Howto:Find and Shop at your local farmer’s market

Courtesy of GrowNYC’s Greenmarket

Greenmarket was founded in 1976 with a two-fold mission: to promote regional agriculture by providing small family farms the opportunity to sell their locally grown, caught, foraged and baked products directly to consumers, and to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to the freshest, most nutritious locally grown food the region has to offer.

What began over three decades ago with 12 farmers in a parking lot on 59th Street and 2nd Avenue in Manhattan has now grown to become the largest and most diverse outdoor urban farmers market network in the country, nearly doubling in eight years from 28 locations in 2002 to over 50 in 2010, with over 200 family farms and fishermen participating, and over 30,000 acres of farmland protected from development.

This unique relationship between farmers and city residents has not only changed the face of regional agriculture; it has revitalized rural communities and urban spaces, improved consumer health, provided fresh and nutritious food to those most in need, encouraged crop diversity, educated school children and city residents about the importance of regional agriculture, inspired new culinary trends, and influenced chefs and eaters in one of the culinary capitals in the world.

What you’ll need:

 * Your own reusable canvas or plastic shopping bags
 * A shopping list

1. Find a farmer's market near you
There are farmer’s markets in every borough and many are open year round. Please see the list below to find a farmer’s market new you.

Open Year Round in Manhattan:
 * 97th Street Friday:   http://www.grownyc.org/97greenmarket
 * 82nd Street Saturday: http://www.grownyc.org/82greenmarket
 * 77th Street Sunday: http://www.grownyc.org/77greenmarket
 * Abingdon Square Saturday: http://www.grownyc.org/abingdongreenmarket
 * Bowling Green Tuesday & Thursday: http://www.grownyc.org/bowlinggreenmarket
 * Columbia Thursday & Sunday: http://www.grownyc.org/columbiagreenmarket
 * Dag Hammarskjold Pl Wednesday: http://www.grownyc.org/daghammarskjoldgreenmarket
 * Inwood Saturday: http://www.grownyc.org/inwoodgreenmarket
 * Port Authority Bus Terminal Thursday: http://www.grownyc.org/portauthoritygreenmarket
 * Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal Tuesday & Friday: http://www.grownyc.org/siferrygreenmarket
 * Tompkins Sunday: http://www.grownyc.org/tompkinsgreenmarket
 * Tribeca Saturday: http://www.grownyc.org/tribecagreenmarket
 * Tucker Square Thursday & Saturday: http://www.grownyc.org/tuckergreenmarket
 * Union Square Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday: http://www.grownyc.org/unionsquaregreenmarket

Open Year Round in Brooklyn:
 * Brooklyn Boro Hall Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday: http://www.grownyc.org/brooklynborohallgreenmarket
 * Carroll Gardens Sunday: http://www.grownyc.org/carrollgreenmarket
 * Cortelyou Rd Sunday: http://www.grownyc.org/cortelyougreenmarket
 * Fort Greene Park Saturday: http://www.grownyc.org/fortgreenegreenmarket
 * Grand Army Plaza Saturday: http://www.grownyc.org/grandarmygreenmarket
 * Greenpoint McCarren Park Saturday: http://www.grownyc.org/greenpointgreenmarket

Open Year Round in Queens:
 * Jackson Heights Sunday: http://www.grownyc.org/jacksonheightsgreenmarket

Open in the Spring through the Fall. Click on the link to get exact dates:
 * 175th Street Thursday: http://www.grownyc.org/175greenmarket
 * 92nd Street Sunday: http://www.grownyc.org/92greenmarket
 * 57th Street Saturday & Wednesday: http://www.grownyc.org/57greenmarket
 * City Hall Tuesday & Friday: http://www.grownyc.org/cityhallgreenmarket
 * Fort Washington Tuesday: http://www.grownyc.org/fortwashingtongreenmarket
 * Mount Sinai Wednesday: http://www.grownyc.org/mountsinaigreenmarket
 * Rockefeller Center Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: http://www.grownyc.org/rockefellercentergreenmarket
 * Saint Mark's Church Tuesday: http://www.grownyc.org/saintmarkschurchgreenmarket
 * Stranger's Gate Saturday: http://www.grownyc.org/strangersgategreenmarket
 * Stuyvesant Town Sunday: http://www.grownyc.org/stuyvesanttowngreenmarket
 * Tribeca Wednesday: http://www.grownyc.org/tribecagreenmarket
 * World Financial Center Battery Park City Thursday: http://www.grownyc.org/worldfinancialcentergreenmarket
 * Zuccotti Park Tuesday: http://www.grownyc.org/zuccottigreenmarket
 * Bay Ridge Saturday: http://www.grownyc.org/bayridgegreenmarket
 * Boro Park Thursday: http://www.grownyc.org/boroparkgreenmarket
 * Sunset Park Saturday: http://www.grownyc.org/sunsetparkgreenmarket
 * Williamsburg Thursday: http://www.grownyc.org/williamsburggreenmarket
 * Windsor Terrace Wednesday: http://www.grownyc.org/windsorterracegreenmarket
 * Astoria Wednesday: http://www.grownyc.org/astoriagreenmarket
 * Atlas Park Saturday: http://www.grownyc.org/atlasparkgreenmarket
 * Corona Friday: http://www.grownyc.org/coronagreenmarket
 * Elmhurst Tuesday: http://www.grownyc.org/elmhurstgreenmarket
 * Sunnyside Saturday: http://www.grownyc.org/sunnysidegreenmarket
 * Bronx Borough Hall Tuesday: http://www.grownyc.org/bronxborohallgreenmarket
 * Lincoln Hospital Tuesday & Friday: http://www.grownyc.org/lincolnhospitalgreenmarket
 * New York Botanical Garden Wednesday: http://www.grownyc.org/nybotanicalgardengreenmarket
 * Poe Park Tuesday: http://www.grownyc.org/poeparkgreenmarket
 * Saint George Saturday: http://www.grownyc.org/saintgeorgegreenmarket
 * Staten Island Mall Saturday: http://www.grownyc.org/simallgreenmarket

2. Gather your canvas or plastic bag
Though some vendors in the farmer’s market will provide plastic bags, it’s always advisable to bring your own and reuse bags that you’ve accumulated from shopping at other venues.

3. Put together a shopping list
Shopping at the farmer’s market isn’t like going to a grocery store. Vendors will normally only stock what is in season and what can only be grown or raised locally, so don’t expect to find strawberries in November. However the products you find there will always be fresh and locally grown. To find out what is currently in season, visit this site: http://www.grownyc.org/greenmarket/whatsavailable

4. Allocate extra time for exploring
Attending the farmer’s market isn’t just about the shopping, but an opportunity to taste new foods, speak to purveyors, participate in cooking demonstrations and learn about local agriculture.

Conclusion
Farmer’s markets are as diverse as the city itself. No matter where you are in NYC, you can find a bustling space filled with neighbors, families, office workers and chefs all shopping side-by-side for the freshest of products. Regardless of their size, each market is an anchor to its community providing not only fresh, locally-grown food, but also a gathering place were neighbors can come together, share recipes and support local farmers and businesses.