End of the Season

Melons always signal the end of the spring growing season here in central Florida.  I have been so busy with moving, spring has slipped away from me.  I realized today that I would get no canning or freezing done unless I went to the farmer's market now, so I spent the afternoon at the market, and at roadside stands.

The farmer's market is north of town, near the interstate highway.  Farmers from the area bring in truckloads of produce, open the tailgate, and put beach umbrellas up for shade as they wait for customers.  I got there late in the day (12 p.m.), and got a shot of this farmer leaving with his truck still full of watermelon.  There was such an abundance of watermelon today, huge seeded watermelons were selling for a dollar each. 

I picked up the following at the market:
4 watermelons $1.00 each
2 banana boxes of roma tomatoes $7.00 each
1 banana box of pickling cucumbers $10.00

On the way home I saw a sign on the side of the road that read "Okra, Peas, Melons."  I followed the signs to a local farm.  They had already sold out of okra (drat, no okra pickles this week).  I picked up a bushel of red ripper peas and cantaloupe that were still warm from the field.  If you haven't eaten fresh southern peas you are missing a real treat.  They taste nothing like canned black-eyed peas.  They freeze and dry very well.
1 bushel peas  $13.00
10 cantaloupe $1.00 each

One of my neighbors is selling u-pick blueberries.  I pulled into his driveway and blew the car horn, and even though the house was wide open, he had called it a day, and was no where to be found.

As you can see, prices are much lower than at the grocery store.  If your garden does not produce enough to put up for later in the year, be sure you check out your closest farmer's market, or if you live in a rural area, just drive around.  You never know what you are going to find.  But don't be surprised to find signs with no one home.