Rhubarb
Asparagus
Berries
Melons
Onions, Leeks, and Garlic
Potatoes
Zucchini
Sweet Corn
Field Tomatoes
Squash
Pumpkins & Gourds
Rhubarb is our first crop of the year, coming in to season in early May, and it sticks around until early July. It has a very tart flavour, so is often paired with something sweet. Why not try it with our fresh strawberries!
Asparagus follows quickly, and bursts up through the soil and into season in mid-May. From here, the crop begins to flourish, as asparagus grows amazingly quickly!
Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries - we grow them all!
Strawberries are the first to arrive, in early June. We grow both the traditional June berry variety, as well as the ever-bearing (also known as day-neutral) fruit. What's the difference? It's all about how the plant responds to sunlight. The June berries produce fruit during, well, June mostly! Once the days start to really lengthen and the weather heats up, production stops. Ever-bearing plants, however, do not respond to the sunlight this way, and continue to produce strawberries all through the summer and into the fall, until the first frost!
Raspberries make their way into season during early July. Although some Ontario farms grow both a summer and a fall variety, we only grow the summer variety. Their season is fairly short, typically lasting around 3 weeks.
Blueberries are not far behind! These delectable little berries are the newest addition to the Thames River Melons berry family, with 2022 marking our 8th year of harvest.
All three berries are available pre-picked, or as pick-your-own. Berry picking is a great way to get outside and get active!
Muskmelon
Fun fact: muskmelon is the Canadian name for cantaloupe! These melons come in several different varieties, but all are orange-fleshed and super sweet.
Yellow Watermelon
Yep, you read that right - yellow watermelon! Believe it or not, we've been growing this variety (originally from Asia) since 1986. These melons are generally the smallest of the watermelon family, with a light green exterior with black stripes, yellow flesh plus just a few seeds. These guys pack a big punch with their flavour and juiciness, and make the perfect refresher for a hot summer's day.
Sugarbaby Watermelon
Sugarbaby is the sweetest variety of watermelon we grow! Encased by a dark green rind, it has bright red flesh with lots of black seeds. They can grow to be pretty darn huge, and did we mention that they're super sweet?!
Sangria Watermelon
Sangria watermelon are our good ol' fashioned watermelon. On the outside they are oblong shaped, light green coloured, with white stripes. On the inside they're bright pink with a sprinkling of black seeds. When you think of watermelon, this is probably what you picture!
Seedless Watermelon
If you're not a fan of seed-spitting competitions, we've got you covered with our seedless variety. Now, although they're called seedless, and don't have any of the potentially pesky black seeds, they do have very small, soft white ones. They still need seeds to grow, after all! In a seedless variety, though, they don't develop fully. The exterior of these melons is light green with white stripes, and are more round than the Sangria variety.
Specialty Melons
Each year we like to have a little fun and plant a few different specialty melon varieties. Keep an eye out for these fun little guys at a variety of our farmers' markets!
Onions
We grow several different varieties of Spanish onions - red, white, and yellow.
The red onion has a bit of a kick, and is great for use in salads!
The white and yellow onions are both quite sweet, and make a great addition to burgers or any kind of cooking.
Most of the red and white onions are sold fresh, while the yellow Spanish onions are dried and sold throughout the fall.
Leeks
The regular leek season starts around mid-September. However, we harvest a few super sweet & tender baby leeks during mid July! Keep an eye out for these guys at your local farmers' market.
Green Garlic
From early May until mid-July, we harvest what's called green garlic, as pictured above. Green garlic is essentially baby garlic, picked before it fully forms cloves separated by paper.
Green garlic is a bit milder than its full grown counterpart, and because it does not have distinct cloves, can be chopped up whole! During early May, even the leaves are edible, as they are very tender.
Garlic
Starting mid-July/early August, our fully developed garlic bulbs, with distinct cloves- the kind most of you are most familiar with - is available.
New Potatoes
New potatoes are basically baby potatoes. We begin harvesting these little guys in early June. Had we left them in the ground, they would eventually mature into regular, large potatoes. New potatoes undergo less conversion of sugar to starch, and are therefore more sweet than their full-grown counterparts. They are also more tender! The white & red potatoes are available early in the season.
Regular Potatoes
By mid-August the potatoes begin to be fully developed. These potatoes are larger, a little less sweet, and a bit less tender than the new potatoes, but still delicious! All 3 varieties are available at this point, and into the fall and winter.
