Greener Days Prevail

The list of things I love about summer is long, but one of my favourite things is all the fruit and vegetables that come into season here in Ontario.

From the shorter distance food has to travel to supporting sustainable agriculture and your local economy, there’s a long list of benefits to eating what’s in season. There’s also no contest regarding the fact that locally-grown fruits and vegetables taste way better. Plus, some fruits and vegetables are more nutrient dense when harvested locally compared to some fruits and vegetables that lose some nutrients due to needing to be harvested earlier due to transportation.

I’ve been using the Foodland Ontario Availability Guide for years as a reference, but thought it might be helpful to share here what fruits and vegetable come into season for each specific month!

Here’s everything that comes into season in Ontario starting in June:

Fruits

• Haskap berries
• Strawberries (field)

Vegetables

• Beans (green/yellow)
• Bok choy
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Chinese broccoli
• Cucumber (field)
• Daikon radish
• Edible amaranth
• Garlic scapes
• Kale
• Lettuce (assorted)
• Mustard greens
• Nappa cabbage
• Onions (green)
• Peas (green)
• Peas (snow)
• Radicchio
• Summer squash
• Water spinach

I had no idea the number of Asian vegetables we can grow here in Ontario, which is awesome when you take into account the long distances they have to travel from their countries of origin. I also had never heard of haskap berries, but after reading a bit about them I am super intrigued to try these funny-looking berries.

To see a complete list of everything currently in season here in Ontario, check out the full availability guide here. It’s also a great reminder of fruits and vegetables that are heading out of season. For example, June is the last month for rhubarb and asparagus, so I’ll definitely be having some asparagus on the BBQ, and I would also love to try and make the rhubarb cake my mom always made when we were kids.

Whether you’re planning to head to your local farm, a farmer’s market or just your local grocery store, I hope this list encourages you to source some fruits and vegetables that are grown close to where you live, as this is such a simple way to help the environment. And don’t forget to bring your reusable shopping bags and reusable produce bags as well when you head out!