WITH abundant sunshine, ample irrigation water and warm temperatures year round, farmland around Yuma, Arizona, is challenged to produce two and three crops of vegetables per year. The romaine lettuce, cantaloupes, onions, edible beans, black-eyed peas and other crops John Boelts grows on more than 600 hectares spread across several farms in the Yuma Valley help meet North America's appetite for wholesome and nutritious food grown to high and accountable quality standards. These crops also require rotations every few years to give the land a rest and to keep potential soil-based diseases at bay. Hay crops are a natural choice for rotations. John, who had long relied on a custom operator for his hay operations, decided in 2012 to handle the cutting and baling himself.
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