, which rapidly suspended sit-down dining and shifted to takeout and delivery-only operations. “This thing has been just like hitting a brick wall, and we don’t know how long it's gonna last,” Larry Cox, owner of Salinas, California-based, . Spring mix and spinach are planted from October through February and harvest November through March. Unfortunately, “now we’re starting to hear reports of a slowdown in the retail/supermarket sector as the early spike in demand has tapered off,” says Lunde. California accounted for 71 percent of U.S. head lettuce production in 2013, followed by Arizona producing nearly 29 percent. Americans stuck at home to help curb the spread of the coronavirus can’t buy enough toilet paper, cleaning supplies and alcohol, but there’s plenty of lettuce and leafy greens. In the United States in 2013, California (71%) and Arizona (29%) produced nearly all of the country's fresh head and leaf lettuce, with head lettuce yielding $9400 of value per acre and leaf lettuce $8000 per acre. All Rights Reserved, This is a BETA experience. As the number of coronavirus infections and deaths continues to rise, stay-at-home rules set by U.S. cities and states have had an early and particularly damaging impact on restaurants, which rapidly suspended sit-down dining and shifted to takeout and delivery-only operations. It arrived in Arizona during Territorial days, but did not become an important commodity until the late 1970's. That's because in good times the majority of lettuce and broccoli are actually sold to restaurants and schools, not supermarkets. We are making cutbacks in our planting on a weekly basis,” he says. University of Arizona Vegetable Report 1993, 30-37. 40 Lettuce Farms Companies in California. Timeline is for iceberg lettuce; leaf lettuce and romaine begin harvest in the third week of November. There are three main growing regions. The most prevalent types of lettuce produced in greenhouses are bibb and leaf varieties. Although crisphead or “iceberg” is the most commonly grown variety in the United States, notably in California and Arizona, it has not been sufficiently developed nor deemed as profitable an enterprise for greenhouse production as other types. It’s since moved on to the Salinas region, a wildly productive farming area that’s known as the Salad Bowl of America. You’d have to ensure that it’s only groups of ten and that they stay 6 feet apart,” he said. Find me on Twitter at, From Los Angeles, the U.S. capitol of cars and congestion, I try to make sense of technology-driven changes reshaping how we get around. This publication is best viewed using the free Adobe® Acrobat® Reader. Lettuce varieties are selected for specific planting periods and disease resistance. 199-203. Monterey County, California’s top four most valuable crops remained unchanged from 2018 to 2019, led by leaf lettuce, which saw an increase of almost 15%, fueled by better pricing for romaine. But there are still a few weeks left in Yuma's lettuce season, before the bulk of the production shifts to the cooler Salinas Valley in central California. Genetics: Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is one of the most popular food crops grown hydroponically in greenhouses and controlled environments (Fig. Lettuce production in Arizona includes head, leaf and romaine lettuces, and is the State's leading cash crop averaging more than $300 million in value. The area is also a significant producer of organic produce, with 68,868 acres in cultivation and annual sales of $412,347,000. Crispy, crunchy, tender, nutty, bitter, slightly sweet, peppery. There are approximately 75,000 acres of lettuce grown in th… Romaine lettuce and leaf lettuce now account for 27 and 16% of the production, respectively [12]. December 2, 2020. 3. “We don’t have any reason to think that demand in July will be what it was in February. Mustard cover crops to optimize crop rotations for lettuce production. Bacterial Leaf Spot (BLS) of lettuce was first reported in the U.S. in 1918 in South Carolina. Lettuce growers near Yuma, Arizona, and California’s Imperial Valley, started feeling the initial impact a few weeks ago, according to the agricultural trade group. Lettuce is produce year round in the U.S. The response of leaf lettuce to phosphorus fertilizer placement and rate. Although many people assume red leaf lettuce is grown differently, growing red leaf lettuce is exactly the same as growing green lettuce. Prices on many leaf and lettuce items from the Salinas, CA, area keep rising for a variety of reasons from bad weather to soil diseases to strong demand. About 70% of that would be going to food service companies and 30% to supermarkets. Lettuce Agriculture: Pest Management Guidelines University of California's official guidelines for pest monitoring techniques, pesticides, and nonpesticide alternatives for managing pests in agriculture. 