March : In Season

Eating seasonally and prioritizing locally grown produce and ingredients : context for early spring

Spring is just budding up, so be ready to get your greens on!

Early Spring

In March, a variety of produce begins to peek through the winter cold, just as winter storage produce dwindles in quantity.
Although it may seem like a random assortment of produce, early spring is a time to phase from winter hardiness to delicate freshness.
For fruits, March features avocado, kiwi, apples and pears, strawberries, citrus
For vegetables, March features artichoke, asparagus, celery, bok choy, potatoes, green onions, cabbage, potatoes.

Storage Crop Heroes

Although we are out of the winter darkenss, we still get to enjoy whatever is left of the dependable staples that have gotten us through the times of cold noses and fuzzy socks. So, make the most of the potatoes, alliums, and brassicas before the new wave of spring produce washes the garden beds anew.

Urban Foraging

We all know springtime marks the season of new growth, which means it’s an ideal time to try our foraging for early bloomers. Public spaces like parks, universities, and streets can be golden opportunities to find worthwile and interesting foods, and each region is different! A few years ago in an installation/interactive art class, I was made aware of a wonderful resource for urban foraging, and have been using it ever since… falling fruit.

Find your area on the map, then zoom in to see the edible varieties of plants. Data is inputted by individuals, so consider sharing more information if you have it.
If you’re unsure about the plants mentioned, conduct further research before embarking for the season when individual plants are at their best to harvest from
Grab a basket, a pair of shears, and go urban forage! Once you arrive at a potential foraging site, I like to consult a photo-based app called seek, by iNAturalist to varify the plant before declaring it edible.

If you’re interested in learning more about urban foraging tips and background, as well as the social/environmental/political context, here are some articles I recommend