March is National Nutrition Month. Coincidentally, March also marks the best time of the year to plant a variety of different fruits and vegetables.
Eating locally grown foods is beneficial for the health for a number of reasons – mainly because it cuts down on the amount of preservatives and additives inside different foods. Many health organizations assert that these additives are linked to several different detrimental conditions, one of which being pancreatic cancer. The severity of the different illnesses linked to eating preservative-rich foods illustrates why it’s essential to eat as locally as possible.
While people may choose to practice eating locally by eating at restaurants that enlist local suppliers, or go to grocery stores that sell exclusively local/organic foods, there’s also an easier way. Growing foods in your home’s garden is a fun and healthy way to eat locally. The reason March is such a great time to plant seeds is that by March, there should be few remaining winter frosts. Planting these foods in March also leaves plenty of time for your veggies to flourish before the blazing hot summer sun dries them out. Here are 15 fruits and vegetables that you can plant now:

• Tomatoes
• Corn
• Cabbage
• Lettuce
• Summer Squash
• Peas
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Melons
• Beets
• Cucumbers
• Onions
• Herbs
• Carrots
• Peppers

The above veggies/fruits come into season at different points each year. This makes it important for you to keep up with our news and updates, as we’ll continue providing tips for tending your home garden.
If you’re wondering whether or not you’re eating healthy and locally enough, feel free to visit our center for a physical examination any day of the week. For more information, call us at 978-975-0700. We look forward to hearing about your home garden and helping you live a more active and healthy lifestyle.