Rutabaga, beets and parsnips, the less famous root vegetables

Potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic are among the most prominent root-vegetable “fixin’s” at Thanksgiving feasts. You might even come across some rutabagas, beets or parsnips tucked away on the dinner table. Let’s dig into some of these lesser-known root vegetables.

Rutabaga renaissance in sales, despite lower production

Rutabagas, also known as turnips or swedes, originally grew in the wild in Scandinavia and became a food staple in Northern Europe by the 18th century. Brought over to Canada by Europeans, rutabagas, like most root vegetables, can be preserved for several months in a cold cellar to provide vegetables throughout our cold winters.

Canadian farm gate sales of rutabagas topped $31 million for the fifth straight year in 2023, making it Canada’s fifth most important root vegetable in terms of sales, following potatoes, onions, carrots and fresh French shallots and green onions. Farm gate sales of $31.6 million in 2023 were almost double those in 2000 ($16.0 million).

While farmers are getting more money for their rutabagas, they are planting and harvesting fewer. Area planted fell for the second straight year in 2023, down 6.4% year over year to 1 422 hectares and 29.0% fewer hectares compared with the record-high 2 003 hectares set in 2002.

Rutabaga marketed production has fallen for 10 straight years, falling 13.6% year over year to 35 860 tonnes in 2023 and one-third lower compared with the record high of 54 244 tonnes set in 2011.

Rutabagas were grown commercially in every province in 2023, with Ontario (14 978 tonnes) and Quebec (14 311 tonnes) accounting for just over three-quarters (75.9%) of the annual production.

Nothing beats sweet beets

Beets have been farmed since the time of the ancient Egyptians and Romans. Canadian farmers sold a record-high $24.0 million of beets in 2023, up fourfold since 2000.

Marketed production of beets has declined for three straight years since the record high of 46 113 tonnes in 2020, falling to 42 206 tonnes in 2023. Nevertheless, marketable production of beets remained over double that of 2002 (19 350 tonnes), when the current time series began.

Beets were grown commercially in every province in 2023, with Quebec (21 755 tonnes), Ontario (13 140 tonnes) and British Columbia (4 117 tonnes) accounting for over 90% of national production.

Pass the parsnip

Parsnips, originally found in Eurasia, have been eaten by humans since antiquity. The parsnip looks like a carrot but is lighter in colour and sweeter in taste.

Canadian farmers sold $8.4 million of parsnips in 2023, up by one-quarter from 2021 but 15.7% lower than the record high set in 2014.

Marketable production of parsnips rose 5.1% year over year to 5 126 tonnes in 2023 but was 44.9% lower than the record-high 9 304 tonnes grown in 2014.

There’s a new spud in town

Canadian farmers have recently started growing sweet potatoes commercially in Canada, and we have been tracking sales, area planted and marketable production since 2018.

Farm gate sales of sweet potatoes rose 15.2% year over year to $18.2 million in 2023, making the sweet potato Canada’s ninth most valuable root vegetable in terms of sales, following garlic, beets and radishes.

Marketed sweet potato production rose 8.0% year over year to 15 253 tonnes in 2023.

Sweet potatoes were grown in five provinces in 2023, with Ontario (13 783 tonnes), Quebec (1 031 tonnes) and Nova Scotia (408 tonnes) farmers accounting for most of the marketable production.