"To Market" by Bonnie Jones on Zatista.com

Yesterday I arrived at my local farmer’s market to find one of my favorite young farmers calling out like a carnival barker. “This is it people! It’s go time! Get it while it’s good!” he shouted, smiling over the fruits (and veggies) of his labor.

"Hot Tomato" by Ann Painter on Zatista.com

I looked around and realized he was speaking the truth (ever earnest, he’s hardly one to spin a yarn). Everywhere I looked crates were stacked high with perfect vegetables, all color and gleam at high noon. Here in Maine where I live the growing season is mercilessly short–June to October more or less–and that means that by mid-August we’re in full harvest mode.

"Radishes" by Konnie Kim on Zatista.com

How could it be? How could the few short weeks of blushing tomatoes and luscious summer melons be upon us already? It’s a stark realization every year, but this year I have a new tactic.

"Peppers" by Tony Dunphy on Zatista.com

Sure, I’m going to stack my freezer high and gear up for some canning, but I’m also going to load up on some harvest art for the “less accommodating” months ahead. That way, at least my eyes can feast on some fresh local veggies when I get the trucked-in-from-California-or-grown-indoors blues. The color will do my place good, too, and remind me that once upon a time I drank iced coffee and wore shorts and worked up a sweat walking bags of fresh produce home in the hot summer sun.