This month's notes: March 2014: The weather is great, apples are ripe (see our apple varieties guide), hayrides, Fall fun and corn mazes are open now! See this page for hundreds of easy canning and freezing instructions/recipes, canning equipment guide! Also make your own ice cream - see How to make ice cream and ice cream making equipment and manuals. Then see each state's crop availability calendar for more specific dates of upcoming crops. Organic farms are identified in green!  See our guide to local fruit and vegetable festivals!. Please tell the farms you found them here - and ask them to update their information!!

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Oregon Crop Harvest Calendar - typical Harvest Dates for Fruits and Vegetables in !

This page has a table below that tells when each fruit or vegetable is normally ready to be harvested Oregon!  We also have a page with links to our own simple instructions on canning, freezing and drying  many fruits and vegetables, such as  how to make jam, apple butter, applesauce, spaghetti sauce, salsa, pickles, ketchup or freezing corn.

What's in Season - Typical Crop Availability in Oregon

Harvest Calendar / Ripening Dates for Fruits and Vegetables

Please note that actual dates may vary by as much as two weeks due to weather conditions, geographical location of the farm, and other factors. It is always advisable to call a farm earlier than the expected beginning of a season to check on the status of the product you are interested in, and call before you go to the farm! Scroll down or click here for a calendar specific to the Portland area.

dark green = available;      light green = sometimes / some farms;     
White or gray = not usually available

Fruit/Veg Jan Feb March April May June July August Sept Oct Nov December
apples                       X X X X X X X X  
Apricots                     X X X X            
Asian pears                         X X X X X X    
asparagus             X X X X X X                
beans                     X X X X X X        
beets                     X X X X X X        
blackberries                     X X X X X X        
blueberries                     X X X X X X        
boysenberries                 X X X X                
broccoli                     X X X X X X X X    
Brussels sprouts                             X X X X X  
cabbage                     X X X X X X X X X  
cantaloupes                         X X X X        
celery                     X X X X            
carrots                     X X X X X X X X X  
cherries                 X X X X                
Christmas trees                                       X
cucumbers                     X X X X X X        
eggplant                     X X X X X X        
gooseberries                     X X X X            
greens                 X X X X X X X X X X    
  Jan Feb March April May June July August Sept Oct Nov December
herbs                 X X X X X X X X X X    
nectarines                     X X X X X X        
peaches                   X X X X X X        
pears                         X X X X X      
peas                     X X X X            
peppers                         X X X X X X    
potatoes                         X X X X X X X X
raspberries                 X X X X X X X X        
rhubarb         X X X X X X X X                
pumpkins                             X X X X    
summer squash                     X X X X X X        
winter squash                         X X X X X X    
saskatoons                                        
strawberries                 X X X X                
sweet corn                         X X X X X X    
sweet potatoes                                        
tomatoes                     X X X X X X X X    
watermelons                                        
Fruit/Veg Jan Feb March April May June July August Sept Oct Nov December

Portland Area Harvest Calendar:

The following table is more specific; tailored to the Portland area and surrounding counties., like Clackamas County

Fruit or vegetable Typical crop availability
Apples Late August - November
Artichokes August
Green Beans Mid-June - Mid October
Beets Late July
Blueberries June - October
Boysenberries Late July - August
Cabbage Late July - End of October
Carrots August
Celery August
Corn (sweet) Mid-July
Cucumbers (Slicing) July - October
Cucumbers (Pickling) July - Early October
Dill July
Eggplants (Dusky) August
Gourds (Ornamental) September - November
Hazelnuts Mid-October
Honey April - November
Melons (Cantaloupe/Musk) July - September
Onions May - November
Peaches July - September
Peas Late July - September
Peppers July - October
Plums Setember
Popcorn Ornamental Corn September - November
Potatoes July - November
Pumpkins Mid September - October
Raspberries July - September
Strawberries Mid May - September
Squash (Summer & Winter) July - December
Tomatillos July - October
Tomatoes July - October
Watermelon July - September

 

Festivals and Events

  • Apple Valley's Huckleberry Harvest Celebration
    October 15–16, 22–23, 2005. Huckleberry Lovers! This is the time to visit and stock up on all your huckleberry favorites! Along with fresh-baked huckleberry pies, we also have huckleberry jam, syrup, candy, cocoa, and honey. Our huckleberry gift boxes featuring our most popular huckleberry items are available as well as frozen huckleberry pies! Come warm up with a cup of hot huckleberry apple cider or cool down with a creamy huckleberry milkshake. For more information, call 541.386.1971.
  • Blueberry Pancake Ride
    April (Dates to be announced) Saturday, Blueberry Pancake Ride (FREE)  Distance: 30 miles, supported. Routes of 50-75 and 100 miles are not supported. Start anytime between 9 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Champoeg State Park, 7679 Champoeg Road NE St. Paul, OR 97137 Oak Grove Picnic Area, Parking costs $3.00, (Rain or Shine). 
  • Hood River Lavender Farms -
    3801 Straight Hill Road, Hood River, OR, 97031. Phone: 541-386-9100. Email us at: info@lavenderfarms.net. 2nd Annual Lavender Daze Festival at Hood River Lavender Farms. Wide Selection of Live Music, Food Vendors, Local Artists/Artisans, Charity Dunk Tank, Farm Animals, Pheasant Valley Wines, and thousands of Certified Organic Lavender available for U-PICK. Beautiful location, Beautiful venue. For more info see the website or call 541-386-9100.
  • Oregon Nut 'n Berry Festival - Not going to be held in 2006
    It had been held in August ; (2005 was the Second Annual) Cornelius, Oregon. 
     
This page was updated on
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Lids, Rings, Jars, mixes, pectin, etc.

Need lids, rings and replacement jars?  Or pectin to make jam, spaghetti sauce or salsa mix or pickle mixes?  Get them all here, and usually at lower prices than your local store!

Get them all here at the best prices on the internet!

 

Picking Tips

[General picking tips and a guide to each fruit and vegetable] [How much do I need to pick? (Yields - how much raw makes how much cooked or frozen)] [Selecting the right varieties to pick] [All about apple varieties - which to pick and why!]  [Picking tips for Vegetables] [ Strawberry picking tips] [ Blueberries picking tips]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Illustrated Canning, Freezing, Jam Instructions and Recipes

[ All About Home Canning, Freezing and Making Jams, Pickles, Sauces, etc. ] [FAQs - Answers to common questions and problems] [Recommended books about home canning, jam making, drying and preserving!] [Free canning publications to download and print]