The free 2007 Puget Sound Fresh Farm Guide from Puget Sound Fresh, a program of Cascade Harvest Coalition, is now available at most local libraries and Highline retail stores.

Participating "partner" stores with guides available include PCC Natural Markets and Safeway stores.

The Puget Sound Fresh Farm Guide is the most comprehensive printed guide to locally produced farm products in the 12-county Puget Sound Fresh region. It is also available online at www.pugetsoundfresh.org.

The 36-page booklet is the consumer's guide to local agricultural products, with listings of U-pick farms, farmers markets, participating retail grocers, restaurants and caterers, recipes and farm activity information.

For in-season updates, consumers are invited to sign up for the "What's Fresh NOW" e-mail newsletter, by visiting the Web site.

"We are very excited this year," said Wendy Dore, Puget Sound Fresh coordinator. "As the desire for more locally-grown products increases, this guide offers consumers an easy reference for finding and purchasing these products, a seasonal harvest guide and recipes for delicious ways to prepare them.

"The Farm Guide provides maps to the farms and information on ways consumers can contribute to maintaining our local agricultural lands while enjoying the bounty of our Puget Sound region."

This year, the farm guide includes information on over 100 farms and farmers markets throughout the region.

Early crops are beginning to arrive now at local markets. Detailed information on specific farms, products and locations, consumers also is available at www.pugetsoundfresh.org.

Puget Sound Fresh is a program of Cascade Harvest Coalition, supported by King, Snohomish, Pierce and Kitsap counties, and participating farms, farmers markets, retail grocers and restaurants.

Its goal is to encourage consumers to purchase locally grown products when they are in season.

More information also is available at www.cascadeharvest.org or 425-644-4331 or 206-632-0606.