organic food - what's in season?

As consumers, we are accustomed to buying conventional fruit and vegetables in the supermarket all year round.

When purchasing organic produce we need to adjust our buying habits.

Generally the availability of organic produce clearly marks the seasons.
Some crops, for example lettuce can be grown throughout the year and the growing season of some crops can be extended by the use of cold frames, polytunnels and greenhouses.

However the cost of running heated greenhouses is expensive and keeping away pests without the use of chemical sprays is labour intensive. Have you seen the price of organic tomatoes in winter?

So generally it pays to stick to buying what's in season.

Where to buy locally grown, fresh and seasonal vegetables:

United States:

Check out this guide to local Farmers Markets.

Due to regional differences across the United States, we do not have a seasonal availability guide.

New Zealand:

Visit Farmersmarket.org.nz

For New Zealand, you can download this handy Fruit and Vegetable availability guide from the Commonsense Organics web site.

Please note: You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the Fruit & Vegetable availability guide. You can download the latest version here. 

 

References:

1. Fedor, John. 2001. Organic Gardening for the 21st Century. Random House. New Zealand.