Locally grown watermelons are starting to show up at the area farm stands and markets. Look for melons with yellow bellies and that produce a good hollow sound when thumped on. We used to grow melons by the truckload so I have had some experience with picking ripe melons. This has been a good year for growing large melons but for the sweetest melons you want a dry year.
Don't be afraid to drive down Hillcrest or Rosalia roads as both have been well graded since that major rainstorm we had a week ago. Our blackberries are nearly gone now as we are only getting a few lbs with each picking. Hillcrest farms is still producing a good supply of blueberries and they also have all kinds of homemade jams and jellies, vegetables, potted herbs and plants, as well as homemade ice cream.
Cassebaum's sweet corn is still coming in and they have cantelopes, tomatoes, squash, and other vegetables as well. Celebrate the fourth by making a nice big pot of boiled sweet corn or some gumbo with the fresh okra that can be found at many Baldwin County farm stands.

Locally grown cantelopes are available at Cassebaum's sweet corn stand. Our blackberries are still coming on strong and over at Hillcrest farms they still have blueberries for the picking. The recent rains may have slowed things down a bit but it has not stopped our harvest of all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables. For those of you who are gardeners in your own right, visit my website, http://www.growitveg.com/ to find all kinds of gardening tips and information, including recipes for using your harvest.

The fresh blackberries are coming in fast and furious because of the rain and heat. Over at Hillcrest Farms, they are really getting good crowds showing up to pick blueberries and she has fresh squash, okra, tomatoes, garlic, and her own homemade jellies and preserves. Cassebaum's still has fresh sweet corn coming in, along with a wide selection of their own fresh produce including squash, tomatoes, and eggplants. Soon it will be time for local watermelons to be ripening.