What foods are local to the Midwest?

Let’s face it: nothing beats fresh, local, sustainably grown produce, and that means eating seasonally. Our weekly delivery program considers local to be about a 300 mile radius around Chicagoland. We occasionally source staples we can’t live without from other farms throughout the United States, and are always sure to let you know when something isn’t local.

The farmers and artisans that are part of our program are folks we know and trust because we think it feels good to eat and share food from people you respect. That means that, when it comes to sourcing, we’re here for the long haul. This is where we are kind of like a traditional CSA. When someone’s got too many pears or an extra pallet of chard in great shape, they give us a ring. Sometimes that means you’ve got a lot of chard. It also means you get the very best stuff and all sorts of specialty items, because we’re all in this together!

At the end of the day, farming is an inexact science, and harvests are subject to wild surprises every now and then. That being said, we look forward to these crops as the year goes on…

SPRING

Our spring season lasts from April through June. We look forward to asparagus, lettuce, kale, bok choy, spinach, spring radishes, watercress, zucchini, green garlic, rhubarb, snap peas, herbs, strawberries, and all sorts of root crops and squashes we still have available.

SUMMER

From July through September you can expect more of the above, plus cucumbers, blueberries, all kinds of tomatoes, tomatillos, eggplant, cherries, melons, grapes, peaches, plums, fennel, all kinds of peppers, sweet corn, ground cherries and green beans, scallions, melons. Toward the end of the season, new root crops start to come in, too. We’ll also have every type of herb you can imagine!

FALL & WINTER

Still some herbs and all sorts of greens until the frost hits, and when the frost does hit we’ll have all sorts of over-wintered veggies. Yes, vegetables can grow in the cold! Certain crops love it. Once it does, some crops will return, others will wane. It’s hard to predict, but we look forward to fresh harvests of Asian and European pears, Hakurei turnips, all kinds of apples, squash, and peppers. Micro-greens, over-wintered spinach (our specialty), chard, kale, lettuces and Asian greens, carrots, mushrooms, leeks, Brussels sprouts, all sorts of onions and potatoes, whole roasted tomatoes, beets, pie pumpkins, cranberries, parsnips, winter radishes, celery root, rutabaga, kohlrabi, and more. The colder months are hosts to more varieties of produce and ways we’ve learned to extend the seasons over the years than you’d think!