(NC) Ontario is home to more than 125 different fruit and vegetable crops, grown by farmers right across the province.

These include long-time and well-known favourites like apples, peaches, blueberries, strawberries, pears, asparagus, broccoli, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, sweet corn and many more. But did you know that Ontario growers also produce a wide range of lesser-known crops?

Sweet potato varieties, for example, have been developed specifically for Canada’s shorter growing seasons and are now grown in our province and other parts of the country.

A popular summer treat is the juicy, sweet watermelon. More commonly known as a crop from the warmer regions of the United States, watermelons are grown in southern Ontario and ready to enjoy in the summer months.

And did you know that our province is a world-leader in the production of ginseng? In fact, we’re home to the largest production of North American ginseng in the world. Try it at home by adding it to a favourite recipe or brew it into an immune-boosting tea.

All our province’s fruits and vegetables are grown in greenhouses, vertical farms, fields and orchards by more than 3,800 growers. But because many of these crops are delicate and bruise easily, they often can’t be harvested by machines. That’s why local farmers also rely on more than 20,000 temporary and seasonal international workers to help grow, manage and harvest the local fruits and vegetables we know and love.

Many workers have been coming here for years, where their experience makes them valued members of the farm workforce—and their jobs in Canada help them build housing, educate their children and support their communities back home.

Learn more about migrant workers at morethananmigrantworker.ca.