What’s in Season Now? Early September:

Field Grown: green and yellow beans, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, tomatoes, golden and red beets, shiitake mushrooms, lettuces, salad mix, chard, kale, collards, garlic, zucchini, green, purple and sweet onions, scallions, shallots, cabbage, new potatoes, cucumbers, peppers (green, hot banana, jalapeno), corn, mizuna, mibuna and other Asian greens, cabbage, kohlrabi, leeks, cucumbers, peppers (red, green, purple, yellow, hot banana, jalapeno), eggplant, squash

Greenhouse/grown under cover: oyster and button mushrooms, cucumbers, sprouts, tomatoes, salad mix

Herbs: chives, mint, basil, dill, parsley and more

Fruits and berries: grapes, fall raspberries, everbearing strawberries, the last peaches, plums and blueberries, pears, apples (more varieties week by week), cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew and other melons, hardy kiwi

Wild: blueberries, mushrooms

Meats, cheeses, local grain baking, preserves, honey, maple syrup and more add to your local eating options throughout the seasons!

One of the great things about farmers’ markets is the connection they build to the seasons, from the first spring greens through to winter root crops. Market farmers also work hard to stretch our Ontario growing season at both ends, with greenhouses, cold-tolerant vegetables, and both early and late season crops grown under cover. Excellent storage means that year-round markets can provide you with some local foods right through the year, too.

Along with familiar favourites, you’ll find farmers growing many unusual varieties, specialty crops, and heirlooms, so not everything is listed in this guide to produce availability, but it will help if you’re wondering which foods are available at different times of year: foodland.gov.on.ca/availabilityf.htm

Wondering what to do with all the great food you brought home from the market?

Here’s a fun blog which includes lots of season-specific recipes for Ontario: seasonalontariofood.blogspot.com

For ideas and information about preserving the harvest, visit wellpreserved.ca