A Season-by-Season Guide to UK Farm Produce

One of the best things about buying from local farm shops and honesty boxes is eating with the seasons - produce tastes better, costs less and travels a far shorter distance to your table. Here's a rough guide to what's worth keeping an eye out for throughout the year.

Spring (March - May)

After a long winter, spring brings the first fresh greens:

• Asparagus - the UK season is short, so make the most of it
• Rhubarb, spring greens and new-season salad leaves
• Fresh hen and duck eggs as laying picks up again

Summer (June - August)

Summer is when honesty boxes really come into their own:

• Soft fruit - strawberries, raspberries and currants
• Courgettes, broad beans, peas and the first new potatoes
• Cut flowers and fresh-cut herbs

Autumn (September - November)

Harvest season means the widest variety of the year:

• Apples, pears and plums - often from trees just down the lane
• Squashes, pumpkins and the first maincrop potatoes
• Honey, jams and preserves made with the season's surplus

Winter (December - February)

Winter is all about hearty roots and store cupboard staples:

• Leeks, parsnips, swede and other root vegetables
• Stored apples and pears
• Wreaths, firewood and logs for the colder months

Use Produce to search what's available near you right now, or browse Days Out for farm shops and pick-your-own spots worth a visit this season.