From leafy greens to stone fruits, all the produce we consume has optimal harvest and consumption times. This workshop moves from botany to selection criteria based on plant growth stage, to determine optimum maturity and ripeness of produce. Planting date, days to maturity, and degree days all help predict harvest and fruit maturity. Climacteric fruit continues to ripen after it is picked—how does this affect fruit selection? What clues do touch, sight, and smell offer for when to pick what we love to eat? How long, and under what conditions, can you store produce at its most delicious stage?