Eat the Rainbow!

I never thought I would say this when I was a child, but sometimes I crave a salad or a fresh fruit or vegetable.

This a wonderful time of year for produce. The variety of local fruits, vegetables, and herbs increases and Farmers’ Markets pop up across the area. You can explore the bounty of seasonal produce by looking at a Seasonal Food Guide. This website allows you to see which fruits, vegetables, and herbs are ready to harvest in each state in both the early and late halves of each month. Or, you can search by crop to see when it is available. If you want to purchase produce that was grown nearby, Lowell has a variety of local markets you can visit.

Mill City Grows offers mobile markets throughout the city on different days. If you want to receive a weekly bag of produce, you can sign up for a farm share.

You can check out the Farm Market at Mill No. 5 on Sunday mornings.

The Lowell Farmers’ Market at Community Teamwork will be held on Fridays at Lucy Larcom Park beginning July 12.

You can find farm stands or farmers’ markets in other towns on the MassGrown map. You can select farm stands, farmers’ markets, pick your own options, CSA farms, organic farms and greenhouses/nurseries, among other things.

If you would like to create a garden so you can grow your own fruits, veggies, and herbs, or if you need recipes to cook them, take a look at some of our books. The library is now open for visitors to browse! Come in and take a look at our display of books and handouts in the Reference Room on the second floor. If you are not comfortable entering the building, you can request items for curbside pickup during our regular hours (Monday-Thursday 9-9; Friday and Saturday 9-5). To reserve a book, place a request in the online catalog, fill out a request form, or call the reference desk at 978-674-4121.