Spring is in full swing, and with longer days and warmer weather comes a new crop of fresh produce. That’s good news for seniors, because when produce is plentiful and cheap during the warm months, it becomes easier for even people on tight budgets to get the nutrition they need.

With all the farm land surrounding the Tristate’s urban core, seniors living in Cincinnati are fortunate to have access to a lot of access to freshly harvested, locally grown produce, from the Findlay Market’s year-round weekend farmer’s market downtown, to the Loveland Farmer’s Market, Boone County Farmer’s Market (and many others) out in the suburbs. 

Let’s discuss some of the ways that seniors can “spring clean” their diets by picking up nutritious, in-season produce.

Plan seasonally and eat fresher, tastier food

As you know, every fruit and vegetable we eat has a growing season. Modern supermarkets, hothouse growing and harvesting techniques and well-coordinated air and truck transportation allow us to get many of the basics — carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, apples, grapes, squash and more — in any season. Many urban and suburban residents have lost touch with the timing and importance of local growing seasons.

Although we can certainly get fruits and vegetables in the dead of winter, they are typically sourced from faraway places like Florida, California and South America. That means they’re typically harvested before they reach full ripeness, irradiated for preservation purposes and/or past peak freshness by the time we can purchase them at the grocery.

Not only is winter produce typically less tasty than summer produce, but it’s also typically more expensive and less eco-friendly than produce grown and purchased locally. A lot of fossil fuel, energy and labor is required to get produce from southern climes to cold, northern states in the winter.

It’s advantageous, then, to re-familiarize yourself with the harvest times of the various types of produce grown around Greater Cincinnati so that you can plan ahead, maximize taste and nutrition value and minimize your costs to purchase fresh fruits and veggies.

What produce comes onto the market in Ohio in May and June?

Plenty! According to the Ohio Farm Bureau, over the next two months you should start to see the following fresh-harvested fruits, vegetables, herbs and legumes:

• Asparagus

• Snap Beans

• Beets

• Blackberries

• Blueberries

• Cabbage

• Cilantro

• Collards

• Dill

• Endive / Escarole

• Gooseberries

• Kale

• Lettuce

• Mustard Greens

• Green Onions

• Parsley

• Garden Peas

• Radishes

• Raspberries

• Rhubarb

• Spinach

• Strawberries

• Summer Squash

• Turnip Greens

• Zucchini

Who knew there were so many fresh, good things to eat being harvested this early in the summer? And as the warmer months continue into the fall, more and more crops begin to come in.

Turn your sojourn to procure fruits and veggies into a fun day trip

Many farms in the area, like Stokes Berry Farm in Wilmington (Clinton County), Iron’s Fruit Farm out in Lebanon (Warren County) and A&M Orchard in Midland (Brown County) allow visitors to pick their own strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and (in the fall) apples and pumpkins.

Put on some old jeans, grab a light jacket and a few friends, and drive out to the country for a fun day in the sun, walking out in the fields and gathering your own produce. Most farms will give you a pail for your pickings and many will drive you out to the fields on a hay wagon. It’s an out-of-the-ordinary excursion with a purpose, plus you’ll enjoy healthy fresh air and sunshine.

Need recipe ideas?

When you return home with your fresh fruits and veggies, peruse your recipe book to figure out what to do with them. Or, check out this handy online guide: Click on the produce type you want to use to pull up recipes that include that ingredient.

Not finding something that strikes your fancy there? Here are a few more ideas for what you can make with fresh Ohio produce. And there are many more ideas floating about online. Talk to your friends on Facebook and peruse Pinterest and Tumblr for ideas.

Seniors living in Cincinnati have plenty of fresh produce available to them in the spring and summertime. Make sure that you get out and take advantage of the bounty, or ask your friends and family to bring you groceries if you can’t get out.

Here at Deupree House, many of our residents who love to garden do so on their very own community plots — right here on our grounds — or in window boxes from their apartments. And our executive chefs in the dining room and at Grille 39 make great efforts to use the freshest, farm-to-table produce we can get.

So, if cooking is becoming a difficult chore, or if you just want to take it a bit easier as you enjoy your retirement, consider coming out for a visit here. We’ll be happy to show you how we help our senior residents maintain good nutrition and a high quality of life.