Things just keep getting better and better at your local farmers’ market. On your next visit, you’re bound to find rows, boxes, and heaps of sugar snap peas, blueberries, grape tomatoes, cherries, and zucchini, all at their peak of flavor. Take the time to enjoy the colors and taste.
Happy Marketing!
-Meaghin
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The Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket is the second largest New York and Brooklyn based farmers’ market, after Union Square Market. Yet despite the constant crowds and number of vendors, the Grand Army and Union Square markets are decidedly different experiences.
Grand Army Plaza market is located in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, at the intersection of Prospect Park West, Union Street, Flatbush Avenue, and Eastern Parkway. A New York City historic landmark, Grand Army Plaza is an eleven acre plaza adjacent to Prospect Park. (Source: Wikipedia) Grand Army Plaza was one of the first features of Prospect Park to be built. (NYC Dept of Parks and Recreatation)
The most iconic feature of the plaza is the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch, a memorial in commemoration to the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War. At a certain angle, you can spot the Empire State Building through this arch! In addition to the 585 acre Prospect Park, the plaza puts visitors in easy walking distance to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and the many restaurants and shops in Park Slope. Farm-to-table, locally source restaurants include Rosewater (my favorite place for brunch), Applewood, Franny’s, and Bussaco.
For all of Grand Army Plaza’s positives, the convergence of all of those roads has led to traffic woes and congestion. Crossing from Prospect Park West into Grand Army Plaza is not always an easy task. There is a plan in the works from the Department of Transportation, based on a 2008 year-long study and competition from the Design Trust, to expand pedestrian space and ease traffic flow.
The Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket is a neighborhood gathering place with a passionate and loyal customer base. As one Brooklyn Yelp review shared, “I try to go every week. Great food, really friendly people, and I always feel so good voting with my dollars here.” Open year-round, the greenmarket is not a tourist attraction but rather an incredibly valuable (and integral) part of many Brooklynites’ Saturday. Wandering the market provides you with a close up view of people at their most ‘real’, whether they are connecting with each other, getting excited over the market offerings, or forming relationships with the farmers.
Over half of the farmers accept credit card and EBT/food stamps. The market provides true one stop shopping. Your milk needs are taken care of by Milk Thistle or Ronnybrook. There are a plethora of vegetable farmers, including but not limited to Kernan Farms, Williams Fruit Farm, and Evolutionary Organics. If you’re looking for extra protein in your diet, DiPaola Turkey, Arcadian Pastures, and Blue Moon Fish are all well-loved vendors. It’s highly unlikely that you’ll return home empty handed, whether you’re looking for cheese, flowers, lavender, or fruit! For the full list, see our Grand Army Market page.
May 15th: The Tour de Farmers’ Markets will be stopping at Grand Army Plaza
May 22nd: Book signing with Max McCalman, author of Mastering Cheese: Lessons for Connoisseurship from a Maître Fromager. You’ll be able to sample cheese and chat with Max.
Happy Marketing!
-Meaghin
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