August Harvest: Tips for Canning and Eating Well

August is one of the most abundant and flavorful months for North Carolina farms – and it's the perfect time to enjoy fresh, seasonal produce at its peak. Whether you're shopping in person at the Thomasville or Lexington Farmers Markets or online through Piedmont Fresh, you’ll find a wide variety of fruits and vegetables ready to be enjoyed.

What’s In Season This Month

Here’s a quick peek at what you’ll find in markets across the region during August:

• 🌽 Sweet Corn – still going strong and perfect for grilling or salads

• 🍑 Peaches – juicy, fragrant, and ideal for eating fresh or preserving

• 🥒 Cucumbers & Pickling Varieties – crisp and cool, great for snacking or pickling

• 🍅 Tomatoes – from slicing to cherry, heirloom, and paste varieties

• 🌶️ Peppers – everything from mild bells to fiery Scorpion and Habanero

• 🥕 Root Veggies – including beets, carrots, and radishes

• 🥬 Salad Greens & Lettuces – tender, crisp, and full of flavor

• 🍉 Watermelon & Cantaloupe – hydrating, sweet, and refreshing

• 🧅 Onions, Okra, & Eggplant – versatile staples for stir-fries, stews, and roasting

The Health Perks of Eating Seasonal Produce

Eating produce that’s in season isn’t just about flavor—it’s about nutrition and sustainability. Fruits and vegetables picked at their peak contain more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than those shipped long distances and stored for weeks. For example:

• Tomatoes and peppers are rich in vitamin C and lycopene, a powerful antioxidant.

• Dark leafy greens and lettuces are packed with fiber and essential nutrients like vitamin K and folate.

• Peaches and melons provide hydration and a good dose of vitamin A for skin and eye health.

Plus, when you buy local, you’re supporting small farms and reducing the carbon footprint of your food.

Thinking About Canning? Start Small.

If you’ve ever been curious about canning, August is a great time to dip your toes in. With so many fruits and veggies in season, it’s easy to preserve a taste of summer for the colder months. Start with simple, small-batch projects like:

• Quick pickles using cucumbers or beets

• Fresh tomato sauce or salsa

• Peach or fig jam (great for the pantry or freezer)

Pro Tip: Many farmers offer “seconds”—produce that may be slightly blemished but is still perfectly good for canning—at a lower price. Just ask when you’re at the market!

Shop Local. Eat Well. Feel Better.
You can find all these seasonal staples and more at the Thomasville and Lexington Farmers Markets, or from the comfort of home through Piedmont Fresh. There’s no better time to support your health and your local food system.

Let August’s harvest nourish your body, your pantry, and your community.

Summer’s End, Fall’s Beginning: What’s Fresh Next in the Piedmont Region

Summer’s Last Stretch, Fall’s First Flavors: What’s Fresh Next in the Piedmont Region

As summer stretches into its final weeks here in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, local farms are bustling with a rich harvest that bridges the end of summer and the arrival of fall. While summer crops continue to shine, early fall produce is beginning to make its appearance, bringing fresh flavors and nutritious options to your table.

Late Summer Favorites Still Going Strong
Many of summer’s staples remain available in farmers markets and on Piedmont Fresh. Juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and sweet corn are still at their peak, perfect for late summer meals and salads. Peppers and eggplants are ripening with bold colors and flavors, and okra, a southern favorite, is still plentiful and ready for your cooking.

Early Fall Crops Are Emerging
As temperatures begin to cool, farms start harvesting leafy greens like kale, arugula, collards, mustard greens, and spinach. These nutrient-packed greens are perfect for fresh salads or hearty sautés as the season changes.

Root vegetables such as carrots, beets, radishes, and turnips begin to appear, adding earthy depth to your fall dishes. Winter squash varieties are also starting their season, offering sweet and savory options ideal for roasting and soups.

Farmers are busy planting fall brassicas like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts, which will be ready for harvest as the season progresses.

Why Shop Seasonal?
Eating seasonally supports local farms, reduces your environmental footprint, and ensures you receive the freshest, most flavorful produce possible. Seasonal produce is often more affordable and nutrient-rich because it’s harvested at peak ripeness.

What’s Available on Piedmont Fresh?
Our local farmers and producers bring the best of these seasonal offerings to Piedmont Fresh, making it easy to shop for late summer favorites and early fall treasures alike. From hydroponic lettuces to freshly dug root vegetables, there’s something for every kitchen and taste.

Beyond fresh produce, Piedmont Fresh offers fresh milk and dairy from trusted local farms, canning produce boxes perfect for preserving the season’s bounty, and CSA subscriptions and farm boxes from Correll Farms that deliver farm-fresh goodness right to your door.

For protein lovers, you’ll find a wide selection of meat products raised by local farmers. Personal care items crafted by Muddy Creek Lavender and beautiful fall floral arrangements from Fancy Plants Farmstead are also available to brighten your home.

And that’s just the beginning—Piedmont Fresh is your go-to source for quality, local food and goods that celebrate the richness of our Piedmont farming community.

Looking Ahead
As summer’s last stretch gives way to fall’s first flavors, keep an eye out for hearty dishes, warming soups, and seasonal traditions that highlight the best of what our local farms offer.

Whether you’re preserving the final tomatoes of summer or experimenting with kale and root vegetables, the Piedmont’s farms have you covered.

Stay tuned to Piedmont Fresh and your local Farmers Markets for weekly updates on what’s in season and ready to be enjoyed!

Composting: A Simple Step Toward Sustainable Farming

Composting: A Simple Step Toward Sustainable Farming

Composting is one of the most practical, affordable, and powerful tools we have to support a sustainable food system. Whether you’re a home gardener, small-scale farmer, or simply someone who wants to reduce waste, composting creates a valuable connection between our food, our soil, and the future of farming.

What Is Composting?
Composting is the natural process where organic materials like vegetable scraps, fruit peels, leaves, grass clippings, and coffee grounds break down over time. When managed properly, these materials turn into rich, dark soil-like matter called compost. This “black gold” nourishes the soil and helps plants grow healthier.

Instead of sending food waste to the landfill, composting returns nutrients to the soil where they are needed most.

Why Composting Matters for Farms
For farmers who practice sustainable or regenerative agriculture, composting is essential. It is the foundation for building healthy, living soil.

Healthy soil holds moisture better, which reduces the need for watering. It lowers dependence on synthetic fertilizers and supports beneficial microbes that help plants grow strong. Compost also helps store carbon in the soil, contributing to climate change solutions.

By adding compost to their fields, farmers improve the health of their land and create more resilient crops.

How Composting Supports a Local Food System
When compost is made and used locally, such as on farms, in gardens, and community programs, it closes the cycle between food production and food waste. Leftover vegetable scraps from your kitchen or farmers market can be turned into compost that feeds the soil and future crops.

This cycle strengthens community resilience by reducing chemical use, lowering emissions from transporting waste, and keeping nutrients cycling naturally in the local environment.

How You Can Get Involved
Whether you are a farmer, gardener, or a consumer, there are simple ways to support composting.

You can start composting at home by creating a compost bin or pile. You can also partner with local farms to donate food scraps or choose to support farms that prioritize soil health. Sharing knowledge about composting with friends and neighbors helps grow awareness. Every action contributes to a healthier food system.

Composting at Piedmont Fresh
Many producers on Piedmont Fresh use composting as part of their growing practices. By shopping with these farms, you help support a food system that values soil health, sustainability, and strong local communities.

It all begins with awareness and small, thoughtful choices that allow the land to give back.

Next time you peel a carrot or toss eggshells, remember that this is not just waste. It is the beginning of something good.