By Skye Wu
On a sweltering Thursday afternoon on the Upper West Side, Devin Washington is packing up produce from the GrowNYC’s Tucker Square Greenmarket on West 66th Street and Broadway.
“GrowNYC (formerly the Council on the Environment of New York City), founded in 1970, is a hands-on nonprofit, which improves New York City’s quality of life through environmental programs that transform communities block by block,” according to Charity Navigator.
One of the ways it does this is through its Greenmarkets program. Not only do Greenmarkets offer locally grown produce to New Yorkers, they give regional farmers the experience of selling fresh produce at farmers markets throughout New York City, and providing New Yorkers with compost access.
Devon Washington prefers working at the Tucker Square location to GrowNYC’s world-famous, flagship Union Square farmer’s market, which has been running since 1976. “The Upper West Side has much more community than Union Square’s transient energy….it really feels like an extension of living in New York. Around 75% of customers are residents of the Upper West Side,” he said.
Jo-Ann Wasilewski, Greenmarket manager site leader for the Tucker Square location, remarked on how Upper West Siders “love to compost and mob Greenmarkets.” She concluded that we’re “sick and tired of rats. The more we compost, the less garbage there is and the less rats,” she said. “It is up to us to fix environmental issues and it is a group effort.”
Note: Currently, composting is even more accessible with the ‘NYC Compost’ app which displays all orange compost bin locations scattered throughout New York City. While Greenmarkets offer compost opportunities, these permanent compost bins can be used at someone’s own convenience and service.
All the farmers and producers selling at Greenmarkets come from small to midsize family-owned farms, within a 200-mile radius of New York City. They produce, grow, catch, bake, and forage every product sold. By shopping at Greenmarkets, customers are supporting regional agriculture and helping to create a symbiotic relationship between the city economy and the rural economy. Farm stands focus on providing underserved neighborhoods with access to fresh local foods through nutrition benefits, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). According to Andrina Sanchez, Communication Lead of Grow NYC, “People using these benefits stretch their dollars, having more access to food daily.”
When the pandemic hit, all of the programs were impacted. However, the greenmarkets were still able to operate considering their outside location. Grow NYC’s team was able to pivot, incorporating social distancing by not allowing customers to interact with the produce.
There are Greenmarkets at these locations on or near the UWS: West 57 Street & 10 Avenue; West 66 Street & Broadway; Columbus Avenue between West 77 & 81 Streets; West 97 Street between Columbus & Amsterdam Avenues; and West 114 St & Broadway. Click the link for exact times and locations.
When the construction of the Natural History museum’s glistening new Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation was in progress, GrowNYC worked closely with the AMNH to adapt. Sanchez explained, “GrowNYC navigated changes by moving producers’ stands to new locations, identified alternative parking spots for trucks, and continued to bring the community the freshest, local food in our region!”
Many thanks to Skye Wu for this excellent, in-depth report on our truly wonderful and vibrant local greenmarkets. I salute the intensely dedicated, hardworking farmers and GrowNYC managers and organizers! (And thanks, too, to the WSR for including a reminder about the city’s expanding composting program; it’s so important that everybody participate–and couldn’t be easier, with those cool new orange compost bins all over the UWS now!)
Who can afford these prices ?
Really? You get better produce, better tasting produce at the green market for less than you would get at a supermarket. The green market is a win-win.
Fresher & better tasting, yes. But FAR more expensive than local grocery stores, including “whole paycheck.”
I agree that the produce is very expensive and not something I would buy on any regular basis. On the other hand I know they have expenses they have to meet and I do like the presence of the markets for those who want to buy. But they are really out of reach for many especially since regular market items are so expensive as well.
It’s true that the produce over the years in these Green markets has gone up astronomically.
I favor the one near Columbia. I picked up two mid-size potatoes and went to pay. It was $4!!
$2 a potato!
Try the apples, in season. A bag of delicious fresh-picked mixed apples is only $3.
How does buying apples help when you need potatoes or any other fruit or veggies for that matter?
The quality, freshness and flavor of Greenmarket produce and other market offerings stand head and shoulders above grocery store goods. It’s worth paying a modest premium to get tasty foods instead of Styrofoam.
GrowNYC runs the Greenmarkets very well. No shady vendors, no questionable merchandise. Helpful staff at the GrowNYC booths assist shoppers and vendors, and offer seasonal menu dish suggestions.
I love the Greenmarkets, year around!
I agree that the quality of greenmarket produce is generally but not always of higher quality that supermarket items.
I disagree that the premium is “modest” on most items.
The farmers’ market along Columbus Ave and 77th Street is one of my favorite Sunday activities, despite the ongoing (for years) adjacent construction at AMNH. As a devoted dog-watcher, it’s the place to be on a Sunday morning; the canine viewing alone is worth the price of admission!
Thanks for highlighting GrowNYC. They do the hard work of building community while providing NYers with beautiful , unpackaged produce. Their commitment to compost and textile collection is great too. Haven’t got started with compost yet? See kitchen management tips on the compost resource page of itseasybeinggreen.org.
Nice. Many thanks.
