July is often the peak season for vegetables in Maine. We have a relatively short growing season, so the long, hot days — along with the warm summer rains — provide an abundance of produce for stalls at farmers markets and shelves at grocery stores. For years, I have tended a small vegetable patch at home. That allows me to pick beans and greens and harvest fresh produce almost every day, supplementing what I buy from professional growers at farmers markets or grocery stores. For me, my garden is something that I enjoy and it refreshes my spirit.

Earlier in my legislative career, I worked on legislation that promoted the purchasing of these local foods by Maine institutions. That law established goals for the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to promote the purchase and sale of local foods, including increasing the amount of locally-produced food served on University of Maine System campuses. I also sponsored a bill to expand the Local Produce Fund to allow schools to buy more food from local farms and food processors. In addition to fruits and vegetables, schools can buy eggs, fish, meat, and tofu. Helping schools connect with local growers and producers means they can ensure the meals they serve are nutritious and fresh while supporting local farmers and food producers.

These foods do not just belong in schools; they belong in your homes, as well. You can stock up on your favorite fruits and vegetables at any of these farmers markets through October.

Bath Farmers Market

Downtown in Waterfront Park on Commercial Street, 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturdays May through October. Accepts SNAP/EBT.

Bowdoinham Farmers Market

Mailly Waterfront Park at 6 Main St. from 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturdays June through October. Accepts SNAP/EBT and Harvest Bucks.

Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust Farmers Market

Crystal Spring Farm at 277 Pleasant Hill Road (Brunswick) 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays May through October.

Going back to the weather, across the district, there are many hardworking farmers and farmworkers who make a living out of putting seeds in the ground and growing the crops that feed us all. For these folks, farming is serious business: accounts, balances, costs, expenses, and profits. All of this depends on the work put in, fluctuations in the market, the maintenance of equipment, and — the most fickle and unpredictable — the weather. For the remainder of this column, I’d like to focus on the weather.

July is a hot month. Just this week, the outside temperatures soared into the upper 80s and low 90s, with heat indexes often much higher. In the news, the experts — from emergency responders to public health officials — advised people to limit their time outdoors. But what about the folks who cannot sit inside an air-conditioned home or office space? Farmers and farmworkers have to work outside, all day long, especially when the produce is ripe. The vegetables do not care what the thermometer says; they need picking when they need picking.

Given no other option, farmers and farmworkers can take a few steps to protect themselves and stay cool on hot, sunny days. On these days, breaks are essential. Every hour or so, seek shelter in some shade underneath a shelter or a tree, and make sure to stay hydrated, drinking plenty of water, and maybe even a sports drink. Working at either end of the day can offer cooler conditions. When you are not in the shade, have a hat and some protective clothing on to reduce your risk for skin cancer. You also might have to work at a slower, but steady, pace at the hottest points in the day.

Those are some actions that farmers and farmworkers can embrace now. But we can do more. Although I am termed out from the Legislature, I hope that Members of the 132nd Maine State Legislature will consider legislation to improve safety for farmers and farmworkers exposed to extreme heat. Currently, there are no federal safety rules for workers laboring in extreme heat events, such as heat waves. (We know how long it can take for the federal government to catch up to the states.) As climate change continues and Maine summers become hotter and more humid, the Maine Department of Labor could adopt state rules to protect these workers. States with big agriculture industries, like California, Oregon, and Washington, have already developed these rules. It’s time that Maine does, too.

As a reminder, I am here for you through December. If you need help contacting a state department or finding resources, send me an email at Eloise.Vitelli@legislature.maine.gov or call my Senate office at (207) 287-1515. I will do my best to help.

Sen. Eloise Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, represents Senate District 24 in the Maine Senate, which includes all of Sagadahoc County and the town of Dresden in Lincoln County.