Your South Florida Guide to Local Farms, Produce, Markets

Last Updated October 29, 2020

Tropical fruits gathered at Fruit and Spice Park

There are so many good reasons to shop for fresh, healthy, locally grown fruits and veggies, especially in South Florida. In the winter, farmers grow crops like tomatoes, beans, cucumbers and squash for the rest of the country, and in the summer, we're the headquarters for tropical fruits. Check out our FAQ here. Scroll down for pages on farmers, CSAs, markets and farmstands and other local resources. Can't find the answer to your question? Ask us and we'll try to help!

Why buy local?

• Local fruits and veggies are fresher, have more nutrients and taste better because they didn’t take a long time to get from farm to plate. They’re healthy alternatives to processed foods.
• Ever tasted canistel? Sugar apple? Bitter melon? Discover new varieties, especially tropical fruits.
• It’s more sustainable. Your produce only travels a few miles, not hundreds or thousands of miles, to reach you.
• Connect with your community! Meet your farmers. Get to know South Florida’s Homestead and Redland agricultural districts.
• Supporting local farmers preserves agricultural land and open space and supports their business.

What's In Season? The South Florida Harvest Calendar

Buying in season means purchasing produce when it’s ripe. These fruits and vegetables are harvested and sold in South Florida markets. Their availability may vary depending on weather conditions and individual varieties. Just because you see these items for sale in a farmers market doesn’t mean they were grown in South Florida. Download your South Florida Harvest Calendar here.

Local Foods 101

What’s a locavore? Someone who makes it a point to eat foods grown, raised or produced locally.

How do I know if the produce at the farmers market really comes from South Florida? First, arm yourself with knowledge. This local harvest calendar shows what grows here and when it’s harvested. Next, get to know your farmers – they’re happy to talk about their produce. Finally, ask questions!

My farmers market sells strawberries in July – they’re not local? No. It’s too hot to grow nearly all kinds of tomatoes and many other fruits and vegetables, like strawberries or radishes, in South Florida’s summers.

What doesn’t grow here? Fruits that need some cold weather to bloom, like apples and pears, cherries, stone fruits – apricots and plums. Rhubarb and asparagus also need colder weather to grow. Some fruits like rambutan and yellow dragon fruit that grow in a tropical climate – South Florida is considered subtropical. If the seller claims these products are local to South Florida, they’re not being honest.

Aren’t all fruits and vegetables supposed to have labels showing where they come from? Your supermarket is required by the USDA to show where food products come from. This includes fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish, and muscle cut and ground meats. But in Florida farmers markets, produce vendors don’t have to label their wares. They might be local farmers, or resellers – people who buy produce from wholesale markets. Some resellers are farmers who grow some produce, but also sell nonlocal produce. Fortunately, some sellers do label the farms or places where they get their produce. Your best bet: Ask!

Why can’t I find Florida mangos or avocados in my supermarket when they’re in season? You might find them in smaller grocery stores. But many big grocery chains can’t handle logistics, like billing and receiving, of buying from small farmers. They may not give individual stores the ability to buy from local growers. If your supermarket doesn't carry local produce in season, tell the produce manager they should!

If local produce is really tastier and fresher, why don’t I see it in grocery stores and on restaurant menus? Tell your grocery store manager and restaurant that fresh, local, seasonal produce important to you. Take your business to places that buy local produce. Use your power as a consumer!

If I can’t find local fruits and veggies in my supermarket, where else can I buy them?
• Your neighborhood farmers markets and farm stands. Some are seasonal. Others are open year-round.
• Sign up for a CSA – Community Supported Agriculture – by paying a farm a fee, then picking up produce weekly during the growing season.
• Look online for produce shippers where you can order boxes of produce in season.

What do I do next?

Learn about what we grow here. Download this harvest calendar to find out what’s local and when it’s in season.
Find out where to shop for local produce in your neighborhood. Look for farmers markets, farm stands and markets where you can find fruits and vegetables grown in South Florida at ediblesouthflorida.com. Start shopping!
Sign up for a CSA. Community Supported Agriculture means you get a fresh box of produce every week.
Do you get SNAP benefits? You can sign up for Fresh Access Bucks (FAB) to buy fresh foods and plants at many farmers markets, farm stands and CSAs. Swipe your SNAP card at the EBT booth and get double the amount in tokens, up to $40 each market day.
Learn to cook! Basic skills – using a knife, mastering techniques like roasting, sautéing and stir-frying, and working with flavorings – go a long way to make your meals more delicious.
Talk to your farmer. When you buy produce and don’t know what to do with it, ask your farmer when it’s ripe, whether to refrigerate it, how to store it, if it needs to be peeled, and easy ways to prepare it.