The Local Food Field Guide
Straight talk on labels, seasons, and buying direct — so you shop smarter and support the farmers who actually grow your food.
March 22, 2026
Cold Frames and Season Extension
Cold frames and season extension tools let farmers grow longer than the climate naturally allows — starting earlier in spring and extending into late fall or winter. For direct-market farms, more weeks of production means more market weeks and more revenue.
March 22, 2026
Pollinator Gardens
Pollinator gardens are plantings specifically designed to support bees, butterflies, moths, and other insects that fertilize crops. On farms, they're both conservation practice and production tool — more pollinators means better yields for fruit, vegetable, and seed crops.
March 22, 2026
Raised Bed Gardening
Raised beds are framed growing areas elevated above ground level, filled with optimized soil. They drain well, warm up faster in spring, and give gardeners precise control over growing conditions. They're the most productive approach for most home food gardens.
March 22, 2026
USDA Hardiness Zones
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones are the standard US map for what plants survive winter in a given area. Every zone is defined by average annual minimum winter temperature. Knowing yours tells you which fruit trees, perennial herbs, and crops can survive outdoors year-round.