As most of you know, we live in a very citrus friendly area. It's one of the many reasons besides the cool weather to look forward to this time of year. Everywhere you look the citrus trees are bearing orange, yellow and green globes ripe for the picking. Something makes fruit grown locally taste so much better than the mostly dull imported citrus from Mexico and California.

We all know that citrus are some of the best tasting fruits going, but it is worth mentioning the tremendous boost of vitamins and minerals they can provide. Not only that , they can also play a roll in boosting your immune system. All citrus fruits are great for vitamin C. Grapefruit in particular are rich in lycopene. Lycopene is key in combating cancer causing free radicals and can reduce the risk of prostrate cancer in men. Lemons can be useful in reducing inflammation. It is also good to eat for those battling a urinary tract infection. The acid aids in flushing out bacteria. As for oranges, they contain a flavanone known as herperidin which is effective at lowering not only blood pressure but also cholesterol. So throw an orange in with your apple a day to keep the doc away.

It just so happens that we have our local citrus available in our CSA store as well as at the Phoenix Downtown Market and Gilbert Farmer's Market. We strongly encourage you to eat citrus and stay healthy!