Valley offers fresh produce year-round Winter harvest

By GIANNA CIOFFI

Online Market Manager, Lake to River Cooperative

YOUNGSTOWN

As the winter season edges closer and the coveted flavors of summer fade like our tans, we are left with the challenge to keep our kitchens stocked with fresh produce that was in abundance only a few short weeks ago.

As tempted as we may be to recapture the taste of summer, grocery-store tomatoes and other classic summer veggies and fruits never compare to those picked from our yards or nearby farms at the height of the season.

The challenge remains in our ability to adapt our eating habits to the season without sacrificing flavor.

Growing techniques have been adopted to keep vegetable production up even in the coldest of months. Some may have heard the expression “growing on the shoulders of the season.”

Savvy Mahoning Valley growers are completing “successive second plantings” in late summer/early fall to sprout naturally hardy crops that not only tolerate, but actually thrive in the cold-weather climate.

Common cold-hardy crops like salad greens, root vegetables and dark leafy greens become sweet and palatable with exposure to our chilly days and nights. Growing these successfully requires a bit of planning and practice, but for those willing, the payoff is well worth it.

By making use of low tunnels and cold frames, you can really ride the wave of growing into even the most-bitter-cold midwinter months.

Low tunnels are simply short greenhouses without the heat. Wire or metal conduit is used to support the plastic above the plants. Cold frames are similar structures that are somewhat more permanent. Hotbeds would be the same as cold frames, only with added heat. Cold frames and low tunnels only get heat from sunlight.

These season-extending structures can be easy to construct. Some details are available here: low tunnels, http://go.osu.edu/lowtunnels, and cold frames and hot beds, http://go.osu.edu/coldframes

Although it’s too late to start most plants for planting in these types of structures, you can plant microgreens to enjoy all winter long.

The process can be a little touchy, so be sure to do your research before planting. Get the details, here: http://go.osu.edu/microgreensathome.

If you feel like leaving winter growing to the professionals but still would like to regularly enjoy the fruits of the season, there are plenty of local resources to let you gain access to winter’s bounty right here in the Mahoning Valley.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Visit the year-round Northside Farmers Market, which takes place every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 818 Elm St., Youngstown.

Howland Farmers Market is the third Saturday in November through May from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Children’s Rehabilitation Center, 885 Howland-Wilson Road.

Lake to River Online Market has an ordering system that distributes weekly. Visit laketoriver.org for information on how to start receiving weekly groceries from local growers and producers.