Lettuce Days to honor ag industry at Quartermaster Depot

Thirteen years ago, Lettuce Days started out simply enough: Celebrate the agriculture industry with a festival.

Honor the growers, the harvesters and, of course, the produce itself. Call it Lettuce Days because Yuma is, after all, the lettuce capital of the world. Then watch as tens of thousands of folks pay homage to Yuma's fields of green.

For better or worse, however, the festival steered away from agronomy into more of a street bazaar.

Fast forward to today — a recent surge in Yuma's locavore movement, healthful eating and the fact that gastronomic adventures, including culinary art and televised cooking competitions, are as mainstream as sliced bread — and agriculture is the name of the game once again.

“We are bringing Lettuce Days back to its agricultural roots,” said Kristan Sheppeard, agritourism coordinator for the Yuma Visitors Bureau. “We have arts and crafts fairs that are great,” she added, “but we need to celebrate our No. 1 industry.”

There also will be a change in venue for the popular event. This year, Lettuce Days will be held March 11-13 at the Yuma Crossing Quartermaster Depot. Lettuce Days admission is gratis – The Foothills Bank and the local ag community have generously funded the entrance fee for all.

Jerry Muldoon, regional agricultural manager for Dole, is no stranger to the billion-dollar agricultural industry. He worked with the Lettuce Days organizers during its first few years in existence. Muldoon again is supporting the event, hoping it will be a great platform for education and a chance for growers and shippers to “really show how important Yuma County is to our food supply.”

He added: “We need to sell ourselves.”

As it happens, Yuma has been selling itself through the recent and wildly successful agritourism program. The Field to Feast tours sold out faster than expected, farmer's markets teem with locals and tourists alike, and tour buses are packed into date farm parking lots a lot like, well, dates.

“Agriculture is the No. 1 industry and tourism is No. 3,” said Sheppeard. “It's a natural fit.”

Emboldened by the agritourism's popularity, the YVB has booked myriad culinary events for this year's Lettuce Days fete, beginning with a Harvest Dinner for 500 people on Thursday night (March 10) featuring, of course, locally grown produce.

Throughout the three-day event Friday through Sunday, folks can meander through the Quartermaster Depot and check out cooking contests, demonstrations by local chefs, wine and beer tasting, salsa-making, ice carving, chocolate artistry, educational materials and food safety information.

The chef lineup for the demos includes familiar names like Chef Matt Alleshouse from the Radisson, Chef Alex Trujillo from the Quechan Casino and Resort, Abel Garcia from River City Grill/Ciao Bella, and Chef Jose Candelario from the Hilton Garden Inn. Other local chefs will take part as well.

Former Yuman Kelley Cleary Coffeen, author of the book “300 Best Taco Recipes” (advance orders on amazon.com), will be on hand Friday. Chefs Amy Finley and Ray Duey also will make appearances.

Everything is food related, said Sheppeard. “We will capitalize on that during Lettuce Days.”

Local shippers and growers have signed on as Lettuce Days' sponsors. They include D'Arrigo Brothers, known for its signature pink Andy Boy label; Dole; Tanimura & Antle; Duda Farm Fresh Foods; Nunes (Foxy); Amigo Farms; Pasquinelli Produce Company and Earthbound Farm, which grows organic fruits and vegetables on 500 acres in Yuma and an additional 10,000 acres in the surrounding region.

Several busloads of school children will descend on the park over the course of the weekend to enjoy a variety of fun and educational activities.

Besides showing off Yuma's thriving agricultural community, Sheppeard said the new push is, in part, a show of gratitude for the ag folks.

Muldoon agreed. “People work incredibly hard to get food from seed to table and we need to remind people about that.”

