On a recent anniversary trip to Italy, James Monaco, a publisher based in Sag Harbor, was startled by what he saw in a Rome book store. "There were three full shelves, floor to ceiling, of agritourism books," he said, referring to the notion of touring a region's food and wine producers as part of a vacation. Monaco's publishing company focuses on local issues, including hiking and kayaking guides, as well as books of poetry by local authors.

And now the company has published a guide to Long Island farm stands, farmers markets, CSAs (community supported agriculture or food subscription schemes) and local food purveyors. With a detailed list of farm stands and gourmet food shops-big and small, renowned and undiscovered-the book would make a perfect gift for any foodie that is new to the area or the locals who are curious to see if they have found all the good food in their own backyard. (Who knew that Nassau County had so many farm stands or that the farm stand around the corner from me was named after the farmer's twin girls?) "What we discovered in doing the research is that there are many more farmers markets and CSAs on the Island than you would imagine," said Monaco, who plans to make the book an annual series and is working on a guide to Long Island's wineries. (Find the book at local bookstores, farmers markets, and hepdigital.com.)

Just as the interest in eating local has multiplied so have the guides to make it easier to find that nearby harvest. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County has just released its 2007 Pick-Your-Own List, identifying fruit and vegetable farms complete with locations, telephone numbers, and picking hours. (For those who like to plan ahead, there’s even a list of pick-your-own Christmas tree farms.) For a free copy, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: U-Pick, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, 423 Griffing Avenue, Riverhead, NY 11901 or download the list at: www.cce.cornell.edu/suffolk.

Long Island Farm Bureau offers a free, colorful Farmstand Guide (call 727-3777), with information on more than 50 farmstands and pick-your-own farms, as well as an all new interactive farmstand map at www.LongIslandFarmstands.com.