In Season

The Massachusetts cranberry harvest will likely be 20 percent less than 2008’s record haul, the Patriot Ledger reports, citing figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The state’s cranberry crop is expected to produce about 1.9 million barrels, compared with 2.4 million barrels last year.

Berries

Tomatoes are the No. 1 crop at farmers markets now.
Don’t be afraid to select tomatoes that are not completely ripe. Tomatoes can be picked after first blush, when slightly orange in color, and will usually ripen on the countertop over a two-to-three-day period.
Ripe tomatoes should be used within a day or two. They can be [...]

Cavaillon melon harvest is now at its peak.
Named after the village in the Provence region of France where they originated, these melons are at their best during the hot summer months.
Cavaillon melons are an eagerly waited feature at the roadside stands and produce markets of Provence.
Also grown in California, Cavaillon melons are available June to [...]

The watermelon harvest in the famous Hermiston region of Oregon is going well and demand is solid, according to a report in the Northwest farm newspaper, Capital Press.
The crop is running about two weeks behind the ideal start of harvest, according to George Clough, research horticulturist at the Hermiston Agricultural Research & Extension Center.
Hermiston is [...]

The Packer reports that the California Westside melon harvest is off to a strong start, with large sizes and good sugar content.

“The melon harvest at Perez Packing Inc., Firebaugh, began July 3, said Atomic Torosian, managing partner at Crown Jewels Marketing & Distribution LLC, Fresno.
“‘The fruit’s beautiful. It has a nice golden finish, is heavily [...]

Just In Season:
Grapefruit, Oranges, Lemons, Kiwi.

Now in Peak Season: Almonds, Chiles, Dried Fruit, Dried Garlic, Dried Onions, Herb Starts, Mushrooms, dried onions, Mandarin Oranges, Pistachios, Pomegranates, Potatoes, Olive Oil, Olives, Navel Oranges, Sweet Potatoes, Squash, Hydroponic Tomatoes, Winter Squash, Fresh Herbs.
End of Season: Apples, Apple Cider , Jerusalem Artichokes, Chestnuts, Garlic, Red Flame Grapes, Guava, [...]

The traditional, basketball-sized, orange fruit is not the only choice in pumpkins any more.
“While orange is still the norm, the market offers white, bluish-gray, buff or even red pumpkins, too,” according to University of Georgia Cooperative Extension horticulturist Terry Kelley.

If you’re a traditionalist, Kelley recommends the deep burnt orange color of a Magic Lantern or [...]

In Season this week across much of North America:

pumpkins
winter squash
apples
apple cider
pears
plums
garlic
onions
potatoes
late season tomatoes
sweet and hot peppers
cut flowers
perennial herbs
gourds

The forecast for U.S. cranberry production in 2008 is 689 million pounds, up 5 percent from 2007 and slightly below 2006.
Wisconsin is expected to lead all states in the production of cranberries, with 385 million pounds, followed by Massachusetts (190 million). New Jersey, Oregon and Washington are also expected to have substantial production, ranging from [...]

The nation’s 2008-2009 navel orange crop will likely be substantially lower than last season, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The initial 2008-09 navel orange forecast of the NASS is for 64 million (37.5-pound) cartons, 34 percent below last season’s crop of 97 million cartons. Of the total [...]