Schedule of Events

Thursday, March 10
(pre-festival events)
3-5 p.m. – Meet Dole’s costumed characters at Fry’s, 500 W. 24th St.
6 p.m. - Harvest Dinner at Quartermaster Depot, open to public (with advance ticket only)

Friday, March 11
General hours noon – 5 p.m.
Visit vendors and exhibitors, Yuma Community Food Bank Farmers’ Market, Kids Ag-tivities and Toddler Town, farm equipment displays, fun food and drinks, beer garden
12:30 p.m. – Ag bus tour departs
1 p.m. – Cooking demo, Chef Michael Hill, The Quechan Casino and Resort
1:30 p.m. – Cooking demo, local chef TBA
1:30 p.m. – Ag bus tour departs
2 p.m. – Some Like it Hot Salsa competition
2:30 p.m. – Ag bus tour departs
3 p.m. – Cooking demo, Executive Chef Matt Alleshouse, Radisson Yuma
3:30 p.m. – Kelley Cleary Coffeen, author of “300 Best Tacos,” cooking demo
4 p.m. – Dole “Kids Healthy Living” cooking contest
5-7 p.m. – Opening reception for “Lettuce Make Art” exhibit of agriculture-inspired works at Yuma Art Center Main Gallery, 254 S. Main St. (art can also be viewed Friday beginning at 10 a.m.)

Saturday, March 12
General hours 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Visit vendors and exhibitors, Yuma Community Food Bank Farmers’ Market, Kids Ag-tivities and Toddler Town, farm equipment displays, fun food and drinks, beer garden
Also, support Yuma Community Food Bank’s “Lining Main Street So Others May Eat” fundraiser from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Main Street and other downtown locations.
See the  “Lettuce Make Art” exhibit of agriculture-inspired works at Yuma Art Center Main Gallery, 254 S. Main St. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
All Day – Randy Foster and Friends - Chocolate demonstrations
All Day – Chef Ray Duey - vegetable carving
10 a.m. – Dinner Date cooking competition
11 a.m. – Cooking demo by Amy Finley
11:30 a.m. – Ag bus tour departs
Noon – Arizona Classical Ballet
12:30 p.m. – Ag bus tour departs
12:45 p.m. - Zarmineh Jewels of the Desert belly dancers
1 p.m. - 5 p.m. - Yuma’s Recipe Box tasting event
1:30 p.m. – Ag bus tour departs
1:30 – JAMS Dance Company
2 p.m. – Cooking demo by Amy Finley
3 p.m. – “Drinks with a Twist” competition
4 p.m. – Cooking demo, Executive Chef Abel S. Garcia, River City Grill/Ciao Bella
4:30 p.m. – Cooking demo, Chef Michael Hill, Quechan Casino and Resort

Sunday, March 13
General hours 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Visit vendors and exhibitors, Yuma Community Food Bank Farmers’ Market, Kids Ag-tivities and Toddler Town, farm equipment displays, fun food and drinks, beer garden
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Salad bar will be offered at as stand-alone treat at a cost of $2 per plate, staffed by the Yuma Ballerz.
All Day – Randy Foster and Friends - Chocolate demonstrations
All Day – Chef Ray Duey - vegetable carving
10 a.m. – Dancemakers Performing Arts Co.
11 a.m. – Amy Finley cooking demonstration
Noon – Ice carving demonstration featuring Ross Smith, US Foodservice; Moises Fitch, Paradise Casino; Bob Gedeon, Quechan Casino and Resort; Anibal Aguirre, Marine Corps Air Station Yuma; Dale Jager, Paradise/Quechan Casino
Noon – Yuma Jazz Company
2 p.m. – Fry’s “Bring It On” Family cooking contest

Where to park

For those attending Lettuce Days, parking at the front entrance to the Yuma Crossing Quartermaster Depot is reserved for those with handicapped parking passes or event entertainers and participants.

Public parking is available in free special events lots on the north side of 1st Street between 4th Avenue and Old City Hall.

Those who park along 1st Street can enter the Quartermaster Depot at the foot of 2nd Avenue, below Old City Hall. The rear entrance gate will be open during all Lettuce Days events.

Overflow parking will be available in the free public parking lots downtown, with free shuttle service running continuously during festival hours. The shuttle will make two stops downtown: on Maiden Lane at the rear entrance to Lutes Casino and at the corner of 3rd Street and Madison Avenue. It will take passengers to the front entrance of the Quartermaster Depot, then repeat the same loop.

Please note that pets are not permitted at the Quartermaster Depot.