The benefit of eating fruits and vegetables that ripen on the vine is that they are the most nutritious. The majority of the nutrients are captured in the soil and in the fruits and vegetables that ripen on the vine/tree. The nutrition in fruits and vegetables is the best source of thousands of phytochemicals (phytonutrients) that keep our bodies healthy and help fight the damage caused by free radicals that occur in our daily activities. When you hear “buy local,” it’s probably a good idea to buy produce whenever possible. This has the benefit of getting fruits and vegetables that have ripened naturally.
June marks the start of farmers markets and local produce stands that quickly become filled with beautiful, healthy options.
Naperville Farmers Market (napervillefarmersmarket.org)
5th Avenue Station Parking Lot / Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon from June 1 to October 26
Naper Settlement Farmers Market NEW! (napersettlement.org) June 25-Sept. 17 Tuesdays / Vendors, classes, live music
St. John’s Farmers Market (stjohn’s-episcopal.com) 750 Aurora Avenue / Wednesdays from May to September 3pm to 7pm
95th Street Farmers Market (napervilleparks.org/farmersmarket) 3015 Cedar Glade Drive / Thursdays June through September 3-7 p.m.
Mainland Farm (maynelandfarm.com) 27W265 Bauer Road, Naperville (Cash only)
Spring: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday 10am-5pm / Summer: July 24th-October 31st – Monday-Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 9:30am-5pm, Sunday 10:30am-5pm.
For the more adventurous, planting season is upon us at our house, where you can grow a variety of vegetables in the ground or in traditional containers. A non-traditional approach is aeroponics, where specially designed tower containers direct nutrient-rich water to the roots of 20 different plants, allowing a wide variety of plants to grow in a small space just outside your back door (minta.towergarden.com).
Regardless of how we get our “local” produce, having fresh produce on our table provides us with plenty of the nutrients we need.
