We’re in the heart of fresh produce season here in Harvard. While the drought has slowed production of some crops, there is a bounty of peaches, corn, and tomatoes, and locals report that this summer’s corn is especially tasty. In a year when Mother Nature has been particularly harsh, we’ll take it.
Carlson Orchards, 115 Oak Hill Road, 978-456-3916
Pick-your-own blueberries, raspberries, and peaches; check the Facebook page for daily updates as demand is high this season, and short closures are sometimes needed for more fruit to ripen. In the store, peaches, nectarines, blueberries, and raspberries, along with Brookdale Fruit Farm’s corn, tomatoes (including organic cherry tomatoes), cucumbers, pickling cucumbers, green peppers, green beans, yellow wax beans, zucchini, and summer squash. Store is open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pick-your-own hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Online ordering with curbside pickup is available; see the website for details. Masks are required in the store and the orchard. Handwashing stations available.
Doe Orchards, 327 Ayer Road, 978-772-4139
Pick-your-own yellow freestone peaches and Gravenstein and Ginger Gold apples. Those items are also available at the stand, along with Doe’s honey, peach jam, and sunflowers. Open every day 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Masks are required at the stand and in the orchard; handwashing stations available.
Old Frog Pond Farm, 38 Eldridge Road
At the self-serve farmstand on the porch: Certified organic Asian pears, cantaloupe, watermelon, green beans, cabbage, kale, potatoes, heirloom tomatoes, lettuce, zucchini, summer squash, butternut squash, daikon, peppers, and purple turnips, as well as the farm’s own honey in 6- and 12-ounce jars. Raspberry picking has begun; half-pints will be available at the stand; pick-your-own will start next week; check the website for details.
Westward Orchards, 178 Massachusetts Avenue, 978-456-8363
At the store (open only for online ordering with porch or curbside pickup): Ginger Gold, Jersey Mac, and Gala apples, yellow and white peaches, plums, nectarines, strawberries, watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe. Tomatoes (regular, heirloom, and cherry), kale, collard greens, romaine and red leaf lettuce, regular and Japanese eggplant, broccoli, cabbage, bell peppers, hot and specialty peppers, summer squash, zucchini, green and yellow beans, cauliflower, pickling cucumbers, beets, regular and fingerling potatoes, shallots, and mixed herbs. Pickup is available weekdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Masks required at pickup.
Willard Farm, 218 Still River Road, 978-456-8291
At the self-serve farmstand: Bicolor and yellow corn, tomatoes (including yellow, Pink Girl, heirloom, uglies and almost-uglies), as well as zucchini and summer squash. Cucumbers, pickling cucumbers, peppers, and eggplants will be sporadic because of the drought. The midseason sunflower crop was mostly destroyed by Tropical Storm Isaias a few weeks ago, but the final crop is nearly ready and should be available by the weekend. Masks are required; one person per family only at the stand. Handwashing station available.
Masks and social distancing are requested at all sites
All produce listed is Harvard-grown unless otherwise noted.
—Compiled by Joan Eliyesil
Willard's "uglies" are a bargain. (Courtesy photo)