We grow 3 varieties of regular potatoes:
Superior (white flesh & white skin)
Norland (white flesh & red skin)
Russet (white flesh & brown skin)
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are available starting in mid-September. The orange-flesh potatoes are moist & sweet. The white-flesh potatoes are slightly more sweet, but also more dry.
We grow 2 varieties of sweet potatoes:
Orange flesh & brown skin
White flesh & purple skin
Zucchini
We grow both green & yellow zucchini. There's no taste difference between the two, but the yellow are a bit more tender and therefore cook a bit quicker! We begin to harvest zucchini in late June, and continue into September.
Baby Zucchini & Zucchini Blossoms
In addition to regularly sized zucchini, we also harvest a few baby/mini zucchinis. These little guys are not only super tender and sweet, but also pretty adorable. They are sold on their own, and sometimes along with zucchini blossoms/flowers!
Zucchini blossoms are quite the delicacy. Before consuming, be sure to remove the stamen (inside the flower) using your fingers or scissors. Once the stamen is removed, the blossoms can be enjoyed raw in salads, sauteed along with other veggies, or sauteed and added to pasta or pizza! Our family favourite is to stuff the blossoms with a soft cheese (like cream cheese or goat cheese) along with some herbs, bread them, then either bake, pan-fry, or deep-fry. So delicious!
Sweet corn comes into season late July and keeps on growing until it freezes in the fall.
We grow several different varieties, all bi-colour, which means each cob has a mixture of white and yellow kernels. You're probably all familiar with the term peaches and cream, right? Well, a fun fact is that Peaches & Cream is trademarked name for one kind of bi-colour variety.
Squash rolls into season during late August. We grow 4 main varieties in large quantity, as well as an assortment of specialty varieties in smaller amounts. The squash continue to be available well into the late fall/early winter, as they store well during the cooler months.
Field tomatoes roll into season during early August. Although some farms grow tomatoes in greenhouses to provide an early taste of Ontario tomatoes, we only grow tomatoes that are grown outdoors - field tomatoes! We grow several different varieties, in a few different forms. Check them out!
Regular Field Tomatoes
Many customers ask if our tomatoes are a "beefsteak" variety. Similar to the Peaches and Cream sweet corn conversation, Beefsteak is a trademarked name of a general variety of tomatoes. We grow this general variety here on our farm.
Green Tomatoes
Green tomatoes are simply regular tomatoes that have not ripened fully. They are less juicy, with a more solid flesh. Common uses are fried green tomatoes, chutney, or relish!
Roma Tomatoes
Roma tomatoes are a small, oblong-shaped variety of tomatoes that contains fewer seeds than our standard field tomato. They are generally purchased in bulk to make homemade tomato sauce!
Grape Tomatoes
These small, bite-sized tomatoes are kind of like the cute, sweeter little brother to the regular field tomato. Not to be confused with cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes are super sweet and more oblong-shaped than round. Perfect for salads, snacking, or a stir-fry!
Butternut Squash
Butternut squash are peanut-shaped with a smooth, beige exterior. Their skin is fairly thin, and easy to cut into. Inside, they host a bright orange coloured flesh, and have a deliciously sweet flavour!
Pepper/Acorn Squash
Pepper squash, also known as acorn squash, have a dark green, ridged exterior and are shaped like a (wait for it!) over-sized acorn! This variety is also fairly easy to cut open. Once inside, you'll find a pale orange flesh, and moist, sweet flesh.
Buttercup Squash
Also known as Sweet Mama, the Buttercup squash are cylindrical, with a rough, dark green exterior. Unlike the previous two varieties, this squash has a very tough, thick skin, making it more challenging to cut into. It's totally worth it, though, as buttercup offers a deliciously rich, nutty, and sweet flavour from its dark orange flesh.
Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti squash has an oblong shape, and a pale yellow exterior. It's quite easy to cut open. Once cooked, its mildly flavoured flesh becomes quite stringy, and can be scooped out and used as a pasta alternative!
In mid-September we start to harvest a variety of pumpkins, gourds, and decorative squash - just in time for Thanksgiving and Halloween!
Here's a sneak peek of what you can expect:
Jack'o'lantern pumpkins
Pie pumpkins
Mini pumpkins (smooth & ridged)
A variety of hilariously shaped gourds
White pumpkins
...and lots more!
Come visit us at the farm, our Innerkip farm stand, or at one of our many farmers' markets to take your pick.