Farmers Market Top Picks by Season

Featured Article, Gardening
on August 4, 2013
farmers-market-vegetables
Earl Neikirk Baskets are filled with a variety of vegetables.
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Locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmers market can be a simple, cost-effective means of supporting local farmers and avoiding mass-produced and genetically modified food.

But your first stroll through the market stalls can leave your eyes wide and your wallet empty if you don’t know what to buy and when it’s in season.

We’ve consulted some of the most-poplar farmers markets across the country —from the Crescent City Market in New Orleans to the Portland (Ore.) Farmers Market and dozens in between — to compile this handy guide to what’s available by season and region.

West

Spring: green garlic, chicory, cherimoyas, fava beans, apricots
Summer: basil, melons, tomatillos, blueberries, cactus pears
Fall: hazelnuts, olives, bell peppers, salsify, sunchokes
Winter: chestnuts, grapefruit, guava, mandarins, persimmons
Yearround: horseradish, avocado

Central

Spring: dill, head lettuces, strawberries, radishes
Summer: figs, watermelon, eggplant, nectarines, radicchio
Fall: pumpkin and other edible gourds, peppers, pecans, okra, broccoli
Winter: micro greens, pomegranates, cauliflower, Swiss chard
Yearround: Arugula, potatoes, mint, beets, chard

Midwest

Spring: bunch onions, morel mushrooms, sprouts, spinach, leaf lettuce
Summer: kohlrabi, zucchini, currants, celery, rhubarb
Fall: grapes, Indian corn, wild mushrooms, beets
Winter: chard, kale, microgreens, radishes, greens
Yearround: potatoes, onions

Northeast

Spring: mesclun, salad turnips, fiddleheads, chicory, parsnips
Summer: fennel, Asian greens, plums, early apples
Fall: cranberries, broccoli raab, sorrel, soy beans, canning & sauce tomatoes
Winter: dry beans, Brussels sprouts, late season greens, turnips
Yearround: apples, garlic

Southeast

Spring: Mayhaws, green tomatoes, new potatoes, lemongrass, sugarcane
Summer: asian pears, muscadine grapes, creole tomatoes, boysenberries
Fall: cucuzza, cushaw, field peas, hot peppers, peanuts
Winter: citrus fruit, Mizuna, Mirliton, beets, sweet potatoes
Yearround: collard greens, green onions

Nationwide

Spring: Asparagus, peas, strawberries, artichokes, sprouts
Summer: Beans (green, yellow, lima, broad), cane berries (blackberries, raspberries, mulberries), Stonefruit (cherries, plums, peaches), summer squashes, corn, tomatoes, cucumber
Fall: Apples, carrots, garlic and shallots, pears, mushrooms, sweet potatoes
Winter: Leafy greens (collards, turnip, beet, kale), winter squashes, root vegetables (turnips, celeriac, rutabaga), leeks, cabbage

Hawaii

Spring: Starfruit, Surinam cherry, breadfruit, thimble berry
Summer: bananas, coconut, Lychee, mango, passion fruit
Fall: cacao, Malabar chestnut, tree tomato, Ohelo berry, ice cream bean
Winter: Buddha’s Hand, kumquat, sugar apple, Rangpur lime, mangosteen

Alaska

Summer: radishes, snow peas, greens, leaf lettuce
Fall: peas, winter squash, potatoes, head lettuce
Winter: lingonberry

For help finding a nearby market, visit localharvest.org and search for one—or several!