Most traditional farmers markets close their doors at the end of July, but in Baldwin County, there are several options to continue to get fresh, local produce during the fall months.

In August, most farmers are in a transition time, said James Miles, southern Alabama’s regional commercial horticulture extension agent.

“They have to replant a bunch of stuff,” Miles said. “And the other thing about late summer time, in addition to the heat and dry conditions, typically is the insect pressure is up so high that you really have got to work hard to stay on top of it.”

Insects and disease thrive in hot, humid conditions, Miles said. With the high temperatures and daily rains Baldwin County has been experiencing, farmers have struggled so far this year to produce as much produce as they normally do. But Miles said people can expect a resurgence of local crops available at farmers markets, roadside stands and directly from farmers as the temperature falls.

“The numbers and production will pick up at the end of September,” Miles said. “Some of the farmers market favorites, like tomatoes, are those crops that once those night temperatures get up (to) 75 degrees, those plants are not happy. You want that night temperature to get back down, and then you’ll see more tomatoes at the market. It wont be near what the early season was, but there will be some.”

Miles said the crops most likely to be fresh and available in late summer and early fall are sweet potatoes, pumpkins, eggplant, okra, muscadines and squash. As the season progresses, tomatoes and peppers will start showing up as well, he said. At the end of September, satsumas, pecans and peanuts will begin to be harvested, and such Southern favorites as cabbage, collards and turnips will also begin to appear.

Baldwin County farmers know what is popular with the public, and they try to have those items available, Miles said.

“There are a lot of different varieties of fruits and vegetables out there that not only do well here from a growers’ standpoint, but are also some of the local favorites that people really like to eat around here,” he said.

Because each farmer’s planting and harvesting schedules are different, Miles recommends people ask farmers directly about when crops will be harvested.

“Once they get going to the farmers market and get talking to the growers and establish a relationship with them, a lot of them don’t mind folks calling them and asking, ‘When will your squash be ready,’ or ‘When will your peas be ready?’” Miles said. “That way, people don’t waste a trip and they can kind of get an idea of what to expect when they get there. “

Miles said he hopes people don’t forget that farmers still have plenty of produce available in the fall. Buying locally not only helps Baldwin County farmers, but it also ensures freshness, he said.

“We can actually let that fruit develop a little bit more before we harvest it and put it out for sale,” Miles said. “If they’re selling to a grocery store or a warehouse, they have to pick it before it’s ripe because it gets shipped 3,000 miles and then has to sit in the grocery store until someone buys it.”