Bradford carrots, one of the most widely grown field vegetables in the country
Ontario is the number one producer of carrots in Canada. The root vegetable has become the city of Bradford’s mascot, since this region has more producers than anywhere else. Ricardo heads there to meet Jason Verkaik, who takes him on a tour of his operation while harvest is in full swing.
From farm to fork: 'The cycle is complete there and we love it.'
Ontario farmers grow 480 million pounds of carrots every year. Most of them in the Bradford, Ont. area.
Jason Verkaik, director of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association, says his family has been producing carrots in Ontario since 1929.
"This area used to be a swamp. This ground was developed through years and years of compost through the swamp."
In 2016, Canadian producers harvested 760 million pounds carrots and shipped 174 million pounds to other countries.
Join Chef Ricardo Larrivée to watch how this root vegetable is planted, mechanically plucked from the ground and packaged to send to grocery stores.