September is Fruit and Veggies – More Matters Month, sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Produce for Better Health Foundation. The initiative reflects the updated dietary guidelines for Americans, which now recommend four to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day over the previous five to nine servings. This is an excellent reminder to keep enjoying the outstanding seasonal produce available to us in East County.

If your fruits and vegetables are fresh and delicious, you’re far more likely to eat them. Are you a “locavore”? Locavores are those committed to consuming local food as much as possible. It’s easier than you think – starting with your neighborhood Farmers’ Market, which is not only a festive place to socialize, but a vital link to your community and a way to support fresh, natural foods free of genetically modified organisms.

Farmers’ markets keep small farms in business and boost local economies. By supporting our farmers today, you help ensure that there will be farms in our community tomorrow, and that future generations will have access to fresh, healthy and abundant food. When you buy locally grown produce, you’re also speaking with your food dollar to help preserve our treasured agricultural landscape.

Some local farms, such as Brentwood’s Smith Family Farm, offer a daily roadside produce stand as well as U-Pick options. This third-generation farming family has grown and sold produce in the same location for more than 40 years.

So what’s in season now in our area? Look for bell peppers, corn, eggplant, green beans, chili peppers, fresh herbs, onions, summer squash, luscious tomatoes, grapes, nectarines, plums and early apples. September is also fig season in Northern California, happy news for many chefs. Try figs fresh on salads, grilled over chicken, with cheese and wine as an appetizer course, or with an array of nuts and Port for a simple, elegant dessert.

In addition to enjoying fresh fruits and vegetables, locavores tend to buy other locally produced items when they can – delectables such as fresh-pressed olive oil, spices, honey, seafood, meats, cheese, eggs, bread and wine.