REGION — We all know about the summer growing season, when we get fresh produce from farm stands, farm markets and other farm-to-consumer places. We all know this happens during the height of summer—June, July and August.

We even look forward to the first bounties of the season in early spring—somewhere around mid-to-late May—offering such things as lettuces, spinach, radishes and strawberries.

But what about the things that we can find after that long, glorious warm weather growing season?

Did you know that you can still get fresh produce in the fall?

Some things even like to grow after we’ve had a frost. In fact, some of the veggies that you see do much better after they’ve had some cold weather.

Some veggies don’t like the heat.

What!?

I bet you’re thinking, “But I thought all veggies grew better with the heat.” That might be true of most fruits and vegetables—tomatoes and peppers thrive in the heat. But there are so many more vegetables than just tomatoes and peppers.

Don’t get me wrong, I love tomatoes and peppers. But if we’re talking about eating seasonally and being more farm-to-table minded, we need to talk about the fruits and vegetables that like the cooler weather.

So, when things start to cool down in the late summer, begin looking for produce that likes the cooler weather. That’s beets; pumpkins; root vegetables, such as potatoes, parsnips, turnips, rutabagas and carrots; onions; garlic; radishes; broccoli; Brussels sprouts; apples and pears, just to name a few. If you are lucky, you might even find fall offering strawberries, cranberries and currants!

Now that you know some of what you will be able to find after the main growing season, where do you find these yummy delectables?

Well, for starters, check your local farm markets! Here in Sullivan County, NY, we have quite a few markets: Callicoon, Roscoe, Barryville, Livingston Manor, Narrowsburg, Monticello, Jeffersonville, Kauneonga Lake, Liberty, Mamakating and Rock Hill (you can even find me there on occasion offering up timely tips for your produce and kitchen).

And don’t forget to look across the river to the farm markets in Pennsylvania. The Main Street Farmers’ Market at the Cooperage opens on Saturday, November 5. The Milford Farmers’ Market is open at the Columns Museum until Sunday, October 9. The Wayne County Farmers’ Market is open through October.

But you should also look beyond the farmers’ markets. There are plenty of farms that feed our communities. And a lot of those farms will have farmstands right where the food is grown. Think about Diehl Homestead Farm in Callicoon, NY; Good Find Farm in Damascus, PA; Root ‘N Roost Farm in White Sulphur Springs, NY; Wild Russet Farm in Jeffersonville, NY; Majestic Farm in Mountain Dale, NY (they have pick-your-own apples!); and Cunningham Family Farm in Swan Lake, NY (pick-your-own pumpkins!). If you are up for a little drive, you will want to visit Kelder’s Farms in Kerhonkson, NY.

Of course, there are so many farmstands that I couldn’t mention them all. But I guarantee that if you drive around our neck of the woods long enough, you are bound to find your favorite roadside stand.

And I should mention that if you are a home gardener, there’s always room for some cold-weather crops. Unless you are like most of us, and have had enough of growing and preserving (and sneaking some extra veggies onto your neighbor’s doorstep). Maybe now you are ready to put the garden to bed.

If that’s the case, be sure to support the other growers in our region, and find a farmstand or farm market to visit!

Pumpkins are waiting for you. Think pie or pumpkin stew.

Fall is apple season.