One of the incredible opportunities that arises from living in Northeastern New York is the wide range of local produce available to us during the spring, summer, and autumn months. Whether you have health and nutrition goals, are nostalgic for the tastes of your childhood summers, or are an adventurous cook wanting to experiment with a new ingredient, there are several local options to consider.

First, several of the supermarkets specifically label their produce so that you know you are buying local, and sometimes even organic. If you prefer your tomatoes spend an hour on the truck coming from Washington County rather than a day or two shipping across the country, or if you’re just interested in minimizing your ecological footprint, those labels can be a terrific guide. If you’d like the shopping experience of a smaller market with a well-informed staff and lots of educational materials available, Albany’s long-standing Honest Weight Co-op is a terrific resource for information about food sources, as well.

Second, you’ve lots of options for purchasing fruits and vegetables at the myriad farm stands and farmer’s markets in the area. There’s a range of weekly options, from the larger scale, year-round Troy Farmer’s market, which is outdoors in summer and moves indoors for the colder months, to the smaller markets hosted in various neighborhoods and churchyards. Click here for a listing of local markets, including times and seasons.

Third, you could consider supporting CSA, or Community Sustained Agriculture. CSA’s generally offer subscriptions for a season. The photos in this article are from last week’s CSA offering from Denison Farms, located in Schaghticoke, whose, focus is on organic agriculture. Patrons purchase a subscription mid-winter for the season, and those funds support Denison’s upfront costs. Then, as the season gets underway, each week a packed box of produce from the farm–extras like eggs and fruit are also available–is delivered to the dropoff point of the patron’s convenience. The farm also hosts tours and potlucks, so if you’re someone who is interested in where your food comes from, this is a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of. And if this looks like too many veggies (is there such thing?), you might consider sharing a share with a friend or neighbor family! There are lists of CSA resources here, and this link will take you to more detail about what to expect in one’s first season of participation.

And if you’re not quite up to the commitment of a CSA share but you’re interested in regular delivery dates for your vegetables, Field Goods might be perfect for you. Field Goods coordinates local produce delivery to workplace and community locations throughout eastern New York state. You can find out if it’s available in your workplace here. And if it’s not yet, you might even consider setting a delivery up for you and your colleagues!