(Source: Foodland Ontario)

Spring is here and summer is just around the corner – that means fresh, home-grown fruits and veggies are in season. You can find home-grown fruits and vegetables at your local supermarket or grocery store, and you can even grow them yourself!

If you live in a city, chances are you’ll have to drive out into the country to find a farmer’s market or a farm that lets you pick-your-own fruits and veggies. If you decide to hand-pick fruits and vegetables, make sure to bring your kids along too. Many farms accommodate for children of all ages, plus they’ll have a blast helping you in the field! Plan a day trip to your nearest farm this summer, and remember to pack a hat and some sunscreen!

If you’re looking for a farm or farmer’s market to visit, check out Ontario Farm Visit – select your preferred location(s) and what you’d like to pick, and the site will generate a list of farms along with their websites and contact information. Another great resource is the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Grower’s Association’s locator which helps you find Ontario fruits and vegetables. 

If you’re not sure when your favourite produce is in season, check out this guide from Foodland Ontario.

Many people overlook the importance of thoroughly washing fruits and vegetables. Water is not enough to wash away the harmful pesticides that are used on produce. Even if you buy organic, there’s still a chance that contamination has occurred since pesticides can be carried through air, irrigation water, and soil. Additional exposure occurs during transportation and through human interaction. To protect your family from the dangers of pesticides, Nature Clean® has created two amazing products: the Fruit & Veggie Spray Wash and the Fruit & Veggie Wash Concentrate.

These products are tasteless, odourless, and residue-free. In addition to helping remove surface pesticides, they also work towards removing chemicals, bacteria, wax, and dirt. We recommend using the concentrate for washing produce like apples and tomatoes. For produce like grapes, broccoli, and spinach, we suggest using the spray.

Contest

In light of the season of fresh fruits and veggies, we’re holding a contest! 

How to Enter: Post your answer to the following question on our Facebook page: Do you wash your fruits & veggies with something other than water? 

The Prize: A year’s supply of our fruit and veggie wash – we’ll be choosing 3 winners!

Rules: Click here for contest rules. The contest ends June 10th!

Don’t forget to sign up for our e-newsletter! Our June edition will be featuring a great demo video on how to wash your fruits and veggies – the right way.