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Carrots are derived from a Middle Eastern crop called Queen Anne’s Lace. This wild ancestor is also a taproot crop but has a white root. For thousands of years, the carrot was not a popular vegetable because it had a woody texture and was difficult to eat. A subspecies of this plant has been selectivelyContinue reading “February Harvest of the Month: Carrots”

Beets: They can’t be beat! Beets are native to the shores of North Africa, Europe, and the Middle East; they were first cultivated by the ancient Romans. In the 19th century, when it was found that beets could be converted into sugar, the crop’s commercial value significantly grew. Beets are a member of the AmaranthaceaeContinue reading “Harvest of the Month: January 2025”

Native to Central America, the sweet potato is not related to potatoes but instead is in the same family as morning glory. ​Sweet potatoes are very popular in the southern United States, and have been grown in that region since the 16th century. Although often mistaken for the yam, sweet potatoes are more flavorful and lessContinue reading “December 2024: Harvest of the Month”

Winter squash are a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, also known as the gourd family, along with cucumbers, summer squash (pattypan, zucchini), and watermelon. Originally, winter squash were cultivated for the consumption of their seeds only, as they had minimal, bitter-tasting flesh; over time, fleshier, fruitier varieties were developed.

Apples thrive in temperate climates because they need a period of cold and dormancy in order to prosper; therefore, they are not cultivated in tropical climates. Apples are in the Rosaceae (rose) family, along with almonds, cherries, peaches, pears, plums, raspberries, and strawberries. Check out our apple-related book list here: https://charlotte.kohavt.org/MyAccount/MyList/5067 Lessons for all ages: https://charlotteseedlibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/7f19a-harvestofthemonth-apples-extendedlesson.pdf

Ways to Save the Harvest in Relishes, Chutneys and Pickles Make now and enjoy later.  Here are 6 of our favorite tried and true recipes for tasty accents to winter meals preserved by canning, freezing or just storing in the refrigerator.  Use them in a variety of ways to bring summer color and zing toContinue reading “Summer in a Jar”

A member of the Cucurbit family, cucumbers are related to squash (winter and summer) as well as melons and gourds. The cucumber was first cultivated in India over 3,000 years ago. The Greeks and Romans spread the cucumber to Europe. It first arrived in North America in the 16th century. Nowadays, China produces the mostContinue reading “July 2024: Harvest of the Month”

Dairy LAND For the past 200 years, dairy has shaped Vermont’s agricultural landscape. While the number of dairy farms has been steadily declining since the 1950s, dairy is still Vermont’s largest agricultural product by volume, and dairy farms still utilize about 80% of the farmland in the state. LABOR As of 2016, there are anContinue reading “June Harvest of the Month: Dairy”

Humans and other predatory animals have been eating eggs for millions of years. Then, about 5,000 years ago, people in Asia domesticated the first wildfowl. It was so successful that the idea spread worldwide. Later, the Egyptians developed a method to incubate eggs in heated caves, freeing up hens to lay more. In the 1940s,Continue reading “May Harvest of the Month: Eggs”

​A grain is the edible seed inside a cereal crop. These grains are comprised of four parts: the husk, the bran, the endosperm and the germ. The husk is inedible and has to be removed before it can be consumed. The bran is a thick inner covering that is made up of several layers. TheContinue reading “April 2024 Harvest of the Month: Whole Grains”