Seasonal Produce in South Carolina
What's In Season in
South Carolina
A Month-by-Month Guide
From the first spring strawberries to winter collard greens — a complete guide to what's fresh, local, and at its absolute best in the Upstate and across South Carolina every month of the year.
South Carolina is one of the most generously productive growing states in the eastern United States. The combination of a long warm season, mild winters, and the distinct microclimates between the Lowcountry coast and the Upstate foothills means something is always growing here — and something is always at its peak.
Knowing what that something is, month by month, is one of the most practical things a cook or a shopper can know. Seasonal produce tastes dramatically better than out-of-season produce that's been shipped across the country — it was picked riper, travelled less, and spent less time in cold storage. It's also less expensive, more nutritious at the time of harvest, and directly supports the local farmers and producers who grow it.
At Farmfare, we stock a mix of local seasonal produce and year-round staples — but our passion is what's in season right now in the Spartanburg area and across South Carolina. This guide will tell you exactly what to look for every month of the year.
Spartanburg sits in the Upstate region of South Carolina — the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Upstate runs about 2–3 weeks behind the Lowcountry for spring crops due to its slightly higher elevation and cooler temperatures, and enjoys a somewhat longer fall season. The dates in this guide reflect the Upstate and Piedmont growing calendar. Coastal South Carolina residents may see some crops arrive a few weeks earlier in spring.
"Seasonal eating isn't a restriction — it's an invitation. An invitation to cook with what's at its best right now, in this place, at this moment of the year."
The Case For ItWhy Eating Seasonally Matters
The argument for seasonal eating is not primarily ideological — it's practical and sensory. Produce that has been allowed to ripen fully on the plant and harvested at peak maturity tastes fundamentally different from produce picked underripe to survive a long journey. A tomato grown in Upstate South Carolina and eaten in August is a different food from a January tomato shipped from the other side of the continent.
🌱 Five Good Reasons to Eat With the Seasons
- It tastes better. Seasonal produce is harvested at peak ripeness rather than picked early to survive transport. The flavour difference — particularly with tomatoes, strawberries, corn, and peaches — is dramatic and immediate.
- It costs less. When a crop is abundant locally, prices drop. Buying in-season means you're buying at the peak of supply, which is always the most affordable time to purchase any produce.
- It supports local farmers. Choosing locally grown, in-season produce keeps money in the local economy and supports the farmers, growers, and producers who are tending the land around Spartanburg and across the Upstate.
- It reduces food miles. Local seasonal food travels a fraction of the distance that imported out-of-season produce does. Less transport means fresher food, lower emissions, and produce that hasn't spent days in refrigerated trucks.
- It connects you to where you live. Eating what's growing around you at any given moment of the year is one of the most grounding and satisfying ways to experience a place. South Carolina's seasons each have their own distinct flavours — and learning to recognise and celebrate them is its own reward.
March
- Spinach
- Kale & collards
- Lettuce & arugula
- Radishes
- Green onions
- Asparagus (early)
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Strawberries (late)
- Chives
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Eggs (increasing)
April
- Asparagus (peak)
- Snap peas
- Swiss chard
- Beets
- Turnips
- Carrots
- Lettuce
- Broccoli (peak)
- Strawberries (peak)
- Mint
- Dill
- Chives
- Eggs (peak spring)
May
- Squash (early)
- Cucumbers (early)
- Sweet onions
- New potatoes
- Sugar snap peas
- Swiss chard
- Beets
- Strawberries
- Blueberries (early)
- Basil (early)
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Eggs (peak)
- Broilers (early)
Spring in the Upstate is defined by cool-weather crops that thrive before the summer heat arrives. Asparagus — one of the few truly seasonal vegetables that cannot be meaningfully faked out of season — appears in April and is gone by mid-May. Strawberries are the signature crop of South Carolina spring: the state is one of the country's leading strawberry producers, and Upstate strawberries at peak season in April are among the finest in the country. Don't miss them.
