Are you a “locavore?” (www.eatlocalchallenge.com). Many of us are. We like to shop at local farms or at grocers who get their food locally, rather than going to larger national brands and chains.

Locavores can find plenty to buy in New Jersey, where the state’s Jersey Fresh slogan (www.state.nj.us/jerseyfresh) has helped build support for Garden State farmers.

The food tastes better. It’s fresher, there may be fewer preservatives and less processing is required. And you are supporting a good cause. Like the family farmer.

At Alstede Farms (www.alstedefarms.com) in Chester, the strawberry fields seem to stretch forever… and you can fill a quart box in a few minutes. They’re selling fresh asparagus right now in the farm store.

Kurt Alstede says while strawberry season is finishing up, the summer brings an explosion of cherries, more berries, vegetables and peaches.

You’ll have to wait another month for the best Jersey tomatoes to peak. Rebecca and John Melick, at Melick Farms in Oldwick (www.melickstownfarm.com), know their tomatoes. They are tenth generation farmers. John Melick says heirloom tomatoes may not look perfect. They are so fragile it is difficult to transport them. But if you are a tomato lover—you know they are incredibly tasty.

How to pick the best produce? The experts say:

Color—pick the richest.

Touch—firm, slightly soft but not mushy.

Smell—flavorful.

But then again, you probably already know all this. Especially if you are a “locavore”.