Vegetable Availability: Each month brings the availability of a different fruit or vegetable. Remember, it varies on location, varieties planted, and weather conditions, so always call the farm before the earliest date below so you don't miss the season!

• Asparagus:
  May, June
• Beans:
  July, August, September
• Beets:
  July through March
• Brussel Sprouts:
  September, October, November
• Cabbage:
  July through March
• Carrots:
  July through March
• Cauliflower:
  July, August, September
• Celery:
  August, September
• Corn:
  July, August, September
• Cucumbers:
  July, August, September
  Greenhouse Grower Availability: February through November
• Lettuce:
  June, July, August, September
  Greenhouse Grower Availablitity: February through December
• Onions (cooking):
  August through March
• Onions (green):
  June, July, August, September
• Peas:
  June, July, August, September
• Peppers:
  July, August, September
• Pumpkins:
  August, September, October, November
• Radishes:
  June, July, August
• Rutabagas:
  August through March
• Tomatoes:
  June, July, August, September
  Greenhouse Grower Availability: March through December
• Winter Squash:
  August through February

Eat your fruits and vegetables" is one of the tried and true recommendations for a healthy diet. And for good reason. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can help you ward off heart disease and stroke, control blood pressure and cholesterol, prevent some types of cancer, avoid a painful intestinal ailment called diverticulitis, and guard against cataract and macular degeneration, two common causes of vision loss. Vegetables are low in calories and packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals.

What does "plenty" mean? More than most North Americans consume. If you don't count potatoes - which should be considered a starch rather than a vegetable - the average North American gets a total of just three servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The latest dietary guidelines call for five to thirteen servings of fruits and vegetables a day, depending on one's caloric intake. For a person who needs 2,000 calories a day to maintain weight and health, this translates into nine servings, or 4½ cups per day. The latest research, though, suggests that the biggest payoff from eating fruits and vegetables is for the heart.