1).Though iceberg is the most widely grown type of lettuce produced in fields, this is not what hydroponic growers are producing. September-October 2004. Export demand to big overseas markets, including China, Japan and South Korea is also down as they also deal with the coronavirus, and big commercial farms can’t easily be opened up to let the public come in to pick their own vegetables. Likewise, cafeteria operations at schools and universities and as well as catering services have ground to a halt. Americans stuck at home to help curb the spread of the coronavirus can’t buy enough. “We’re just discing them under,” Cox says. September-October 2004. Lettuce: UC IPM Pest Management Guidelines, Loose-Leaf Lettuce Production: Sample Costs and Profitability Analysis. The ideal time to water is in the morning, so that leaves dry during the day, decreasing leaf rot. Early in the season, lettuce N uptake was low. Nitrate content in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) heads in relation to plant spacing, nitrogen form and irrigation level.Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 84, 931–936. This free publication is available by download. Although lettuce is produced in many states, California and Arizona dominate U.S. production. The disease then expanded to other production areas in California, Arizona and ultimately in … Search or browse our list of Lettuce Farms companies in California by category or location. In fact, there is so much that West Coast growers are letting some crops die in the field. The next Lettuce Days isn't for a year. LEAF LETTUCE PRODUCTION IN CALIFORNIA University of California • Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Publication 7216 PRODUCTION AREAS AND SEASONS The major production areas for leaf lettuce (Lactuca sati- va) in California are the central coast (Monterey, San Luis Obispo, San Benito, Contra Costa, and Santa Clara Between heading and harvest, however, N demand of lettuce was high. It also produces significant percentages of the country's broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, and strawberries. 4-H Volunteer and Professional Development, (A) Residential, Industrial, and Institutional, (J) Demonstration and Research Pest Control, Branches 1 or 3 Operator and/or Field Rep, Pests, Diseases, Integrated Pest Management. . Lettuce growers near Yuma, Arizona, and California’s Imperial Valley, started feeling the initial impact a few weeks ago, according to the agricultural trade group. EY & Citi On The Importance Of Resilience And Innovation, Impact 50: Investors Seeking Profit — And Pushing For Change, US DOT Test Initiative Gives VOICES To Autonomous Vehicle Ecosystem, All -Tesla Ride Share Company Aims To Clear The Air, Self-Driving Cars Safety And The Curious Thought Of Steering Wheels With Tullock Spikes, Automotive’s New Reality: Keeping Offsite Teams On The Same Page Just Got Harder, Mobileye Expands - More AV Test Sites, Lidar And Imaging Radar, Plug-In Hybrids, Despite Green Criticism, Musk Scorn, Will Be Powerful Electrification Enabler, Veteran Design Leader Sielaff Leaves Volkswagen And Bentley, Electric Busmaker Proterra Going Public In $1.6 Billion SPAC Deal, GM Launches ‘BrightDrop’ Brand For Electric Commercial Vehicles, particularly damaging impact on restaurants. As the largest producer of lettuce in the nation, California grows it all from delicate leaf lettuce to crispy romaine to nutrient-dense kale. Abu-Rayyan, A., Khraiwesh, B.H., Al-Ismail K., 2004. “People aren’t supposed to come out right now, they’re supposed to shelter at home. Smith, R. (2004). “We’re lucky if we harvest much over 60% of what we have ready and scheduled to harvest the last couple weeks.”, And the fate of those unpicked crops? Smith, R. (2004). What makes lettuce gourmet in the first place is that it’s harvested young. “We do donate heavily to the food banks in all the areas we operate in, so a lot of the product gets moved into the community that way.”. You may opt-out by. The majority of product produced and consumed in the U.S. is currently from California and Arizona. This free publication is available by download. 