Fresh Local Berries, Flowering Melons and the Start of Summer Harvest

Summer is settling in nicely around the farm, and the fields seem to be enjoying it as much as we are. The mix of cool mornings, warm afternoons, sunshine, breeze, and timely rain has given us just about ideal growing conditions. Every walk through the fields brings something new to notice, whether it is another row filling in, a new flower appearing, or a crop suddenly looking ready before we quite expected it.

This is the stretch of the season when things begin to change quickly, and it is one of the best parts of farming.

Fresh local berries are here

In the market, early summer has brought some of the sweetest signs of the season. Fresh local field strawberries and raspberries are now on the shelves, and they are arriving at their best.

This is the time of year when local fruit really starts to take over. It does not need much dressing up. A bowl on the counter, a handful on yogurt, a pie, a crumble, or a batch of jam is usually enough to remind you why these first berries never last long once they get home.

While you are here, it is worth taking a walk through the market to see what else has arrived. One of the joys of shopping local at this time of year is that the selection shifts from week to week as the season unfolds.

Watermelon and cantaloupe are flowering

Out in our fields, the watermelon and cantaloupe have started flowering, which is always a small but exciting milestone. Those bright yellow flowers are the first step toward the melons we will be waiting on later in the season.

Before that happens, the bees have work to do. As they move through the field, they carry pollen from flower to flower, helping each blossom begin the slow process of becoming fruit.

Right now, the melon patch is full of blooms, vines, and pollinators doing what they do best. Watermelon vines can stretch more than 20 feet across the field, while cantaloupe stays a little more contained, but both depend on that same partnership between good weather, healthy plants, pollinators, and a bit of patience.

With a little more sunshine and steady warmth, those tiny flowers will slowly turn into the juicy summer favourites many of us wait for all year.

More local produce arriving each week

The market is getting more colourful each week, too. Along with berries, you will find fresh local white potatoes, broccoli crowns, broccolini, garlic, garlic scapes, zucchini, shepherd peppers, peas, and eggplant arriving from farms throughout Essex County.

It is one of the best parts of the season: every visit looks a little different, and the shelves start to show just how much local food is coming into its own.

Want to bring more of the season home each week? Learn more about the Lee & Maria’s Subscription Box.