Local 101

At your supermarket, those little labels on pumpkins and other produce tells you where it comes from. But most farmers market managers don’t require their vendors to display the names of the farms they’re buying from. Even seasoned shoppers are sometimes duped into buying what they thought was local produce from vendors who sell a combination of local and imported fruits and vegetables.

Here are some ways you can support South Florida farms and farmers:

Know what’s local and in season. These are some of the tropical fruits and vegetables that grow in South Florida in the summer:

Avocado
Bananas
Carambola
Dragonfruit
Guava
Jackfruit
Longan
Mamey sapote
Mango
Watermelon
Boniato
Calabaza
Collards
Eggplant
Hot peppers
Malabar spinach and other tropical spinach
Okra
Sweet potato
Yuca

Not sure? Ask if it’s local. Get to know your farmers. Some only sell what they grow, so in the summer, expect fruits and tropical vegetables. Resellers carry produce grown elsewhere. Some are also local farmers. In the winter, most of their produce comes from their farms, but in the summer, they find other sources for tomatoes, lettuce, stone fruits and other fruits and vegetables that do not tolerate South Florida heat.

Decide what’s important to you and shop accordingly. If you’re concerned about the carbon footprint of foods that travel thousands of miles to get to your refrigerator, then consider buying more domestic produce in season.