<< back to main Vegetables P A R S N I P Above: 'Andover' parsnip is named after the Anoka County truck farming area where tons of parsnips, carrots and other vegetables are grown each year. It has become a leading U.S., Canadian, and European variety and is resistant to brown canker, a common root disease. Andover has long, slender roots and a small, rounded, raised crown. P O T A T O E S Potatoes are grown on 80,000 acres each year, and Minnesota is a leading producer of seed potatoes, ranking third in the nation. Each year, U of M scientists evaluate thousands of potential varieties with improved traits. 'Honeybush' muskmelon is an early maturing, short vine or bush variety that Burpee featured for home gardeners in 1983. P E A S In the 1970s-1990s, classical plant breeding methods at the University produced green garden pea and sweet corn varieties as improved, early maturing gene sources especially resistant to insects and diseases. NEARLY 80 YEARS AGO, 'Kitchenette' - an early maturing winter squash - was the first vegetable introduced from the vegetable breeding program of the U of M Agricultural Experiment Station. Since then, numerous vegetables have been introduced, with improved disease resistance and early maturity suitable for growing in our North Central region. These new gene sources use less garden and agricultural chemicals. 'Mincu' cucumber, 'Minnesota Midget' muskmelon, 'Greengold' and 'Rainbow' winter squash, are heirloom or historical varieties that are still sold by specialty growers. Key to Tables Varieties are listed with year of introduction. Bold type indicates these are available from retail nurseries. Regular type indicates heirloom varieties with limited availability. CUCUMBER 'Mincu', 'Midget' 1937-40 GREEN PEA 5 gene sources 1976-94 MUSKMELON 9 varieties 1945-84 PARSLEY 'Minncurl' 1960 PARSNIP 'Andover' 1984 PIGEONPEA 3 varieties 1995 POTATO 17 varieties 1933-present SNAP BEAN 'Duluth' 1940 SOUTHERNPEA 3 varieties 1986-1994 SWEETCORN 8 gene sources 1980-present TOMATO 4 varieties 1939-1965 WINTER SQUASH 5 varieties 1939-1994 << back to main

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