August 10, 2016 – Summer is prime farmers market season, and this week also happens to be National Farmers Market Week!
Food Bank For New York City is proud to partner with GrowNYC and its Greenmarket farmers, who donate fresh and local produce each week from four locations: Union Square, Grand Army Plaza, Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, and Rockefeller Center.
In celebration of National Farmers Market Week, here are some tips to get you started for shopping at the Farmers Market from Hillary Getty, a Food Bank Community Nutritionist.
- Take a lap around the market before you start shopping. This is a good way to get in a little extra physical activity, but it can also help you save money! Compare prices as you stroll.
- Talk to your farmers. They know what their best quality produce is and usually have good tips for using something you’ve never tried before, like kohlrabi or garlic scapes.
- Get FREE Health Bucks! Health Bucks are $2 coupons provided by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene that can only be used to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at NYC farmers markets.
- Stick to a budget. Whether you’re using Health Bucks or not, you can always ask for “$2 worth” of any produce so that you aren’t surprised by the total cost.
By shopping at these farmers markets, you support farmers as well as Food Bank. Farmers markets help preserve small and mid-size farmland, stimulate the local economy, promote sustainability, as well as provide increased access to fresh healthy food by offering produce at affordable prices and accepting SNAP benefits.
Check out this Farmers Market Map to find one in your area.