Kicked off the new season of local farmer’s market with a visit to the Brookhaven Market on Dresden Ave. Originally we were going to visit the Atlanta Food Truck Park, which hosts a farmer’s market on Saturdays. But when we arrived, there were only four vendors set up, and not a single one had fresh produce. It was more like a mini flea market, with someone selling jewelery, someone selling crafts, someone selling pound cake, and someone selling iced coffee drinks. It is a young market, so maybe it will develop, but on this day is was very disappointing and we did not stay more than a few minutes.
We next opted for the Peachtree Road Farmer’s Market, held every Saturday on the grounds of the Catherdral of St. Philip. It claims to be the largest produce only open air market in town, and hosts numerous chef demos every Saturday. For some reason, they were no open this Saturday; they ran their market in the evening the previous Friday.
Getting desperate and annoyed, we finally found directions to the Brookhaven Market which was happily A)open, and B)small, but bustling and featured a number of diverse vendors. It is set up in the parking lot behind two restaurants (who are both customers as well of many of the produce vendors). I think there were about 12 vendors, so it didn’t take long to go through, but we did amble and talk with the people at the tables. There was a Jamacian couple who made fresh Mojito and Ginger Tonic juices, bottled and ready to mix with your favorite alcohol, or just drink straight. A Middle Eastern woman selling hummus, nan, and chutney. Produce vendors with assortments of fresh vegetables, still dirty and smelling of the gardens. This included a guy selling scarlet turnips, which I had never heard of but were quite mild and slightly sweet, even raw. A woman selling beer soap, the peach guy with crates of SC peaches, a woman selling assorted bread loaves made from freshly milled grains, a guy selling pasta and Italian breakfast cookies.
I spoke for a while with a woman who was selling assorted jarred soups, dips, and raw vegan chips she made in her dehydrator. She made them from flax meal, ground almonds, pureed yellow squash, and some other stuff. I tried a sample and thought it was quite good. I have a friend who is raw vegan who I expect to see in a week or so. If I haven’t gotten into them myself I will probably give them to her to enjoy.
I also spent a little time talking to a man who was selling farm-raised chickens and eggs. His eggs were about the same as the organic eggs I buy in Kroger, but his his chicken was around $4.60/pound. I still can’t get past this, and I think a lot of other people can’t either. I get why they cost what they do, but it is still to hard to swallow, buying a whole chicken for $20-$25. For the market to become sustainable someone is going to have to bite the bullet and pay up, but on this day it wasn’t going to be me. We also sampled some local goat cheeses which were pretty good, if not outstanding.
As a bonus, behind the market in the greenspace of an apartment complex I found a small vegetable garden set up for the residents. It was neat and well tended, with a garden bench at one end for people to sit and just be at peace in the garden. More and more, in tiny spaces and available niches, people are generating an excited energy about gardens, local produce, fresh ingredients, handmade products, and sustainable foods.
It is a nice little market that, while it didn’t hold anything outstanding or especially unique, was a pleasant and cozy addition to the character of that neighborhood.
We next opted for the Peachtree Road Farmer’s Market, held every Saturday on the grounds of the Catherdral of St. Philip. It claims to be the largest produce only open air market in town, and hosts numerous chef demos every Saturday. For some reason, they were no open this Saturday; they ran their market in the evening the previous Friday.
I also spent a little time talking to a man who was selling farm-raised chickens and eggs. His eggs were about the same as the organic eggs I buy in Kroger, but his his chicken was around $4.60/pound. I still can’t get past this, and I think a lot of other people can’t either. I get why they cost what they do, but it is still to hard to swallow, buying a whole chicken for $20-$25. For the market to become sustainable someone is going to have to bite the bullet and pay up, but on this day it wasn’t going to be me. We also sampled some local goat cheeses which were pretty good, if not outstanding.
It is a nice little market that, while it didn’t hold anything outstanding or especially unique, was a pleasant and cozy addition to the character of that neighborhood.
