Grab your baskets Camden County, it’s peak produce season and our local fields are putting on a delicious show. When the corn grows taller than your car and tractor sightings become part of your daily commute, you know it’s time to brighten up your table and enjoy the bounty grown right outside your door. Shopping local and in-season means you’re getting the freshest flavors, the highest nutrients, and a chance to support the farmers who help our community thrive.

What’s Fresh Right Now?

If it’s July or August and you’re shopping in or around Camden County, here’s what you’ll likely find filling up crates, stands, and dinner plates:

July 

• Fruits: Blackberries, Blueberries, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Peaches, Plums, Raspberries, Watermelon
• Vegetables: Butter beans, Cabbage, Carrots, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Field peas, Garlic, Green beans, Green peppers, Leafy greens, Okra, Peanuts, Spring onions, Summer squash (zucchini and yellow), Sweet potatoes, Tomatoes, White potatoes

August 

• Fruits: Apples, Cantaloupe, Figs, Grapes, Honeydew, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Raspberries, Watermelon
• Vegetables:
  Butter beans, Cabbage, Carrots, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Field peas, Garlic, Green beans, Green peppers, Leafy greens, Okra, Peanuts, Spring onions, Summer squash, Sweet potatoes, Tomatoes

Why Eating In-Season is Kind of a Big Deal:

Flavor That Tastes Like It Should: Fruit picked at peak ripeness doesn’t just look good, it tastes like summer. That juicy peach or crisp green bean hasn’t taken a 2,000-mile road trip to reach your plate. Local means fresher, and fresher often means more nutrients.

After harvest, nutrient levels begin to decline, with the rate of loss depending on the type of produce and how it’s stored. According to research from the University of California, Davis, “vitamin C losses in vegetables stored at 4°C (about 39°F) for seven days can range from 15% for green peas to 77% for green beans.”  (Barrett, 2007) This highlights just how important freshness is when it comes to nutrition.

Lower Prices That Make Sense: When produce is in season, there’s more of it. More supply means better prices for shoppers. In-season fruits and vegetables skip the cold storage and long-haul trucking, which helps keep costs low. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that seasonal produce can cost 10 to 40 percent less than out-of-season items. In fact, USDA supported research has shown that some items, such as cantaloupe, can cost over 30 percent less when purchased during peak season from local markets, compared to out-of-season pricing. When shopping local, your wallet and your taste buds both win.

Summer Isn’t Close To Over: Even as the calendar flips to August, local fruit keeps on shining. Plums, melons, and raspberries typically hang around well into the month, keeping things sweet.

Veggies for Days: Corn, squash, tomatoes, and okra are still going strong in August. With all this local goodness, it’s time to shake up your meal plan.

Fall Is Peeking Around the Corner: August also brings the first apples, figs, and grapes into the spotlight. Pair them with late summer veggies, and you’ve got a plate that tastes like a season in transition.

Make It Last: Storage Tips That Work: Fresh food is amazing until it wilts, shrivels, or turns to mush. Here’s how to stretch the shelf life on your summer haul:

• Melons: Let them ripen on the counter, then refrigerate once cut.

• Apples and Pears: Store in the crisper drawer. They can stay fresh up to 4 to 6 weeks.

• Leafy Greens: Keep unwashed in a bag in the fridge. Wilted? Ice water to the rescue.

• Berries: Don’t wash until you’re ready to eat. Store in breathable containers in the refrigerator.

• Tomatoes: Store at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. Chill only if they’re already sliced.

• Corn: Keep it in its husk and refrigerate. Best eaten within a few days.

Where to Find the Good Stuff

Whether you’re grabbing peaches at Poor Boy’s, or pulling off the road for a last-minute tomato from Little Riddle Farm Market, you’ve got access to produce picked just miles from your table. Click below to find all that Camden has to offer.

Camden County Farm Markets Directory

Bonus Tool: Download the Visit NC Farms App to find u-pick fields, markets, and seasonal events throughout Camden and surrounding counties.

Shopping in-season is good for your body, your budget, and your community. Plus, you get to enjoy produce that tastes like summer. So go ahead. Bite into that peach, slice up that tomato, and celebrate the flavor Camden County grows best.

To connect, please email kristi_willard@ncsu.edu or call the Camden Extension Center at 252-331-7630.

Sources:

• NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 

• NC State Extension Local Food Program

• UC Davis Postharvest Technology Center

• USDA/National Institutes of  Health 
• USDA Economic Research Service. Fruit and Vegetable Prices.
• National Center for Home Food Preservation

• NC State Extension Food Safety