Now’s the time to shop your local farmer’s markets for produce that’s at the peak of freshness and flavor.

 

Summer is the absolute best time to load your basket with local blueberries and butter beans, cantaloupes and corn, peas, peaches, peppers, and more—all in season in Virginia during the summer months.

 

Find your favorites, and discover new ones. Friendly farmer’s market folks are always at the ready to offer tips and suggestions about how to prepare the produce they’re selling. All you have to do is ask!

 

To get you started, here’s a just a sampling of the farm-fresh produce in season in Virginia right now:

 

Vegetables

• Beets

• Carrots

• Corn

• Cucumbers

• Eggplant

• Green beans

• Lettuce

• Peas

• Potatoes

• Squash

• Tomatoes

• Zucchini

 

Fruits

• Blueberries

• Cantaloupes

• Nectarines

• Peaches

• Watermelons

 

Always remember to use running water to rinse produce, and scrub firm produce with a produce brush to remove any bacteria. Even fruits and vegetables you peel can harbor harmful bacteria, so it’s important to wash any produce before you eat it.

 

Support your local Virginia farmers with a trip to the farmer’s market or local produce stand today. Add some adventure and seek out farms where you can pick your own produce and literally take it from the field to your kitchen table. It doesn’t get any fresher!