Happy April! A new month means new in-season produce. Purchasing in-season produce ensures that you are buying the best-tasting, affordable produce. While year-round fan favorites for Ventura County like avocados, strawberries, and lemons are still available, try out some April-specific produce the next time you’re at the grocery store or farmers’ market!
April marks the beginning of seasonality for a variety of vegetables. Summer squash, basil, cucumbers, onions, and zucchini are all in-season options to include in your springtime meals. Try out some delicious basil pesto or sneak some veggies into your breakfast/dessert by making some sweet zucchini bread. Not going to use your fresh basil right away? Not a problem! Store the fresh herbs in a jar with 1-2 inches of water and loosely cover the herbs with a plastic bag. Place the jar in the fridge for up to two weeks and make sure to change the water every few days and remove wilted leaves.
As for in-season fruits, April provides apricots, cherries, raspberries, loquats, and tomatillos. Use fresh raspberries for a quick raspberry jam, tomatillos for a tangy tomatillo salsa, or cherries for a tasty cherry pie. To view more in-season produce for April, check out this Seasonal Food Guide.
We wouldn’t have this delicious in-season produce without our farmers and field workers. In Ventura County, there are a variety of practices that farmers implement in row cropping systems— such as compost application on the field and border hedgerow planting implementation.
Compost benefits include:
- Increased soil organic matter
- Improved soil microbe health
- Boosted nutrient levels and crop productivity
- Increased water retention
- Decreased soil compaction.
Hedgerow implementation benefits include:
- Improved wildlife habitat
- Reduced drift of airborne dust and chemicals
- Enhanced pollen, nectar, and nesting habitat for pollinators
- Increased carbon storage in biomass and soils
- Beautification.
Agricultural producers who are interested in adding beneficial pollinator habitat, like hedgerows, on their ag land are encouraged to check out our limited remaining Pollinator Habitat Program (PHP) funding!
