Most don't know it, but the garden or sugar pea has quite the history as well as a diverse range of relatives.  For one thing, the garden pea comes from the family known as legume, which contains over 16,000 varieties.  In this huge family almost everything is included from the peas we eat to distant relatives such as Texas mesquite, any number of lovely flowers, beans and even peanuts!  It truly is a diverse and fantastic family.  So fantastic in fact, that some of the earliest farmers prized the pea enough to make it part of their regular crops, bringing about its domestication early in the history of man.  Yes, people and peas go back a long way!  In at least one case, peas have been found in a stone age "pantry" over 6000 years old. 

Garden peas are still delicious and right now they should be available at U-Pick Farms and Farmers' Markets near you! 

Whether you stirfry, mix them in a salad, cook them in a soup or casserole, steam lightly and serve with herbs and a little butter or margarine you can't go wrong with Michigan's garden peas.

Later in July another Michigan grown legume will come available, the snap bean, with more yet on its way into August and September!  Check out our calendar of availability for more information.

As you can see, it's not too much to ask that you give peas a chance!