Visited: August 6th, Thursday Afternoon.
Open: 8-6, Thursdays, June 8th to November.
SIZE
Medium-sized. Around 11 or 12 stands, and each stand is very sizable.
VENDORS
Friendly, bilingual vendors. Usually only one vendor at each stand knows information about the farm from which the food arrives.
Samples: Not very many. Cheese, Biscotti.
QUALITY OF FOOD
Vegetables are fresh and crisp and seafood is melt-in-your-mouth-good. Many of the apples are bruised. Migliorelli Farm utilizes UV treatment, Cover Crop Rotation, and Decision Support Systems to manage the growth of its produce. Meredith’s Bread baked goods uses as local ingredients as the company can find. All fish is not farmed.
VARIETY
Vegetables:
Whole: Arugula, Basil, Beets, Bok Choy, Broccoli Rabe, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Collard Greens, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Fennel, Herbs, Kale, Kirbys, Lettuce, Onions, Parsley, Peppers, Potatoes, Radishes, Scallions, Squash, String Beans, Turnips, Zucchini.
Vegetable Products: Pickles, Canned Vegetables.
Fruit:
Whole: Apples (Empire, Golden Delicious, Gala, Red Delicious, Mutsu), Apricots, Peaches, Plums, Tomatoes (Baby, Regular, Heirloom, Beefsteak).
Fruit Products: Meredith’s Bread Jams, Apple Cider.
Bread Products:
Baked Goods: Pies, Crumbles, Cookies, Biscotti, Muffins, Cakes, Dog Biscuits, Baguettes, Sandwich Breads, Scones, Chicken Pot Pie, Quiche.
Meat:
Millport Dairy: Sausages, Beef Jerky.
Seafood (Seatuck Fish):
Shad, Bluefish, Swordfish, Croakers, Blackfish, Porgies, Skate, Tuna, Clams, Mussels.
Animal Byproducts (Millport Dairy):
Cheese: Cheddar (Variety).
Eggs
Miscellaneous:
Plants (ex. Aloe, Rosemary, Spearment)
Honey
SEASONAL CONSISTENCE
The produce in season that the market did not offer on that day was garlic, leeks, spinach, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupes and currants.
CENYC.org Information about this market
WHAT’S UNIQUE?
There are many unique aspects of the 175th Street Greenmarket. First of all, the market offers Gala apples, a crispy, savory species of apple I had not seen at any other market. Secondly, the sheer sense of community at this market is overwhelming: parents bring kids and nieces and nephews to shop with them at the markets. It is not only a necessary event – it is a fun event. Because the neighborhood is highly populated with Spanish-speaking people, most of the vendors are bilingual. In addition, the recipes offered at the Greenmarket stand in the market are available in both languages! Lastly, the market gladly accepts both EBT stamps and WIC (Women, Infants and Children) checks, making the market accessible to people of all financial backgrounds.
PRICING
Amazing prices.
Corn: $2.00/5 ears
Carrots: $2.00/bunch
Eggplant: $2.00/lb
Potatoes: $1.00/lb
Swordfish: $7.99/lb
Butter Clams and Mussels: $7.00/bag
Medium-sized Gala Apple: $0.25 each
ACTUALLY LOCAL?
Pretty local food. The farms range in location from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to Marlboro, New York.
CONVENIENCE
The location of this market is phenomenal. There are no other markets nearby, so the people in the Washington Heights neighborhood have a local market in which to shop. The space is big and blocked off from traffic, so people leisurely browse the stands, lingering to chat with their friends and family and the vendors, too. The Greenmarket takes the place of a daily market on Thursdays (the only day it is open), but this daily market (consisting of imported fruit stands and clothing stands) simply moves to the side. Thus, the local foods are competing with the imported foods, but this seems not to greatly affect it, because the business at the Greenmarket is some of the best I’ve ever seen.
NAVIGATION
Very easy to navigate – one does not bump into people as is the case in some other markets.
EBT Stamps and WIC checks accepted.
FINAL COMMENTS
The number of people smiling at the 175th Street Greenmarket demonstrates the cheerful, community feel of the market. Kids run around, asking questions about different foods, and the experience is both a learning and nourishing one. The vendors, too, are very caring and eager to socialize. The vendors at the Caradonna Farm stand put helpful signs above each apple bin, describing what each is like, i.e. how crisp, sweet and juicy they are!
