Farmers Market Opens Today!

Posted in Programs and Events on June 17 2009, by Plant Talk

Shop Each Wednesday and Now Saturdays, Too
Gayle Schmidt is Manager of Public Education.
For weeks I haven’t been able to walk down the hallway without someone stopping me to ask, “When does the Farmers Market start?” Everyone at the Garden loves the season when we can purchase farm fresh goods at lunch hour and spend the rest of the afternoon planning recipes for dinner (well, in theory at least). Finally, I can let them know that the time is now—and that the Farmers Market is bigger and better than ever. We have expanded the Market to include Saturdays as well as Wednesdays, we have lengthened the daily hours, and we have increased the offerings to include meats and cheeses along with the colorful array of fruits, vegetables, honey, breads, and baked goods.

Farmers markets are a great way to learn more about where your food comes from and how delicious it can be when it has been picked within a day of your purchase. Greenmarket, part of the Council on the Environment of New York City and the largest open-air farmers market program in the country, has coordinated farmers and vendors since 1976 and maintains vigorous standards for sustainable farming and production. There are over 45 Greenmarket farmers markets throughout the City, and now the Botanical Garden’s can be counted among them.

Each week at our Farmers Market, the market manager will cook up something good or select different varieties of produce for you to sample. You can get first-hand information straight from the farmers about what is currently in season and why, learning about a plant’s life cycle—how it sprouts from seed, leafs out, blooms flowers, forms fruits, and then stores extra energy in its roots at the end of its season. This is why you will find certain goods only at certain times of the year—asparagus (a sprout) in spring, broccoli (a flower) in early summer, apples (a fruit) later in the summer and into autumn, and potatoes (a root) in autumn. Some farms have greenhouses and can fool the plants into different seasons of growth to expand their availability at market longer in the year. Throughout the season, you can also pick up recipes at the Farmers Market or find them on our Web site. You can also call 718.362.9561 and press 406# to hear what’s available.

During our opening week, you are likely to find peas, asparagus, strawberries, and spinach. If the weather cooperates and allows for a good fresh harvest of these ingredients, we will be able to demonstrate how to make a delicious strawberry vinaigrette dressing for a spinach salad. Add a few walnuts for crunch, and dinner will be set!