The concerns about farmers’ market prices are legitimate. Not everyone can afford to buy there (though there is a way to trade in SNAP benefits for “currency” you can spend at the market). But if you can…prices reflect costs, and if we don’t support local agriculture, it will die. We’re never going to achieve “food independence” in NY but it would be nice not to be completely reliant on shipped-in produce from distant states!
I agree that the AMNH market has a nicer community feel than the more touristy Union Square.
I agree about the prices mostly, but the eggs are often less expensive than those in surrounding super markets. And I look forward to buying blueberries that taste like blueberries. The season is very short, and then it’s back to less expensive “cardboard” blueberries.
Meh. Eggs at W77 Farmers Market are $8/dozen. I pay it because the egg lady says they are truly free running chickens but they are definitely more expensive than the (questionably) free running eggs at Fairway.
Same with tomatoes. The greenmarket tomatoes are so delightfully sweet, they taste like candy. Store tomatoes, not so much.
Yes, I personally go there for tomatoes.
Silver Moon Bakery has been buying fresh rhubarb from Samascott farms every June for the last three years. We look forward to it, so much fresher, and more delicious than the commercial variety. We are so happy that our Columbia University area farmers market exists. I use it also for my personal shopping as I live in the neighborhood.
Thank you
Years ago-and I mean YEARS ago, the premise of a “Farmers Market” was for farmers to sell their goods with a mark-up somewhere between whole sale and retail. This way the farmer was able to make a bit more for his goods than selling wholesale and the consumer could buy fresh produce at below supermarket prices-a Win-Win for all. Last year, at the Union Square Market, I passed a booth selling one head of organic lettuce for $5.00 up a dollar from the prior year, spring onions were $4.00, squash $6.00 per pound. Another booth selling Organic produce (prices at this booth have always been sky high) -for example- had organic ginger for $64.00 a pound, purple string beans $8.00 per pound, tomatoes $8.00 per pound. Seems to me the Win-Win is Long Gone.
Have you noticed what has happened to fuel prices lately? Unless they are driving solar powered electric vehicles with paid off loans, and their workers are not taking living wages, these farmers are paying a lot to get this produce to us too. Good food, fresh, organic local food, is not cheap. But it is worth supporting and worth it to eat. I am budget conscious. I buy a mix. And believe me, even if I get organic bok choy from local store the same week, the purple/red bok choy at Tucker square at the start of the season – is like a different vegetable! It’s like briefly eating in France or Italy – the difference in substance, flavor, and freshness. It’s not available every month, but for that taste, for whatever nutrients they have in that soil in central Pennsylvania, the work of that 4 acre farm, I am grateful. I know everyone will eat very well at my own table if I do simple prep on those good greens, beans, squashes, etc. Totally worth it.
If Whole Foods and a variety of other markets can buy Organic Produce from these farmers and then sell it to the consumer for Far Less than what the SAME produce is being sold for at the Farmer’s Market, in my opinion, the whole point of a Farmer’s Market has been lost. Their price increases have little to do with “Fuel Prices” but more to do with what New Yorker’s are willing to pay. If you choose to pay absurd prices for Organic Produce-Bully for You-then expect prices at the FM to go even higher. Even though I can More than afford to pay their prices, I won’t play that game because next season-the prices will be even higher as in the case of the Organic Ginger which has gone from $25 per pound several years ago to last years price of $64 per pound. I have no problem with farmers making a good living, as every one should. I have a HUGE problem with consumers being taken advantage of. Locally grown Organic tomatoes for 50% of what some growers at the Farmers Market are selling them for? Yes Please! Whole Foods here I come-Totally Worth It. Oh and by the way Mandy W-many of these Farmers at the Market have restaurant accounts. Do you think the restaurants are paying what You are paying for the produce? That would be a hard No.
Most of what WF sells is not coming from local small to mid-sized farms. Go sometime and compare how much of that produce has any origin label at all versus generic “organic.” Organic farming is big business these days.
If you want these farms to go on existing, you have to buy their product. If it’s not worth it to you (or you can’t afford it; no shame in that), don’t. Personally, I find that having very fresh local ingredients helps a lot when I’m trying to make sure I get my veggies, but it may not matter as much to someone else.
And of course restaurants who buy dozens of pounds of product get a better price than customers buying two potatoes. Come on.
Thank You for letting me know that Organic farming is “big business”. I had No Idea in spite of the fact that I have purchased Only Organic food for 25+ years both from Farmers Markets, small local health food stores and chain stores. Whether they sell to small grocery stores or Whole Foods is irrelevant as is the amount that is purchased. My original post is about the Loss of what a Farmer’s Market Used to be. And No,Come On, I do not expect customers buying 2 potatoes to get the same price as a small West Village restaurant that may buy more. HOWEVER-I do not expect the consumer to be charged Considerably more. If you think farmers charging-in some cases- laughable prices for produce-again $64.00 per pound for organic ginger root-because they can- is appropriate- then by all means-Support them. I choose instead to buy from less greedy Farmers-My choice.
If you want to give your money to Jeff Bezos instead of a small, local family farm, then “bully for you.”
Thank You-I will. I buy Wherever the price is Fair. Not all prices are fair at Whole Foods-nor anywhere for that matter. I shop when and where they are!
Thank you for the info, will definitely try this bok choy