I’ve never had much luck growing a garden in Florida past mid to late June. It just gets too hot and the bugs are so plentiful that anything that does grow gets scorched or eaten by pests.
Enter my fabulous local produce farmers Jon and Debbie Butts.
Jon and Debbie are homesteaders. They own and operate EcoFarm, a sustainable, organic, biodynamic farm in the Tampa Bay area. I am fortunate enough to have access to the bounty of their produce on a weekly basis.
Jon and Debbie really have a knack for growing produce even under the extreme conditions of a Florida summer.
Yesterday, I got some figs, grapes (yes, they grow in Florida in the summer!) and sand (pineapple) pears from them.
The picture above showcases the vegetables I purchased last week. As I type this, I have the calabaza (tropical) pumpkin in the oven. My kids cannot wait until I bake some pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie with the 4-5 cups of delectable homemade pumpkin puree I will get from baking this gorgeous speciman.
Who says pumpkins are to be enjoyed just in the Fall?
I also have 3 different kinds of eggplant which make for an amazing eggplant parmesan casserole consisting of all the varieties baked together.
The long white thing at the back of the picture is a cucuzza squash. They are divine sauted in butter and cloves of garlic. It tastes a bit like a cross between cucumber and zucchini.
Hopefully, next week I can get some okra so I can make a nice, spicy pot of gumbo!
Are you particularly adept like Jon and Debbie at growing seasonal produce under extreme weather conditions? Let us know about it in the comments section!
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
When I lived in Kissimmee last year I was able to meet Debbie and buy some great produce. They have great produce! Jamie, Eco Farm used to sell at the Lakeland (I think) farmers market. They also set up a table at a Health Food store in Winter Haven. I forgot the name of it though.
Hi Sarah
I live in the Tampa Bay area I was wondering if you could give me contact info for Eco farm. I would love go and see what they have.
Thank you
Jamie
Please email me directly, Jamie. I don’t post any personal info for anyone on my blog. Thanks.
Sarah, how fortunate you are to get this cornucopia of vegetables in South Florida! I’d love to know some of your favorite recipes for your summer bounty, like the eggplant parmesan, and pumpkin dishes, especially if they are gluten-free or could be made that way.
Thanks for the info and cooking tip for cucuzza squash. We have a lot of lesser known veggies at our markets in Minnesota right now, many grown by Hmong farmers. It’s good to expand our horizons and explore these fresh and local options.
A Bounty of Florida Summer Produce – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/40pheXY #sowingmillions
Those beans are huge – nothing beat fresh beans tossed in butter and garlic. The rest of your recipes sound fantastic too! We’re part of a CSA this year and it’s been great. Every week I eagerly await my basket – it’s fun because you end up trying different vegetables, ones that you might not purchase at the store. And it’s great knowing that you’re supporting local farmers in your community – very important!
Exactly .. not to mention that eating what’s in season is the best for your health!
Oh, almost forgot the yardlong beans just in front of the pumpkin. They are fantastic steamed in butter and sea salt.
A Bounty of Florida Summer Produce – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/40pheXY