
foods are as cool as a cucumber. These low-calorie veggies contain many nutritional benefits, including hydrating properties and valuable nutrients.
There are hundreds of varieties of cucumber, and they come in dozens of colors, but the edible types are classified as being for either slicing or pickling, according to Cornell University’s Growing Guide. Slicing cucumbers are cultivated to be eaten fresh, while pickling cucumbers are intended for the brine jar. Slicing cucumbers are usually larger and thicker-skinned than pickling ones.
In the United States, commonly planted varieties of slicing cucumber include Dasher, Conquistador, Slicemaster, Victory, Comet, Burpee Hybrid and Sprint, according to the World’s Healthiest Foods website. Commonly planted varieties of pickling cucumber include Royal, Calypso, Pioneer, Bounty, Regal, Duke and Blitz.


Community
Exploring The Original Manassero Farms

Exploring The Original Manassero Farms
by Cheryl Honig.
The feeling starts in your feet as you step out of your car onto the gravel parking lot. It works its way up to your fingers and nose as you stroll through the herbs, feel their textures, and savor their aromas. You sense this is a special place because you feel transported and calm at the same time.
Gazing out to the fields reminds you that this is the stuff that has been sustaining the human race since the beginning of time — fresh fruits and vegetables. This field (the Irvine Market location along Jeffrey Road, next to Irvine Valley College) is courtesy of Dan and Anne Manassero, part of a third-generation farming family that has been growing the tastiest strawberries and other wonderful produce since 1922.
But they do much more than grow and sell it. They give it away, too! The Original Manassero Farms has partnered with Loaves and Fishes X10 to distribute donated fresh produce to food pantries and food banks across Orange County — 250,000 pounds were donated in 2014. That’s a lot of harvesting…and heart!
The Manasseros have succeeded in helping us escape the frenzy of modern life by creating their Irvine Market location, where you can browse shelves of jams and preserves, canned veggies, raw organic honey, and specialty salsas. But there’s more — try “Breakfast in the Barn,” learn a thing or two at a “Farm to Fork” cooking class, or design a “Pick Your Own Event” for any occasion. By supporting The Original Manassero Farms, we uplift the entire community. That’s a good and tasty thing to do! Visit https://www.manasserofarms.com/ to learn more.
Irvine farm earns honor for local support of food donations
Irvine Farm Earns Honor
July 13, 2013
Updated Aug. 21, 2013 12:28 p.m.

Last year, The Original Manassero Farms donated 250,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables to feed those in need.
State Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, is scheduled to honor the Irvine-based grower for its charity today at the Westminster Family Fitness Day, an annual event launched by the senator to promote exercise and healthy eating.
For the past four years, Dan Manassero, who founded The Original Manassero Farms in 1976, has donated corn, strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, green beans and melons to Loaves and Fishesx10, a Santa Ana-based nonprofit. The organization then distributes the produce to food banks, shelters and churches in Orange and Los Angeles counties.
“It’s a shame to throw it away,” said Manassero, a third-generation Orange County farmer. “(Loaves and Fishesx10) is doing all the work. I’m just donating stuff.”
Westminster Family Fitness Day was created to encourage better eating habits among low-income families who might otherwise turn to fast food or similar options. The farm’s contributions aligned nicely with that goal, said Asia Cunningham, Correa’s district director.
The event will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at Sigler Park, 7200 Plaza St., Westminster. Correa will present the resolution at 11:10 p.m.
Contact the writer:jgraham@ocregister.comor 714-796-7960
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