Down to Earth Park Slope Farmers Market
Brooklyn, New York
Vaughan - February 5th, 2022 - If you live in Ontario like I do, you will know that the weather has been absolutely painful. To be more specific, I am talking about the sub-zero temperatures that caused my car to break down (I’m not kidding). So what better way to mentally escape the environmental forces at present than to reminisce on a visit to a beautiful farmers’ market this past summer. And funny enough, this specific market visit featured high temperatures that were on the other extreme of the cold in Ontario this week.
It was a sweltering Sunday morning in July when my friend and I walked from her apartment in Prospect Park to Park Slope to visit the Down to Earth Park Slope Farmers Market. Despite the heat, we were greeted by smiling guests and vendors stretching the sidewalk through the park. And not only that, but it was BUSY. Now that I visited and experienced the amazing array of farmers, bakers, and artisans, I understand why extreme heat wouldn’t deter the community from visiting. We spoke to a few very unique vendors such as two ladies who sold specialty milk, and another who made and sold spirulina bites and cubes.
The Park Slope Farmers Market is open year round, every Sunday. In January and February the market runs from 10am to 2pm, while the remainder of the year runs from 9am to 2pm. However, the Park Slope market is one of nine markets in the Down to Earth family! Down to Earth Markets bring together two kinds of vendors: local farmers and area food makers who source locally. By incorporating qualified producers into the markets, they expand upon the traditional farmers market. More local food entrepreneurs find a venue to sell their products directly to shoppers. In turn, shoppers benefit by discovering a greater offering of local foods at the markets. Best yet, regional agriculture thrives, as more businesses source from area farms.
The main mission of Down to Earth is to:
Create economic opportunities for local farmers, processors, and consumers to trade with one another for mutual benefit;
Celebrate food culture together to enhance community life; and
Cultivate knowledge, awareness, and practices among consumers and producers to care for the environment and build the local food economy.
And I think they do a beautiful job at this. So if you are in any of the Down to Earth communities this summer, be sure to visit. To find out which of the nine markets are open year round, visit their website.
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