Best Local Farmers Markets in New Orleans
A lot of us have come to appreciate the importance of local, fresh food for our overall health and nutrition. This is probably why farmers markets have been growing in popularity in recent years. Produce sold at farmers markets are grown within the region and picked within days of being sold. Unlike much of the produce sold in big supermarket chains, produce sold at farmers markets have exceptional flavor and are packed with vitamins and minerals nutrition. Most local food is grown without pesticides and don’t need to be sprayed with chemicals to survive the journey to the market.
New Orleanians are no different than the rest of the country; having demanded local, fresh food of years. Thankfully, farmers and food entrepreneurs have responded. Farmers markets in New Orleans are plentiful and are open just about every single day. Here is a list of the top farmers markets in the greater New Orleans area:
Since 2007, the Freret Market has been feeding and entertaining New Orleans from its Uptown location at the intersection of Freret Street and Napoleon Avenue. The market is open the first Saturday of every month. Visitors can enjoy food, art and flea market from over 90 different vendors. Besides all of the great shopping, the market also hosts local restaurants serving up their unique cuisine, live music and an area especially designated for kids.
Hours:
Saturday (1st of month)
Intersection of Freret St. and Napoleon Ave.
11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Since 1995, Crescent City Farmers Market (CCFM) operates weekly, year-round in four New Orleans neighborhoods. CCFM hosts nearly 80 local small farmers, fishers and food producers, and more than 100,000 shoppers annually. You need to check their website for the updates.
Key features:
- Staff travels throughout the region to forage for the region’s tastiest ingredients
- Produce is usually picked the day before and travels less than 400 miles to get to your table
- Food safety is a top priority; staff conducts market inspections to ensure compliance with food safety guidelines, like proper temperature control
Hours & Location:
Tuesday - Uptown
200 Broadway St. at the River
9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Wednesday - French Quarter
1235 N. Peters St. in the French Market
1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Thursday - Mid-City
3700 Orleans Ave. at the Bayou
3:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Saturdays
Downtown
750 Carondelet St. at Julia St.
8:00 am to 12:00 pm
and
Rivertown
Williams Blvd. and the River
9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Launched in 2015, the Sankofa Farmers Market is a small but integral part of the Lower Ninth Ward community that brings quality produce like leafy vegetables, citrus fruits and yams among many others. They also provide the neighborhood and engaging the youth leaders to educate them on the basics of agriculture and the importance of nutrition.
Key features:
- Fresh Food Pantry that offers families foods that follow the American Heart Association nutrition guidelines.
- Mobile market that provides fresh produce to senior citizens in the Lower Ninth Ward..
- They offer a program though HEAL which provides children and their families a thorough understanding of the nutritional value of a healthy diet with fresh whole foods.
- Offers a hands-on healthy cooking and gardening activities at the Sankofa Community Resource Center and Villa at St. Maurice.
- They also operates their own mini-farm where they grow organically grown produce and herbs
Hours:
Open Every Saturday
5029 St. Claude Ave.
9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Located just across the Mississippi River from New Orleans, the Gretna Farmers Market is open every Saturday year-round. The market features local fresh produce, baked goods, meats, jellies, sauces and flowers. It also has a live craft scene, including paintings, jewelry, blown glass, soaps, candles and more. Live music is also a staple of the market, so check their website to see the lineup each weekend.
Hours:
Saturday
Gretna pavilion on the corner of 2nd St. and Huey P. Long Ave.
8:30 am to 12:30 pm
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