Greenmarkets

A city-wide network of producer-only markets, anchored by one of the best farmers' markets in the country.

New York's principal farmers' market network is Greenmarket, operated by the non-profit GrowNYC. It runs markets across all five boroughs, and its defining rule is that it is producer-only — the people selling grew, raised, caught or made what is on the table. No resale, no wholesale middlemen.

That rule is the whole reason the network is worth using rather than a supermarket.

Union Square

The flagship, and the largest. It runs several days a week, year-round, on the north and west sides of Union Square, and it is where a very large share of the city's restaurant kitchens shop.

Going early on a market day gets you the best of it. Going late gets you the discounts. Going on a weekday is markedly calmer than a Saturday.

Beyond produce there are bakers, cheesemakers, fishmongers, cider and wine producers, meat and dairy, and — in season — an extraordinary range of things that never reach a shop because they do not travel or keep.

The wider network

Dozens of other markets run across the city, most on one or two days a week and many seasonally. Neighbourhood markets are smaller but often better for actually talking to producers, since nobody is queuing behind you.

GrowNYC publishes current locations, days and seasons — check there rather than relying on any static list, since markets are added, moved and closed each year.

Seasonality here

The regional growing season shapes what appears. Broadly: greens and asparagus in spring; berries, stone fruit, tomatoes and corn through summer; apples, squash, brassicas and roots in autumn; storage crops, roots, alliums and greenhouse greens through winter.

Winter markets are smaller but they are not empty, and the winter regulars are often the most interesting producers.

Practical

• Bring cash and bags. Most take cards now, but not all, and change is scarce early.
• Greenmarkets accept SNAP/EBT, and the Health Bucks programme matches a portion of SNAP spending at participating markets — a genuinely significant discount that is under-used.
• Ask questions. Producer-only means the person can answer them, which is the point.
• Compost. Many market sites host food-scrap drop-off, though the programme has been disrupted in recent years — check before hauling a bucket across town.