What ISN'T in season in August? Not much! It's the height of the growing season (peaches, tomatoes, corn, and too much more to name) and the perfect time to enjoy the local bounty. CISA's online guide can help you find markets, farm stands, specific crops, restaurants or grocery stores that offer local food, or just everything near you.

Local Hero chefs are creating delicious things with the local harvest -- take a break from the kitchen and dine out or order in this weekend.

What's happening on local farms?

This has been a very wet summer, which can be tough for farms (read about it in the Daily Hampshire Gazette), but there's a lot more happening behind the scenes on local farms. Check out CISA's Valley Bounty column in the Daily Hampshire Gazette and WRSI's Local Hero Spotlight interviews with Monte Belmonte if you want the full story!

Have you been buying food from local farms differently since the pandemic? Please tell us how!

Between lifestyle shifts, health concerns, supply disruptions, and new purchasing options like online ordering, curbside pick-up, and delivery, COVID changed how many of us shop for local food. Help CISA understand your habits and needs with this brief survey, so we and other local farms can serve you better moving forward.

Your input will help us and local farmers serve you better! Take the survey here.

"People know to look for organic when food shopping, but don't often think that way about their flowers," says Kel Komenda of Many Graces, a flower farm in Hadley. Kel and their partner Rebecca Maillet, founder of Many Graces, are passionate about growing flowers locally and sustainably. Read more about this beautiful farm -- and don't miss Frolic!, a pick-your-own event held every Sunday through September 12th at their main field at 15 Lawrence Plain Road in Hadley.

Bob Lowry, the founder and owner of Bueno Y Sano, recently looked out at theTuesday Market and reflected on the local food movement here in the Valley. Beyond the vibrant spreads of fruits and vegetables, he sees an “incredible beehive of entrepreneurship” that brings empowerment and meaning to our communities. This type of empowerment, meaning, and community nourishment is exactly what Lowry has been able to cultivate in his own "Fresh Mex" restaurants.

In August, Massachusetts celebrates Eat Local Month, and now there's a new statewide app that makes it easier than ever to find local food: Eat Local MA.

Part of a statewide campaign organized by the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Coalition of Local Food and Farms, the Eat Local MA mobile app helps you find food grown and harvested by Massachusetts farmers and fishermen.

Download the app today (on iOS or Android) and get connected to local food and farms near you!

Last chance to apply: CISA is looking for a TerraCorps Service Member to support HIP (Healthy Incentives Program). Please spread the word!