While summer vacations may be over, the growing season is not. Early September brings an abundance of local produce to Harvard. Peaches mingle with fall raspberries and a growing number of apple varieties at Harvard’s farmstands. Veggie bins still overflow, although cucumbers are finding themselves next to winter squash, a sign that their days are numbered. But for now, it’s the best of time.
Carlson Orchards, 115 Oak Hill Road, 978-456-3916
Pick-your-own peaches and Ginger Gold apples; check the Facebook page for daily updates. In the store, white, yellow, and utility peaches, nectarines, and Ginger Gold, Paula Red, and Honeycrisp apples, as well as red currants and blackberries from Nourse Farm. Under the tent behind the store, Brookdale Fruit Farm’s corn, tomatoes (including organic cherry tomatoes), cucumbers, pickling cucumbers, green, jalapeno, and Carmen sweet red peppers, zucchini, summer squash, yellow onions, spaghetti squash and acorn 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.
Doe Orchards, 327 Ayer Road, 978-772-4139
Pick-your-own yellow peaches and Gravenstein, Ginger Gold, Gala, and Honeycrisp apples. Check the website for the latest picking information. At the stand, peaches, Gala, Ginger Gold, Gravenstein, and some Honeycrisp apples, along with Doe’s tomatoes and honey. Beginning Friday, Sept. 3, the orchard will be open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Old Frog Pond Farm, 38 Eldridge Road
Pick-your-own raspberries, Wed.-Sun. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., pick-your-own apples will open Sept. 11. At the self-service farmstand on the porch: Certified organic fruit and vegetables, including apples, Asian pears, grapes, and raspberries; Asian greens, basil, beets, cabbage, carrots, garlic, green beans, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, peppers, potatoes, red sweet onions, tomatoes (slicers, heirlooms, and cherry), squash, and zucchini as well as the farm’s own blueberry and peach and ginger jams. 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
PYO apples are scheduled to begin Sept. 11. At the store: Ginger Gold, Honeycrisp, and Gala apples, Red Bartlett pears, yellow and white peaches, mixed plums, strawberries, watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, corn, tomatoes (regular, heirloom, and cherry), kale, kale sprouts, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, romaine and red leaf lettuce, cucumbers, celery, regular and Japanese eggplant, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, leeks, radishes, beets, beans, regular and hot peppers, summer squash, zucchini, potatoes, onions, shallots, mixed herbs, and flowers.
Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; pick-your-own hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Willard Farm, 218 Still River Road, 978-456-8291
At the self-service farmstand: Tomatoes, including uglies and Roma-type paste tomatoes, as well as summer squash, zucchini, and cucumbers. Wendell Willard reported some bicolor corn as of press time, but by Friday corn will be a “maybe.” 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
