State Guides to Eating Local

By Molly Watson, About.com Guide to Local Foods

Use these state guides to find what's in season, where to buy it, and how to cook it in your state. These guides are a work-in-progress, so check back soon if your state isn't featured yet and feel free to email me suggestions - certified farmers markets, great food festivals, or local specialties - for your state at localfoods.guide@about.com.

1. Mid-Atlantic States
2. Midwest State Guides
3. Mountain State Guides
4. New York & New England State Guides

5. South & Southeast State Guides
6. Texas & Southwest State Guides
7. West Coast, Alaska & Hawaii State Guides

Mid-Atlantic States

The mid-Atlantic states are characterized by milder winters than the Northeast states, and steady long summers. The longer growing season allows for greater produce variety. Proximity to the Chesapeake Bay allows for plenty of blue crab eating.

• Delaware Local Foods
• Maryland Local Foods
• New Jersey Local Foods
• Pennsylvania Local Foods
• Washington D.C. Local Foods

Midwest State Guides

Most farmland in the midwest may be devoted to corn, soy, and wheat, but rich farmland and hot summers are conducive to growing plenty of other edibles.

• Illinois Local Foods
• Indiana Local Foods
• Iowa Local Foods
• Kansas Local Foods
• Michigan Local Foods
• Minnesota Local Foods
• Missouri Local Foods

• Nebraska Local Foods
• North Dakota Local Foods
• Ohio Local Foods
• Oklahoma Local Foods
• South Dakota Local Foods
• Wisconsin Local Foods

Mountain State Guides

Relatively extreme seasons and plenty of variation in altitude give the mountain states a wide range of produce. Grazing land, cold mountain streams, and plenty of woods filled with game are sources for a great variety of meat and fresh-water fish.

• Colorado Local Foods
• Idaho Local Foods
• Montana Local Foods

• Nevada Local Foods
• Utah Local Foods
• Wyoming Local Foods

New York & New England State Guides

New York cherries, Wellfleet oysters, Vermont maple syrup, Maine wild blueberries. Great food pervades the Northeast and New England states.

• Connecticut Local Foods
• Maine Local Foods
• Massachusetts Local Foods
• New Hampshire Local Foods

• New York Local Foods
• Rhode Island Local Foods
• Vermont Local Foods

South & Southeast State Guides

Long growing seasons, hot summers, and local traditions of using or preserving every part of the hunt and garden are just part of what make local eating in the South such a pleasure.

• Alabama Local Foods
• Arkansas Local Foods
• Florida Local Foods
• Georgia Local Foods
• Kentucky Local Foods
• Louisiana Local Foods

• Mississippi Local Foods
• North Carolina Local Foods
• South Carolina Local Foods
• Tennessee Local Foods
• Virginia Local Foods
• West Virginia Local Foods

Texas & Southwest State Guides

Chiles, corn, beans, squash, and cactus leaves are just some of the foodstuffs that keep eating local in the Southwest interesting.

• Arizona Local Foods
• New Mexico Local Foods
• Texas Local Foods

West Coast, Alaska & Hawaii State Guides

Seasons and produce vary greatly between these states, but they all share plenty of access to fresh seafood and local traditions of good eating.

• Alaska Local Foods
• California Local Foods
• Hawaii Local Foods
• Oregon Local Foods
• Washington Local Foods