There are many things to celebrate and enjoy in April. The month begins with April Fool’s Day and daffodils in full bloom. But did you know April is also National Fresh Celery Month?

It is believed that celery originated in the Mediterranean basin. Ancient literature documents that celery, or a similar plant form, was cultivated for medical purposes before 850 B.C. Not until the 1600s in France was celery noted in Europe as a plant meant for consumption. Soon the Italians began using celery the way we use it today.

In the 1850s celery seed was brought to Kalamazoo, Michigan, from Scotland by George Taylor. He began growing it at a nearby farm. Taylor would offer his product free of charge just for it to be put on a serving table. His celery attracted considerable interest. Dutch immigrants in the area caught on to celery and Kalamazoo became the “Celery Capital” of the nation; but in the 1930s a blight hit the area and  production died out.

Today more than 1 b...