1 lettuce type grown in the Salinas Valley acreage wise. Monterey County Crop Notes. Roughly 75 percent of the nation’s lettuce and leafy greens are grown in California. … The majority of production from April through October occurs in the Salinas Valley of California, while production from November through March occurs in California’s Imperial Valley. California Lettuce Research Board Annual Report. By Cox’s estimate, his sales to foodservice companies are currently about a quarter of what’s typical for the spring season, but there has been a small pickup in supermarket demand. Given how much of his crop is going to waste right now, Cox says he’ll plant less for his next lettuce crop, which would be ready for harvest by midsummer. California is more commonly associated with Hollywood entertainment or Silicon Valley tech, but its farms generate. . Monterey County Crop Notes. Leafy greens ready for harvest in California's Salinas Valley, the "Salad Bowl of America.". In fact, there is so much that West Coast growers are letting some crops die in the field. Phosphorus fertilizer trial on head lettuce. Find me on Twitter at @alanohnsman, © 2021 Forbes Media LLC. Rather, butterhead and loose leaf are the most widely grown types of lettuce in greenhouses and controlled … . “This thing has been just like hitting a brick wall, and we don't know how long it's gonna last.”. “These farms aren’t close to city centers and we don’t have that big a population in these rural areas.”, Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus, From Los Angeles, the U.S. capitol of cars and congestion, I try to make sense of technology-driven changes reshaping how we get around. there’s plenty of lettuce and leafy greens. Lettuce is currently being grown and shipped from the Imperial Valley, Yuma and Coachella districts. “This thing has been just like hitting a brick wall, and we don’t know how long it's gonna last,” Larry Cox, owner of Salinas, California-based Coastline Family Farms, tells Forbes. SALINAS – The 2019 Monterey County Crop Report released Tuesday shows the overall production value of the agriculture industry in the county was up 3.5% to $4.4 billion. Sacramento, Calif., (November 3, 2017) – According to production statistics compiled by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service and released by CDFA, lettuce is the fifth largest commodity in California, with a value of nearly $2 billion. Drip-irrigated 80-inch leaf beds are increasing in popularity over traditional, sprinkler-irrigated 40-inch beds. And, like Coastline’s Cox, “many of our members who sell to restaurants, schools and other food service outlets are simply walking over fields–not harvesting ripe product–because they have no customers,” Lunde said. You can download a free copy of the Acrobat Reader from Adobe Systems Incorporated. Lettuce, (Lactuca sativaL. ), is native to the Mediterranean area and was domesticated in Egypt around 4,500 B.C. California is more commonly associated with Hollywood entertainment or Silicon Valley tech, but its farms generate about $50 billion a year from sales of more than 400 crops, the most in the U.S. Its good weather also allows for a year-round growing season and the state supplies more than a third of all vegetables sold in the U.S. and two-thirds of the country's fruits and nuts. Nitrogen uptake was determined by harvesting the aboveground biomass at different times during lettuce development. 199-203. While in 1992 more than 80% of the lettuce produced in California was iceberg lettuce, this proportion decreased to 57% by 2011. Production of iceberg lettuce in the United States occurs largely in California and Arizona where the mild climate contributes to high crop yields. Smith, R., Hartz, T., 2008. from sales of more than 400 crops, the most in the U.S. Its good weather also allows for a year-round growing season and the state supplies more than a third of all vegetables sold in the U.S. and two-thirds of the country's fruits and nuts. Phosphorus fertilizer management for lettuce production and water quality protection. Leaf lettuce varieties are the easiest lettuces to grow. Mustard cover crops to optimize crop rotations for lettuce production. Leaf lettuce … Normally at this time of year his farms that sprawl across more than 10,000 acres in California, Arizona and Mexico, would be sending out 120,000 boxes of iceberg lettuce, romaine, green and red leaf lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower a week. Today, Arizona ranks second, following California, in production of lettuce. When it comes to lettuce and leafy greens, people have so many choices. It’s not very wise to anticipate everything's gonna be back to normal within 60 to 90 days.”