Local produce season is in full swing. Peaches and tomatoes are the current front-runners, with early apples hot on their heels. Blueberries are waning. This time of year, grocery store produce can’t hold a candle to what you can find at the side of the road in Harvard, so buy local.
Carlson Orchards, 115 Oak Hill Road, 978-456-3916
Pick-your-own blueberries and peaches; check the Facebook page for daily updates. In the store, white and yellow peaches, nectarines, and cherries; Nourse Farm’s blackberries and red currants; Brookdale Fruit Farm’s corn, tomatoes (including organic cherry tomatoes), cucumbers, pickling cucumbers, green and jalapeno peppers, eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, and yellow onions. Store is open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pick-your-own hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
This weekend is the annual Peach Festival featuring live music, Lions Club cookout fare, and hayrides to the orchard. The festival runs Saturday, Aug. 21, and Sunday, Aug. 22, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine.
Doe Orchards, 327 Ayer Road, 978-772-4139
Pick-your-own peaches and Gravenstein and Ginger Gold apples. Co-owner Pam Lawson reports that blueberries are coming to an end but there are still good berries on the bushes. At the stand, white and yellow peaches and tomatoes, along with Doe’s honey and sunflowers. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Old Frog Pond Farm, 38 Eldridge Road
At the self-service farmstand on the porch: Certified organic fruit and vegetables, including Asian pears, peaches, apples, green beans, kale, kohlrabi, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, lettuce, peppers, red onions, and zucchini, as well as the farm’s own blueberry jam. Stand is open 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. during the week, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends.
Westward Orchards, 178 Massachusetts Avenue, 978-456-8363
Pick-your-own blueberries. At the store: Ginger Gold apples, Red Bartlett pears, yellow and white peaches, mixed plums, strawberries, honeydew, cantaloupe, corn, tomatoes (regular, heirloom, and cherry), kale, collard greens, romaine and red leaf lettuce, cucumbers, celery, regular and Japanese eggplant, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, leeks, radishes, beets, regular and hot peppers, summer squash, zucchini, potatoes, onions, shallots, and mixed herbs.
Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; pick-your-own hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
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Willard Farm, 218 Still River Road, 978-456-8291
At the self-service farmstand: Lots of tomatoes (including uglies and almost-uglies), as well as limited amounts of cucumbers, summer squash, peppers, and sunflowers. The farm reports that due to early season equipment breakdowns and too much rain, there is currently no corn; limited amounts of corn might be available later in the season. Stand is open daily.
All produce listed is Harvard-grown unless otherwise noted.
Nourse Farm is in South Deerfield and Brookdale Fruit Farm is in Hollis, New Hampshire.
—Compiled by Joan Eliyesil
