Updated June 20, 2019

For those who wait anxiously for seasonal you-pick farms and farmers markets to open, the race is on to fill buckets, market booths, pantries and home freezers with local produce.

Fruits in particular have relatively brief growing seasons, and the recent turn in the weather caused blueberry and blackberry crops to ripen rapidly. Early peaches are available at some Tennessee orchards. Warm temperatures and sunshine are necessary for fruits to develop sweetness and finish maturation, so farm and farmers market visitors are experiencing an unexpected abundance of berries.

Depending on varieties and location, blueberry harvests stretch from June through most of the month of August. Peach season extends from mid-June through August and blackberry harvest will be in full swing from the latter part of June through July.

Garden produce also has picked up speed, and early summer favorites like summer squash, zucchinis, green beans and cucumbers have abruptly hit farmers markets with color and variety.

Use the Pick Tennessee mobile app or visit the website at www.PickTnProducts.org to find farms and markets nearby.