Marigold season is in full bloom as fall traditions get underway.

Erik Chalhoub here, noting that early fall is my favorite time of the year. I look forward to Halloween celebrations all year, and even though we've now entered our summer weather, the occasional rain balances out those hot days.

Right now, it’s a colorful time to be outside and enjoy nature. Fall leaves are dropping to prepare for the cold of winter, and marigolds are in full bloom in various fields. It’s always a visual treat to drive on Hall Road in Royal Oaks and see Lopez Flowers’ prominent marigold fields adding color to the landscape.

This is an important time of the year for those of Mexican heritage who celebrate Día de los Muertos, honoring family and friends who have died. Marigolds are a big part of that celebration.

Like any product, it’s important to source locally to keep your dollars circulating in our community. If you’re celebrating Día de los Muertos, consider buying your marigolds grown at a local farm. And a new group has formed to help with that.

The Marigold Collective is an initiative of Santa Cruz-based Regeneration, which offers assistance to farmers of Mexican heritage. The goal is to provide a platform for small-scale organic marigold growers to sell their flowers, and in turn, help them share their culture to the broader community.

As it launched just this year, the collective is small but growing, says Regeneration founder Josefina Lara Chavez, with growers participating across the Central Coast, including some in Monterey County, alongside other agricultural professionals and artists.

Those interested in buying marigolds can fill out a pre-order form on the Marigold Collective’s website.

Chavez says she’s been approached by many farmers who grow the flowers not just for themselves and their own Día de los Muertos traditions, but also for their farming benefits. Marigolds repel some pests such as nematodes and aphids through a scent emitted by their roots, help improve soil health over time and bring in pollinators.

Many, though, see selling marigolds as an economic opportunity, which is where the Marigold Collective comes in to help.

What is your fall tradition? For me, I’ll be enjoying seeing all the yellows and oranges before we are bombarded with reds and greens for the rest of the year.