Palmetto Pick of The Month

Palmetto Pick of the Month highlights a crop in season each month. This resource can be used when creating classroom taste tests or as a guide for food service buyers.
Freshly picked leafy greens bundled together, glistening with water droplets.

January: Greens

Greens are composed of 3,700 species including kale, cabbage, turnips, and the SC state vegetable, collards!
A group of whole and sliced orange-fleshed sweet potatoes on a wooden surface, with a sprig of green cilantro nearby.

February: Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes grow in all types of soil and can be found throughout the state of South Carolina.
Close-up of fresh, crisp romaine lettuce leaves stacked together.

March: Lettuce

Lettuce is a leafy green vegetable and is one of the easiest to grow in spring and fall.
A close-up view of numerous fresh, ripe strawberries, showcasing their bright red color and green leaves.

April: Strawberries

There are over 600 varieties of strawberry plants, like the June-bearer which is the most popular.
A close-up of fresh blueberries in a woven bowl, with more blueberries in the background on a rustic wooden surface.

May: Blueberries

Blueberries are a sweet blue-black edible fruit that offer many nutritional benefits.
Sliced watermelon arranged on a wooden cutting board.

June: Watermelon

Watermelons are 92% water! Their seeds prefer warm soil so they are perfect to grow in South Carolina.
A brown ceramic bowl filled with several ripe red tomatoes on a wooden surface.

July: Tomatoes

Tomatoes are fruits, related to the berry family. It is one of America’s favorite types of produce and grows well in SC.
A group of ripe peaches, including one cut in half to show its flesh and pit, resting on a rustic wooden surface with green leaves nearby.

August: Peaches

Peaches are a stone fruit, known for their fuzzy skin. In fact, South Carolina is the second largest peach producing state.
A stack of three bell peppers: one red, one orange, and one yellow, with a blurred background.

September: Peppers

Peppers are a tender, warm season plant that come in a wide range of varieties, sizes and colors.
A variety of colorful squashes and zucchinis, including green zucchini, yellow squash, a striped zucchini, a round yellow squash, and a bumpy yellow gourd, arranged in a paper-lined basket.

October: Squash

Squash grows well in warmer weather, making it an ideal crop during the summer in South Carolina.
A wooden bowl filled with fresh, green broccoli florets, with a small piece of broccoli lying beside the bowl on a wooden surface.

November: Broccoli

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable, cousin to the cauliflower and the cabbage!
Two leafy green cabbage plants growing closely together in rich, dark soil.

December: Cabbage

Cabbage is another cruciferous vegetable, like broccoli, with many layers.