Classic Towns News
One of the best things about living in Greater Philadelphia is our access to fresh, local foods. And there’s no better place to find them than at one of the many farmers markets that will soon be sprouting up throughout our region. There are more than 80 at last count, and they’re all as varied and unique as the fruits, vegetables, and prepared foods they offer. A few of them are award winners, too.
Here are a few of our favorite Classic Towns Farmers Markets. They’re great places to find local freshness.
Collingswood Farmers Market
Reopens May 7, 2011
Established in 2000, The Collingswood Farmers Market is open every Saturday from May through Thanksgiving, shaded by the PATCO High Speed Line, between Collings and Irvin Avenues. With a nearly 30 vendors, the market was named America’s Favorite Small Farmers Market. Marketing Manager Betsy Cook says that the market is “A lot of people’s Saturday morning ritual. It’s where they meet their neighbors and discuss community news. You don’t see the cell phones,” says Cook, “people turn their cell phones off and talk to one another.”
Lansdowne Farmers Market
Reopens May 28, 2011
The Lansdowne Farmers Market, an America’s Favorite Farmers Marketsecond-place winner in 2010, operates from Memorial Day until Halloween on Lansdowne Avenue across from the Historic Lansdowne Theater. Established in 2007, the market is a source for fresh local foods, economic growth, borough promotion, and community cohesion. Many of the vendors also have storefront locations in Lansdowne, which makes it a great place to support main street businesses and explore downtown Lansdowne.
Germantown Weekly Farmers Market at the Wyck House
Reopens April 2, 2011
The Wyck House hosts a weekly farmers market in Germantown from May through November. Eggs and produce grown at the Wyck House’s very own Home Farm are among the items available along with baked and canned goods and items from Buckview Produce. Together, the Market and Home Farm continue a 300-year agricultural tradition of providing fresh, local produce to the surrounding community. Like many of the farmers markets in Greater Philadelphia, the Wyck House Farmers Market participates in the Farmers Market Nutrition Program, a national and state program that increases food access while benefiting local farmers.
While each of these markets is unique, what they all share is the opportunity to forge connections with local farmers, bakers, and food producers. Betsy Cook, from Collingswood, says that the shoppers who get the most out of their experience are those who stop and talk with the vendors. She recounts one vendor who sells carrots with tops on or off depending on customer preferences, and keeps the carrot tops for a market patron who has rabbits. This type of arrangement would not have been possible in a conventional food retail location nor without the opportunity for a direct connection between grower and consumer.