America's Best Tomatoes are Arizona Grown

Feb. 2, 2009 - PRLog -- The best things are homegrown and that is especially true of tomatoes.  

Eurofresh Farms, the Willcox-based greenhouse grower, is working with Phoenix area grocery stores and restaurants to highlight the benefits of buying Arizona-grown produce.

“We know food safety and sustainability are top of mind with shoppers,” said Dwight Ferguson, company CEO.  “When shoppers buy Eurofresh tomatoes in a grocery store or order them in a restaurant, they can be assured they are eating the best-tasting, most responsibly grown tomatoes in the country.”

Locally grown food is picked at its peak of flavor because it has a quicker trip to market, unlike food that is shipped long distances that must be picked early to extend shelf life.

Local food is fresher and better tasting, and has the added benefit of using less energy for transportation, Ferguson said.

Another benefit of buying Arizona produce is the knowledge of how your food is grown, an issue of critical importance given the recent incidences of food borne illnesses.

To indicate its produce is locally grown, Eurofresh Farms is putting a sticker with the familiar “Arizona Grown” logo, created by the state’s Department of Agriculture, on all the tomatoes sold to grocery stores statewide.

In addition, stores such as Bashas’ will feature “Arizona Grown” produce in specially designed display units located in the produce department.

Chefs have long been supporters of buying and serving locally grown produce.

Phoenix-based Fox Restaurant Concepts, for example, buys Eurofresh Farms tomatoes and states on its menus in restaurants including North, Sauce and Bloom, that the tomatoes are grown in Willcox.

Christopher Cristiano, corporate chef and partner, said, “We buy food from local farms because it means we are getting food when it’s at its prime. Our guests enjoy knowing where their food is coming from and there’s no argument that local is fresher, and fresher tastes better.”

Buying locally grown food also supports the economy by supporting the livelihoods of farm workers, which creates a multiplier effect for the Arizona economy.

According to a study from Conscious Consumer Reports, shoppers ranked buying local more important than buying organic.

Ferguson said Eurofresh Farms knows that relationships, trust and accountability are increasingly important when it comes to how shoppers make decisions about food.   

“We adhere to some of the most stringent food handling practices in the industry and have never experienced a reported food borne illness in our company’s 16-year history,” Ferguson said. “Arizona families can rely on Eurofresh Farms for fresh, safe, delicious tomatoes.”

For more information about the Arizona Grown program and recipes featuring Eurofresh Farms tomatoes, visit http://www.eurofresh.com.

ABOUT EUROFRESH FARMS
Eurofresh Farms is the leading year-round producer and marketer of greenhouse tomatoes in the United States and a leading innovator in the branded, high-end fresh tomato, cucumber and pepper industry.  Premium quality and certified pesticide-free products are grown with care in one of the world’s largest greenhouse complexes with abundant Arizona sunlight. Eurofresh’s two greenhouses cover more than 318 acres in Willcox and Snowflake, Ariz.  For more information, visit http://www.eurofresh.com or call (520) 384-4621.