Fall is always an exciting time in our stores, with the arrival of seasonal produce for eating, baking, and decorating. Here are some of the goodies you’ll find this month in stores:
Apples
Our local apples come from Deal Orchards in the Brushy Mountains (read more). Different varieties will appear throughout the season. This apple chart can help you choose which to buy. We’ll also have the full line of organic standards (fuji, gala, pink lady, etc.) as well as organic varieties from Heirloom Orchards in Oregon.
Pumpkins
We’ve already seen beautiful white pumpkins and giant orange pumpkins. We expect to have pie pumpkins and fairytale pumpkins soon.
Greens
Fall means the arrival of local winter greens like kale! Read more about this great green and get recipes on our blog.
Squash
As usual, we’ve got many local, organic winter squashes in stores. Related to the tender-skinned summer squashes, winter squashes require a longer growing season during which their skins become thick and tough for long-term storage through the winter. Their dense, sweet flesh takes a little longer to cook than their summer cousins.
Sweet potatoes
We sell local sweet potatoes all year long. Still, it’s exciting when the first new-crop sweet potatoes arrive after being in the ground the entire summer and then left to cure for a week or two in pack houses. Look for them later this month.
Fair trade avocados
The Mexican avocados from the PRAGOR cooperative finally arrived. These avocados are special because they provide an income for farmers on 22 small farms who’ve rebelled against the corrupt avocado industry with help from Equal Exchange, who imports them. Last year we sold 174,447 fair trade, organic avocados. We got a late start this year, but let’s see if we can beat that number!
Mums
Our Hillsborough store has local mums from Bee Wild Farm in Hillsborough and other garden plants for a fall to winter garden. Our other two stores have mums from Franklin Brothers Nursery in Henderson. Enjoy mums indoors or on your porch, then plant them in a somewhat sheltered area and they’ll continue to come back year after year.
Fresh Ginger and Turmeric
We’ll have local ginger and turmeric in stores in the next few weeks. Read more about it, here.