A healthy summer and getting more fruits and vegetables into your day is simple!
Read on for what’s available in Ontario and simple recipe inspiration using delicious local produce.
Tender Fruit
- What grows in Ontario? We have peaches, nectarines, pears, tart cherries, and apricots
- In the mid-1780s, Peter Secord, the uncle of Laura Secord, was believed to be the first Loyalist farmer, taking a land grant near Niagara to plant fruit trees. Ontario peaches, pears and plums have been thriving in the area ever since.
- Plums are the second most cultivated fruit in the world.
- Find recipes and more fun facts on the Ontario Tender Fruit Growers website
- Get inspired! Make these crispy fish sandwiches with stone fruit slaw
Ontario Potatoes
The combination of Ontario’s warm long summer days and cool nights coupled with an abundant supply of water always produces a high-quality potato.
Watch this for a behind the scenes look at Ontario’s Potato Industry- Potatoes are Ontario’s largest fresh vegetable crop and second only to tomatoes as a processing crop
- The modern potato, now grown all over the world, was discovered in the 16th century by Spanish explorers in Peru. Shortly after this, the potato was introduced to Spain and to other European and Asian countries. Eventually, it made its way back across the Atlantic to North America.
- In October 1995 the potato became the first vegetable to be grown in space. NASA and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, created the technology with the goal of feeding astronauts on long space voyages, and eventually, feeding future space colonies.
- Today the potato is Ontario’s largest fresh vegetable crop and the world’s fourth-largest food crop. Potatoes are nutritious, delicious and economical — they are fat and cholesterol-free, high in vitamin C and potassium and may aid in weight loss.
- Learn more about potatoes from the Ontario Potato Board
- Get inspired! A potato tuna salad is perfect for cottage weekends, easy lunch throughout the week or a side for the weekend bbq
Greenhouse Grown Vegetables
There are over 170 greenhouse vegetable farmers in Ontario, growing tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers on over 3,900 acres across the provinc
Watch all about Ontario Greenhouses- Greenhouses are sustainable! They implement water conservation and carbon dioxide practices for efficiency and to be good to the environment
- Ontario greenhouse growers can yield up to 15 times more produce per square metre than outdoor agriculture
- Ontario greenhouse growers utilize the latest advances in hydroponic technology, computerized climate control and integrated pest management in order to ensure that the vegetables you eat are safe, fresh and nutritious
- Greenhouse produce can be grown during all weather conditions including cold temperatures, high winds, and heavy rain or drought periods. This provides consistent availability throughout the year.
- Read more at Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers
- Get inspired!