South Carolina strawberries are a genuine seasonal event. Peak season in the Upstate runs from early to mid-April through May. Locally grown strawberries are harvested fully ripe — which makes them dramatically sweeter and more flavourful than shipped varieties. When they're in, buy them in quantity: they freeze beautifully and make exceptional jam, preserves, and baked goods throughout the year.
June
- Tomatoes (early)
- Squash & zucchini
- Cucumbers (peak)
- Green beans
- Sweet corn (early)
- Okra (early)
- Peppers (early)
- Blueberries (peak)
- Peaches (early)
- Blackberries (early)
- Basil (peak)
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Eggs
- Broilers
July
- Tomatoes (peak)
- Sweet corn (peak)
- Okra (peak)
- Peppers (peak)
- Eggplant
- Lima beans
- Field peas
- Sweet potatoes (early)
- Peaches (peak)
- Blackberries (peak)
- Watermelon
- Cantaloupe
- Basil
- Tarragon
- Lemon verbena
- Eggs
- Broilers (peak)
August
- Tomatoes (still peak)
- Okra (peak)
- Peppers
- Sweet potatoes
- Crowder peas
- Butter beans
- Field peas
- Peaches (late)
- Watermelon (peak)
- Figs
- Muscadine grapes (early)
- Basil (preserve now)
- Rosemary
- Eggs
- Broilers
Summer is South Carolina's most abundant season and the one that defines the state's culinary identity. July is perhaps the single greatest month for local produce anywhere in the American South — tomatoes, corn, okra, peaches, and blackberries are all simultaneously at their peak. The combination of South Carolina heat, humidity, and long days produces tomatoes and peaches of exceptional sweetness and intensity.
Peaches deserve a special mention: South Carolina is the second-largest peach-producing state in the country, and the Upstate and Piedmont regions — including the Spartanburg area — are at the heart of peach country. Peak peach season runs June through July. A sun-warmed South Carolina peach eaten in July is one of the finest things you can eat.
August is the moment to put up tomatoes for the year. When local tomatoes are at peak abundance and lowest price, make a large batch of roasted tomato sauce and freeze it. You'll be grateful in February when the only tomatoes available have been shipped from a thousand miles away. Nothing from a can compares to a jar of sauce made from local summer tomatoes.
September
- Sweet potatoes (peak)
- Winter squash (early)
- Okra (winding down)
- Collard greens
- Kale (returning)
- Peppers (late)
- Muscadine grapes (peak)
- Figs
- Apples (early)
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Sage
- Eggs
- Broilers
October
- Sweet potatoes (peak)
- Winter squash (peak)
- Pumpkins
- Collard greens (peak)
- Kale
- Turnips & rutabaga
- Broccoli (fall crop)
- Cauliflower
- Apples (peak)
- Pears
- Persimmons
- Sage
- Thyme
- Parsley
- Eggs
- Whole poultry
November
- Collard greens (peak)
- Kale & mustard greens
- Turnips
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Beets
- Sweet potatoes
- Apples (late)
- Persimmons
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Thyme
- Eggs
- Whole turkey (local)
Fall is when South Carolina cuisine finds its soul. Sweet potatoes — one of the state's most important crops — hit their peak in September and October, coinciding with the arrival of winter squash, pumpkins, and the cool-weather crops that went dormant in summer heat. Collard greens come back strongly in fall and become more flavourful after the first cold snap, which softens their bitterness.
Muscadine grapes — the native grape of the American South, thick-skinned and intensely flavoured — ripen in September and are a uniquely regional fruit worth seeking out. South Carolina apples from the Upstate foothills arrive in October and are among the finest in the Southeast. If you can find locally grown persimmons, they are extraordinary when fully ripe — honey-sweet and silky.
South Carolina collard greens are at their absolute best after the first cold snap of fall — typically late October or November in the Upstate. Cold temperatures convert some of the starches in the leaves to sugars, mellowing their bitterness and deepening their flavour. Collards picked before a frost are good; collards picked after are exceptional.
