Where you can get fresh produce and what you should know before you buy

Area farmers markets are beginning to open for the season.

Here are some guidelines to help you buy local.

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Understand what’s in season

Study up on what fruits and vegetables are actually grown in South Carolina. You can download a calendar of available produce in the state at agriculture.sc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/harvestcalendar1108.pdf or go interactive at www.certifiedscgrown.com/where-to-buy-local/whats-in-season.

March through May is prime time for farm fresh strawberries and asparagus. Beans, broccoli and cucumbers will start coming in May and then blueberries are just around the corner, usually ripening in late May or early June – just before peach season begins.

Pineapples, oranges and grapefruit do not grow in South Carolina and apples, pears and tomatoes are out of season. If you see “local” on any of these items, it should be a red flag.

Fresh-from-the-field tomatoes will be ready in June, apples and pears in late summer and early fall.

Know before you buy.

When in doubt, ask

Or better still, take a drive an visit the farm. Some farms have roadside stands, others will let you buy direct, a few offer farm tours. Call ahead or email to make contact. The Midlands Food Alliance has put together a downloadable Midlands Local Food and Farm Guide listing local farms and their products at midlandsfoodalliance.wordpress.com/resources/

Get involved in the food culture

There are some outstanding groups that are working to keep the public informed on local and regional food systems, ensuring quality and safety of what we eat.

▪ Carolina Farm Stewardship Association’s mission is to bring local, organic food to the table from a farmer who shares your values. A vibrant, sustainable food system that is good for consumers, farmers, farmworkers and the land. www.carolinafarmstewards.org

▪ Midlands Food Alliance, a grassroots group under the nonprofit Sustainable Midlands umbrella that advocates and educates for a sustainable and equitable, localized food system in the Midlands of South Carolina and strives to be a nucleus for information on the regional food system. midlandsfoodalliance.wordpress.com

▪ Midlands Local Food Collaborative is a partnership of farm-related organizations that each value sustainable agriculture, land stewardship, and equitable food access, coming together to support a prosperous and thriving local food system in the Midlands. www.midlandslocalfood.org

▪ Slow Food Columbia, one of the 200+ chapters of Slow Food USA. Supports the movement behind good, clean and fair foodways. www.slowfoodcolumbia.org.

▪ Sustainable Carolina is the student branch of USC’s Office of Sustainability, which empowers students to address campus and global issues through intensive experiential learning and leadership opportunities. The Office of Sustainability seeks to educate and transform the campus, community and individuals by promoting collaborative relationships among students, faculty, staff, and community members for exploring and implementing the changes required to create a sustainable campus and society. www.sc.edu/green/

▪ Sustainable Midlands strives to find the balance that meets the needs of the community, the environment and the economy. www.sustainablemidlands.org.

NOW OPEN

Healthy Carolina’s Farmers Market: 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesdays on Greene Street in front of Preston. www.sa.sc.edu/healthycarolina/farmersmarket

Irmo Farmers Market: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., first and third Saturdays through September, Irmo Community Park, 7507 Eastview Dr., Irmo. www.irmofarmersmarket.com

Kershaw County Farmers Market: 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays through Nov. 19 at 222 Broad St., Camden. www.kcfarmersmarket.org

Rosewood Market Farmers Market: 4-7 p.m. every Friday, 2803 Rosewood Drive. (803) 256-6410 www.rosewoodmarket.com

Soda City Market: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. every Saturday at the 1500 block of Main Street. www.sodacitysc.com

OPENING SOON

April 27, Farmers in the Forest: Forest Acres Farmers Market at Richland Mall in the parking lot along Beltline Boulevard. Wednesdays 3-7 p.m. through Nov. 25. (803) 782-9475. Vendor applications can be found at farmersintheforest.org; www.facebook.com/forestacresfarmersmarket.

May 3, Sandhills Farmers Market: 2-7 p.m. Tuesdays through Nov. 22, 2016 at Sandhill Research Center, 900 Clemson Road, across from Village at Sandhill, Northeast Richland, (803) 788-5700. www.clemson.edu

May 4, Blythewood Farmers Market: 4-7 p.m. Wednesdays, Doko Meadows, 171 Langford Road, Blythewood. Michaela Barno, (843) 697-1733, www.facebook.com/BlythewoodFarmersMarket

May 5, Northeast Farmers Market: 3-7 p.m. Thursdays through Oct. 22, Lake Carolina Town Center, Northeast Richland. www.lakecarolina.com. Opening day festivities include a visit with Mason, the Columbia Fireflies baseball team mascot.

May 7, Lexington Farmers Market: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays through Sept. 26, Lexington Square Park, 205 E. Main St.

This story was originally published April 19, 2016 at 12:16 PM with the headline "Where you can get fresh produce and what you should know before you buy."