Mike Lee, Editor

Seasonal Relativity — Fresh Tomatoes in February

Have you ever visited sunny Florida in February where the daily temperature is 65 degrees and the local Farmers' Markets have fresh arugula, ripe tomatoes and gorgeous orchids? A far cry from what's seasonal in the snow-covered rest of the country.

We just returned from six weeks in Florida and had a great escape from the cold of our home near Chicago. We visited three beautiful Farmers' Markets. What struck me was the bounty and richness of the produce during February — a time of the year I associate with cold, freezing, snow and root vegetables as "seasonal." What's seasonal in Florida during February is much different from what's "seasonal" in the Midwest during the winter.

Which leads me to thinking: "Seasonal" is a relative term — relative to the climate, to the ingenuity of the producer and to the customer who wants fresh local foods that taste good. Seasonality is relative to the area of the world in which you reside or visit. Wherever you are, you can adapt to what's seasonal and savor the taste differences available only at Farmers' Markets.

In Sarasota, we saw fresh strawberries by the bushel, some tomatoes and beautiful ripe melons.

Seasonal in Sarasota — February 2008

In Gainesville we picked from Citrus trees laden with oranges and grapefruit.

Marion Holder, Putnam County Florida Citrus grower selects a juicy ripe one for Vicki Buresh of www.OnlyatFarmersMarkets.com while visiting Marion's tree farm 20 miles West of Gainesville.

At Fort Pierce on the east coast of Florida, we visited with Brenda and Jim Gibbons of Gibbons Organic, where they prepare fresh tomatoes, arugula, lettuce, and herbs for the Saturday Fort Pierce Downtown Farmers' Market.

Seasonal Relativity in Fort Pierce Florida — Does this look like February to you?

Feeling ready for spring? It won't be long now. The warmth of the sun brings renewed growth and fresh produce to your favorite Farmers' Market. Use the US Map on the homepage to find out when your local Farmers' Market opens for the season. Or use the simplified and easier-to-use FORUM to post a question and get a response from knowledgeable sources. Ask about specific produce or more generally what's in season. And make sure to let us know where you live — because as we've said, what's in season in Jackson Mississippi may be different from St Paul, Minnesota or Sarasota, Florida. If you want fresh local lettuce and tomatoes in the winter months, you'll have to go to Florida. But that's not such a bad idea, is it?

Keep an eye out for these upcoming feature stories about the two markets we visited in Florida — Gainesville Union Street Market coming in May and the Fort Pierce Downtown Farmers' Market coming in June. We're looking for the next exemplary market to videotape. If you have any favorites, we'd love to hear from you.

And be sure to check out Chef George Koziol's Harvest Table column in FreshNews. This month George provides some refreshing ideas to revitalize your taste buds after the winter doldrums. Finally, take another look at our revised Forums — no clunky rules to go through. You can comment without registering and come back regularly to find out who else is reading your posts. If you become a regular, there are special prizes you can win.

Check it out and let us know what you think. On to spring.

Mike Lee
Publisher