December
- Collard greens
- Kale & chard
- Turnips & rutabaga
- Carrots
- Beets
- Cabbage
- Sweet potatoes (stored)
- Broccoli
- Satsumas & citrus
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Eggs (reduced)
- Stored root veg
January
- Collard greens
- Kale (peak winter)
- Mustard greens
- Turnips
- Carrots
- Beets
- Cabbage
- Spinach
- Satsumas & citrus
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Sage
- Eggs (limited)
- Root vegetables
February
- Kale & collards
- Spinach (early)
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Turnips
- Beets
- Broccoli (early)
- Citrus (late)
- Chives (early)
- Parsley (early)
- Eggs (increasing)
- Spring preview late Feb
South Carolina winters are milder than most of the country, which means the local food supply never goes entirely dark. Cold-hardy greens — kale, collards, mustard greens, spinach, cabbage — thrive through winter in the Upstate and are often at their sweetest and most flavourful in January and February. Root vegetables stored from the fall harvest keep well through the winter months.
February is a month of anticipation: the first chives and parsley reappear toward the end of the month, egg production increases as the days lengthen, and by late February the earliest cool-weather crops are germinating in protected beds across the Upstate. Spring is close.
Always AvailableYear-Round at Farmfare
While we celebrate what's in season locally, we also carry a core range of everyday staples year-round alongside our seasonal offerings — so you can always find what you need, whatever the season.
🛒 Year-Round Farmfare Staples
- Meat and poultry — Our locally sourced, grass-fed and pasture-raised beef, pork, and chicken are available year-round, with availability varying by cut and what's fresh from our local farm partners.
- Eggs — Local eggs are available year-round, though production naturally peaks in spring and early summer and slows in the shorter days of winter.
- Root vegetables and storage crops — Carrots, onions, garlic, potatoes, and sweet potatoes are available most of the year, transitioning between local fresh harvest and locally stored crops through winter.
- Staple greens — Kale, collards, and cabbage grow in South Carolina through most of the year and are reliably available at Farmfare throughout the seasons.
- Pantry goods — Raw honey, whole grains, flours, dried beans, and pantry staples are available year-round from our local and regional suppliers.
- Fresh herbs — While some herbs are seasonal, a good range of fresh herbs is available most of the year, with peak variety and flavour in the warmer months.
The best way to know what's at its seasonal peak right now is to come in and ask us. We know our suppliers personally and we know what's been harvested recently, what's exceptional this week, and what's worth buying in quantity while it lasts. Shopping seasonally is always a conversation — and we love having it.
Your Questions, AnsweredFrequently Asked Questions
What vegetables are in season in South Carolina in summer?
South Carolina summer (June–August) is the most abundant season for vegetables. Peak summer produce includes tomatoes, sweet corn, okra, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, lima beans, field peas, and sweet potatoes. July is arguably the single most abundant month, when tomatoes, corn, okra, and peaches are all simultaneously at their peak.
When is strawberry season in South Carolina?
Strawberry season in the Upstate typically runs from early April through May, peaking in mid-April. The Lowcountry sees strawberries a few weeks earlier — sometimes as early as late March. South Carolina is one of the country's leading strawberry producers and locally grown berries, harvested fully ripe, are dramatically sweeter than anything shipped from out of state.
When is peach season in South Carolina?
South Carolina is the second-largest peach-producing state in the US and the Upstate and Piedmont regions are at the heart of peach country. Peach season runs from late May through August, with peak season in June and July. A local South Carolina peach at peak ripeness in July is one of the finest fruits you can eat.
Does South Carolina have a year-round growing season?
South Carolina has one of the most generous growing climates in the eastern United States. While the peak season runs March through November, the mild Upstate winters allow cold-hardy crops — kale, collards, turnips, carrots, spinach, and cabbage — to be grown and harvested year-round in many areas. There is no month of the year when nothing is growing locally.
What is in season in South Carolina in fall?
Fall (September–November) brings sweet potatoes at their peak, winter squash, pumpkins, muscadine grapes, apples, persimmons, and the return of cool-weather greens including collards, kale, mustard greens, and cabbage. Collard greens become noticeably more flavourful after the first cold snap, which converts some of their starches to sugar.