce aisle that’s piled high represents yummy produce from Yuma, Maricopa, and Pinal counties.

Grocery cart filled with nutritious fruits and vegetables.

Merry Christmas! The holidays are a good time to discover everything we grow and raise during this magical season. Go to Fill Your Plate and check out our seasonal charts to discover how we grow it all.

(photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com)

Arizona cotton farmers have just about wrapped up their harvest to supply some of the highest-quality cotton around, a renewable and biodegradable fiber. Some Arizona farm families have been growing cotton for generations.

The West contains only 20% of the U.S. farmland but it produces 60% of the total value of the agricultural products we enjoy today; important for food and national security. The reason we’re so productive out West? Targeted, and managed irrigation including drip for raising the food we eat. We grow more, using less.

For beef lovers, prime rib is considered an ideal alternative to turkey at Thanksgiving. And no wonder, Arizona is home to some of the highest quality and tastiest beef around. For beef recipes and to purchase directly from an Arizona rancher go to Fill Your Plate.org.