August has arrived, yet we are far from ready to say goodbye to summer’s long, hot days. It’s the perfect time to revisit or write summer bucket lists to ensure we make the most of the beautiful weather and create memories to sustain us through the cold winter ahead.

Our farms are overflowing with a cornucopia of delicious and nutritious produce in late summer. You can still plan a few special green food activities before the bounty ends. Here are 10 suggestions for creating your own end-of-season bucket list.

#1: Go blueberry picking at Jones Family Farm in Shelton, stay for the Friday farmers’ market from 3:30-6:30pm in the Harvest Kitchen Courtyard, then stop in the Winery Tasting Room to savor their wines. Visit JonesFamilyFarms.com for more information and call the Farmer Jones Crop Line at 203-929-8425 for crop and field reports when planning your visit.

#2: Dine al fresco at a farm with friends for a magical evening.

#3: Make an heirloom tomato salad with fresh basil and mozzarella dressed with high-quality olive oil and vinegar. Heirloom tomatoes are the most delicious and coveted late summer vegetable, widely available at farm stands and farmers’ markets through September.

#4: Head to Bishop’s Orchards Winery in Guilford August 16 and 17 to attend the 8th Annual Shoreline Wine Festival and enjoy tastings from six Connecticut wineries, entertainment and food vendors. Visit ShorelineWineFestival.com for information and online ticket sales.

#5: Savor an ice cream sandwich from The Farmer’s Cow, locally made with their ice cream and Sweet & Simple cookies, while watching the sunset at the beach.

#6: Preserve herbs by drying and storing them in glass jars, vegetables by cooking and freezing them, and fruit by freezing whole berries and sliced tree fruit on a cookie sheet before transferring them to a freezer container or bag.

#7: Visit a farm stand or farmers’ market and buy a vegetable you’ve never eaten before. Ask the farmer how to prepare it and be sure to use the whole vegetable if it’s entirely edible.

#8: Plant something edible in your yard, preferably in a container or raised bed filled with healthy, organic soil. Fast maturing, cool weather crops including bok choy, spinach, Swiss chard and mustard greens can be direct sown in August.

#9: Read Dan Barber’s book, The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food, for enlightenment, entertainment, and excellent fodder for dinner conversation, especially the kind you’ll engage in while dining at community tables during farm dinners.

#10: Make homemade ice cream with your kids, adding fresh fruit that’s macerated overnight, for a delicious and refreshing indulgence that might just become a tradition. Use organic dairy and fruit whenever possible.

More information on local food activities, organic farm stands, farm dinners, farmers’ markets, canning workshops and ice cream producers in Fairfield County can be found at FairfieldGreenFoodGuide.com.

A version of this article was also published on FairfieldGreenFoodGuide.com.

Analiese Paik is founder and editor of the award-winning website FairfieldGreenFoodGuide.com and Food Editor of Natural Awakenings Fairfield County. She resides in Fairfield with her family. Connect with her on the website, at 203-520-3451 or [email protected].