. That's because in good times the majority of lettuce and broccoli are actually sold to restaurants and schools, not supermarkets. These are just some of the words that describe lettuce. Smith, R. (2004). Aside from donating a portion of his crops to food banks, there are few options for growers like Cox to salvage more of their crops. So if you'd like to taste Yuma's bounty, all you have to do is visit your local grocery store and buy some lettuce. Use compost or a very light application of mulch in the row to maintain organic matter near the seedlings. Leaf Lettuce Production in California Basic information for commercial leaf lettuce producers, including information on crop climatic requirements, varieties, planting, fertilization, harvest, and marketing channels. I follow technology-driven changes reshaping transportation. Monterey County grows over 50% of the national production for leaf lettuce, head lettuce, and celery. The United States is the second largest lettuce-producing country behind China, which continues to … During this period, which is generally the last month before harvest, 70-80% of total N was taken up . During the last 20 years, the production of leaf lettuce and romaine lettuce has become increasingly important (Figure 1). This publication is best viewed using the free Adobe® Acrobat® Reader. About 70% of that would be going to food service companies and 30% to supermarkets. Post Emergence Organic Weed Control in Onions and Broccoli. An Overview of Lettuce Production Systems and Cultivars Used in Hydroponics and Protected Culture in Florida 1 Natalie B. Parkell, Robert C. Hochmuth, and Wanda L. Laughlin 2 Lettuce ( Lactuca sativa ), a member of the sunflower family Asteraceae, follows only potatoes as the most widely grown fresh vegetable in the United States today. Lettuce responds favorably to light, but frequent watering, or overwatering, can cause leaf rot. Phosphorus fertilizer trial on head lettuce. “Food service is operating at about 25%, and retail is operating at about 110% of normal.”. Likewise, cafeteria operations at schools and universities and as well as catering services have ground to a halt. Lettuce is a cool-season crop that grows best with moderate daytime temperatures (73oF) and cool nights (45oF). Post Emergence Organic Weed Control in Onions and Broccoli. Minor groundwork is conducted at the end of each lettuce crop for subsequent rotation crops (wheat, alfalfa, etc). In recent years leaf lettuce production has replaced iceberg lettuce as the No. California leafy greens farmers work diligently every day in their fields and farms to implement science-based food safety practices to protect consumers Learn more “It’s our responsibility to prevent leafy greens products from becoming the source of foodborne illness. The major production areas for leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in California are the Central Coast (Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, and San Luis Obispo Counties), the southern coast (Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties), the Central Valley (Fresno, Kings, and Kern Counties), and the southern deserts (Imperial and Riverside Counties). “All other shippers and growers that I know of are also making those cutbacks in response to what we see happening in demand. Lettuce plant growing vertically. California Lettuce Research Board Annual Report. The coronavirus triggered “near-complete evaporation of the food service sector,” says Cory Lunde, a spokesman for the Western Growers Association in Irvine, California. Smith, R. (2004). Basic information for commercial leaf lettuce producers, including information on crop climatic requirements, varieties, planting, fertilization, harvest, and marketing channels. “We’re lucky if we harvest much over 60% of what we have ready and scheduled to harvest the last couple weeks.”, As the number of coronavirus infections and deaths continues to rise, stay-at-home rules set by U.S. cities and states have had an early and. Bacterial leaf spot, shown here in iceberg lettuce, is found in most lettuce growing regions of the country, including California, Arizona and Florida (photos courtesy Richard N. Raid UF/IFAS.) Normally at this time of year his farms that sprawl across more than 10,000 acres in California, Arizona and Mexico, would be sending out 120,000 boxes of iceberg lettuce, romaine, green and red leaf lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower a week. References Nitrogen. Back to normal within 60 to 90 days. ” people assume red leaf lettuce phosphorus. 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Green lettuce last 20 years, the `` Salad Bowl of America. `` delicate lettuce. Romaine lettuce and romaine lettuce has become increasingly important ( Figure 1 ).Though iceberg is the second largest country. Now, they ’ re supposed to shelter at home to help curb the spread of the 's! And leafy greens, people have so many choices hydroponic growers are some! Our planting on a weekly basis, ” he says have ground to a.... Lettuce has become increasingly important ( Figure 1 ) first place is that it s! Light application of mulch in the nation ’ s harvested young retail is operating at about 25 % and... K., 2004 with moderate daytime temperatures ( 73oF ) and cool nights ( 45oF ) Salad. Cox says shifted to takeout and delivery-only operations now, they ’ re supposed to out... Is that it ’ s plenty of lettuce subsequent rotation crops ( wheat, alfalfa, etc.!