A Kansas State University official says a poster created to help Kansas consumers make informed decisions about locally grown produce is sparking fresh conversations about seasonal eating and community food systems.
Developed with the aim of educating farmers market shoppers and supporting local agriculture, the Kansas Seasonal Local Food poster illustrates which fruits and vegetables are in season across Kansas throughout the year.
It’s a tool that K-State officials hope will bridge the gap between consumers and growers in a state known for its rich agricultural heritage.
“When we talk about supporting local farmers, people naturally ask, ‘What should I buy? And when?’” said Rebecca McMahon, administrator of K-State’s Local Food Systems program. “The modern grocery store offers everything, all the time, so many folks don’t know what’s actually in season anymore.”
That’s a big shift from just a couple of generations ago, when food availability was closely tied to local growing seasons. Today, produce is shipped from across the globe, masking the rhythms of regional agriculture. McMahon said the new Kansas seasonality poster aims to reconnect shoppers to those cycles.
“In Kansas, we have growing weather nearly nine months of the year,” she said. “It’s something even longtime Kansans may not fully appreciate.”
The poster outlines what’s in season month-by-month, highlighting familiar staples like sweet corn, tomatoes and cucumbers in summer, and such root vegetables as turnips, carrots and squash as the weather cools.
Kansas-grown grains, dairy, meats and value-added products like honey are often available year-round.
A teaching tool at farmers markets
McMahon said the poster is already finding its way into Kansas farmers markets and community settings as a visual guide for shoppers who may not be sure what to expect, or what to buy.
“For people new to farmers markets, this gives them ideas,” McMahon said. “It shows that summer isn’t just about tomatoes. It’s also okra, corn, cucumbers, melons and more.”
The chart also encourages seasonal eating habits. McMahon said her family, for example, buys produce in bulk during peak season and enjoys it while it’s freshest, preserving what they can.
“When asparagus is in season and local, it tastes so much better,” she said. “We enjoy it until we’re sick of it, and then we wait for it again next year.”
McMahon adds that K-State’s educational effort is about more than flavor: “It’s also about food economics and access.” Some Kansas farmers markets are now open well beyond the traditional summer months.
“We used to think of farmers markets as only summer events, but many are now year-round or nearly so,” she said.
High tunnels and hoop houses allow farmers to extend the growing season into late fall and even winter, bringing leafy greens, root crops and more to market when many shoppers assume there’s nothing fresh to buy.
The poster is available for purchase online from the K-State Extension bookstore, or can be downloaded and printed from a home computer. It can be found online at https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/item/kansas-seasonal-local-food-poster_MF3712.
“We hope it ends up in senior centers, libraries, food pantries… any place where people can learn and benefit from it,” McMahon said. “We designed it to be visually appealing and informative, and as something you’d want to hang up.”
