Now’s the time to go exploring, sightseeing, learning about our area’s agriculture. And if you like, you can even pick ’em!

Good thing those strawberries can’t read.

Hunsader Farms: Farm market and u-pick currently with tomatoes, grape and cherry tomatoes, strawberries, butterhead lettuce and collard greens. Petting zoo, playground, camping ground, a café and peanut butter cup ice cream. What more could you want? 5500 C.R. 675 Bradenton, 941-322-2168, Mon-Sat 8am-5pm, Sundays: 10am-4pm

Mixon Fruit Farms: Tram tours of the citrus groves (check website for times and days) will educate you, their fruit, juices, and wines will refresh you, and of course, Murcotts and the Wildlife Refuge. 2525 27th St. E. Bradenton, 941-748-5829

Gamble Creek Farms is a working organic farm supplying the Chiles Group of restaurants, The Sandbar, Mar Vista and Beach House, with produce. They operate a farm stand open to the public on weekends. Check here for some tasty recipes. 14950 Golf Course Road, Parrish (941) 548-4805

Not up for a drive in the country but still want the farm experience and fresh local produce? Jessica’s Organic Farmstand is practically a hop skip and jump from UTC. Open F-S-S, with a caveat “less busy after 3pm”. They also take online orders for pickup or delivery, but where’s the fun in that? If I have to eat kale, I wanna at least admire it first. 4180 47th St, Sarasota, (941) 363-1586

Other agricultural possibilities include Beaucoop Farms (Rent a Beverage Burro!), ordering and picking up around town from Grove Ladder Farms (eggs, meat, yarn!), ordering produce boxes from BlumenBerry Farms (Cucurbit Crops! Solanaceous Crops!)

Who knew there was so much growing going on! Do you have a favorite I haven’t included? Add it in the comments.

Eat local!