Valley-grown produce items to cool off this spring season

MCALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Spring is here which means it's time to cool off with the freshest fruits and vegetables that are in season.

The Rio Grande Valley has served as a fundamental location for producing citrus fruits and boosting the region's farming industry for decades.

Little Bear Produce is one of several Valley farms that routinely plants and harvests various fruits and vegetables for all seasons year-round.

Since 1986, Little Bear Produce has cultivated 39 types of vegetables and six types of fruits from leafy greens, herbs, cabbages and melons.

"The bread and butter of our company are the leafy greens and cabbages," said Jeff Brechler, a sales employee with Little Bear Produce.

Leafy greens, cabbages, herbs and several of its fruits are taking the spotlight this season as spring's peak harvest items.

"Examples of the leafy greens would be collards, kale, mustard greens, turnip, Swiss chard, dandelion," Brechler said.

Some herbs that are best used during springtime are parsley, dill and cilantro.

Months of preparation are essential in order for each produce item to reach its full seasonal potential of full flavor and high nutrtitional value.

Little Bear's planting season for spring produce begins mid-August and can run up to six months until February.

Mild winters in the Rio Grande Valley allow each plant to grow at a slower pace, making for a best tasting and longer lasting produce item.

"The Valley's fall, winter and spring months make it a prime location for producing vegetables and fruits during the wintertime," Brechler said.

Depending on the item, the plantings are staggered through the six-month preparation period until they are ready to be gathered and sold.

"You have some items that it takes, you know 30 to 40 days for them to fully mature and you have other items that take you know anywhere from 180 days to you know close to 200 days to fully mature," Brechler said.

Weather conditions and the Valley soil serve as a power combination to grow each commodity item at its fullest during the planting period.

At full maturity, leafy greens and cabbages are ready to gather, making these vegetables the perfect spring produce item.

Honeydew melons at Little Bear Produce are expected to reach full maturity in May, just in time to cool down as the heat wave rises.

Seedless watermelons, limes and mangos also take the spotlight as these items are planted and harvested by Little Bear year-round, making them the ultimate fruits to eat at any time of year.

"Because of our location and our rich soil content here, we do produce and grow a better tasting fruit and vegetable with a longer shelf life compared to other producing areas such as Florida or the Carolinas," Brechler said.

From the farm to your dinner table, here are Little Bear's recipes to make using your favorite springtime fruits and vegetables.