By Laurie James
Are you ready for fall? We are! Even though we may be in for one more round of late summer heat, the seasons are changing in North Texas, and that means that fall produce available at farmers markets is changing, too! We spoke to Becca Knutson, Market Manager at the Cowtown Farmers Market, about produce that’s coming into season in late September and October.
The cooler season crops will come back and be more abundant, Knutson said. This is great news if you enjoy your root veggies – carrots, turnips, beets, and radishes. Salad greens (everything from dainty spring mix and baby kale to spicy arugula) and glorious cooking greens (like mustard and collard greens and Swiss chard) will be plentiful. The summer sun may have scorched your herbs – lavender in raised beds probably didn’t survive – but now’s a good time for basil, dill, parsley, oregano, thyme, rosemary, cilantro, and sage, according to Knutson.
You can still get some late summer favorites in the markets, like hot and sweet peppers, tomatoes, green beans, okra, squash and cucumbers, but these crops will be going, going, gone when the first frost hits. My okra in our raised bed is producing like crazy, perhaps to say goodbye to the hot weather. Some of the farmers and artisan producers pickle this crop, so you may luck into pickled veggies come late fall!
If you have your own home garden, Knutson said that the changing seasons is a good time do some tending. She reminds us that we need to pull all the dead summer crops and add compost and mulch to our garden’s exposed areas. Now is also the time to plant root veggies – those carrots, beets, radishes, and turnips - from seed. You can also plant transplants of your broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and lettuces and other greens. September and October are good times to plant fruit trees and shrubs. Finally, the fall brings time to plan for winter: Knutson encourages home gardeners to plan some frost protection by buying frost cloth and mulching the perennial edible and landscape plantings.
While you’re enjoying the bounty of fresh fruits and veggies, Knutson also reminds us that there are a variety of other products and artisan foods available at the farmers markets. Chickens become more productive in the cooler weather, so there are more eggs. Jams, jellies, pickled produce, local honey, yogurt, and cheeses are going to be plentiful.
No matter the season, remember that when you shop at your local or regional farmers market, your favorite produce and goods are raised or made relatively locally and were picked fresh recently, not last month. All the farmers, ranchers, and artisans can tell you how the products got to market. And if you are a SNAP participant, you can double the amount of fresh produce you get with Double Up Food Bucks at the Cowtown Farmers Market, Lake Worth Farmers Market, or Saginaw Farmers Market. Other area markets where you can double your SNAP dollars for the fall harvest include the Dallas Farmers Market, For Oak Cliff Farmers Market, and Bonton Farms.