This is one of my favorite green markets to go to in Queens. They usually have a large selection of…read morefresh produce, lavender, fresh baked goods, fresh fish, honey and selection of yogurts. They are only open on Sundays so make sure to make it early to get all these great products. My favorite reason to go is to interact with the workers. My favorite employee is Pierina; she would always have a smile on her face and was always available to help. When I didn't have cash, she would help me with the debit and credit tokens. I have not seen her in a while so I am wondering what happened to her since she has been working there every Sunday since I can remember. I will try to locate her at other green markets.

Smaller than the Saturdays Union Square Farmers' Market but also packed with lots of variety!…read more I enjoy visiting this farmers' market because of the variety of produce brought to the local street(s). One can find anything from flowers to herbs, spices, fruits, veggies, apple cider, Korean pastes, free samples, vegan baked goods, breads, cookies, fish, duck and other poultry, pig products, beef, assorted mushrooms, tamales (the one closer to 78th street is best, but if you're up for a sweet or dessert tamale, go to the lady on 80th), booze, syrups, honeys, NYC groups that take used clothing and textiles, compost, and a recycling book stand where anyone can take, swap, or donate books. It's also one block away from Travers Park which was recently updated. Great place to go for a stroll and enjoy. Happy shops!

The Sunnyside Greenmarket is open all year, every Saturday, from 8 AM to 2 or 3 PM, depending on…read morethe season. On the day I visited, there were about 10-12 vendors from NY, NJ, and beyond, and the majority of them were farms offering produce. I did a little comparison shopping, and prices between them were pretty similar. There were free samples here and there too. And the selections varied so they weren't all selling the exact same tomatoes and greens. Besides fruits and veggies, I spotted baked goods, honey, dairy products, and meat. One cool thing about this particular Greenmarket is that there was a book swap and a composting station too. The layout is tight. All the vendors are in a row along the sidewalk, and they take up most of the sidewalk so at times you have to dodge other people, children, bikes, strollers, and dogs. Speaking of dogs, there's a dog run in the adjacent park. Of course, I ended up buying/spending too much, but it was well worth it for the delicious fresh local ingredients!

Very nice market that has enough variety and fresh produce, pies, ciders, etc. Everyone is kind,…read morethe park is nice and the prices are very reasonable.

This is a a great old school Lower East Side produce store. I've found the fruit and vegetables to…read morebe cheaper and of a higher quality than the produce a bit further west in Chinatown. I am not sure how old the owner is. He could be in his 80s. He does all the additions by hand. My sense is that he closes the shop as soon as he has sold all his stuff for the day.

They have the best-tasting romaine lettuce! But $4 per head :( But certified organic :)…read more One of their cucumbers could set you back $5. So if you are a taste fiend like me, or you just want an exquisite treat, stop by their stand at the Union Square Greenmarket, and make sure you get there early, because they are usually packing up by 3:00pm!

I've been a member of the Kew Gardens CSA for three seasons now (and in fair disclosure, also have…read morevolunteer for the 'core' group to help out as well). What I like about the CSA is that it gives you a means to support your local organic farm (in this case, Garden of Eve on Long Island, NY) and an opportunity to meet your friends and neighbors and to build up your community together. I've never been much of the cooking type and can't follow a recipe to save my life -- however, through the CSA I've been able to acquaint myself with new and fresh produce and acquire a much better understanding of how availability can change seasonally and by crop. The variety of food you might get in a share on any given time is pretty incredible. Over the course of a season (Spring / Fall / Winter) you're likely to receive a mixed variety of the following: Tomatoes, carrots, potatoes (Idaho, red, purple), sweet potatoes, cabbage, celeriac, daikon, onions, garlic, butternut squash, cucumbers (regular and "lemon"), basil, brussel sprouts, broccoli, radishes, rutabagas, mesclun lettuce, mizuna, mustards, bok choi, escarole, raddichio, scallions, Swiss chard, collards, mustard and other greens. Of course, if you haven't encountered any of these before in your supermarket, part of the real fun is sharing recipes and cooking tips and learning from your fellow CSA members how to prepare them.

If you want excellent, fresh produce, but have no place within walking distance to buy it and you…read morecan't grow it yourself, then a CSA is right for you! I belong to the Briarwood CSA after being part of the KGCSA and the West Harlem CSA. I get my bag of groceries twice a month. I love everything that I get. Because of CSAs, I eat and cook more fruits and vegetables which have helped me in my battle to lose weight. I've met many neighbors through CSA because we have regular get-togethers and we volunteer to help once a season. I also like knowing the folks who are growing my food. Eve (Garden of Eve farm) and her family are good people. I have gone out to the farm on several occasions. It is a lovely drive out on Long Island's north fork.

Vegetables are my cocaine, and Stanton Street CSA is my dealer of choice! They give me the pure…read morestuff! In a CSA, you buy a "share" of the produce, and get whatever they give you, thus assuming some of the risk of farming. My boyfriend and I split a summer share where we get veggies, fruits, and flowers (at about $26/week, or $13/week each). We go pick up the goods at the drop off every Thursday from 5:30 to 7:30, using a cloth bag of course (it doesn't take much to make me feel smug). The drop is at the M'Finda Kalunga garden, or as I call it, the M'afinga Bunga Kalinga Minga Dinga Shanene Garden. We get plenty of food for both of us (often too much), and it's really fun to get different vegetables that you wouldn't normally buy (kohlrabi anyone?). The one time this summer we had an empty vegetable drawer, we celebrated with cocktails. I like feeling connected to the land (my parents both grew up farming and ranching), so picking up my own produce from my own piece of a farm will always trump wading through the waxy neon freak veggies at the supermarket. It's visceral folks, very visceral. As far as CSA's go, I don't really have much of a reference frame, since this is my first. The quality of the veggies is comparable to that of the Union Square green market. The fruit was not very abundant, and in the beginning, not very flavorful (though it was a lot cheaper than the veggies). If you're looking for value, don't join up. This is about eating healthy, tasty, locally grown foods, and to me it is well worth the modest price they ask. Let your inner hippie free, do it!

This place is really great! They've been under new management for the past few years and saw a…read moretotal revamp because of it. Their clean shelves are always stocked with anything you might need for your home, pantry, cooking, baking or munching needs. They now have a fully operational deli counter and grill for hot/cold sandwiches, salads, and other fresh foods. Their fresh flowers are better and last longer than any you'll find at a more expensive store. My husband buys flowers from them pretty regularly and they stay fresh and beautiful in our home for at least a couple weeks. The service is always friendly, whether you're coming in at 6am for a coffee and BEC or dropping by for snacks at 1am after a night at Austin's Ale House across the way. Speaking of; they also have a very impressive selection of rare beers and seltzer, too!

Located an intersection away from the Kew Gardens LIRR station, this grocery / deli has a fairly…read moreimpressive selection of bottled beer, so you can do a grab and go of your favorite hops fueled beverage right onto the train and your ultimate destination for the night's activities.

This is one of two new "Real Food Markets" that were opened in mid-June by Nina Planck, auther of…read more"Real Food: What to Eat and Why". Nina is responsible for bringing farmers' markets to London, England and at one time was in charge of the Union Square Greenmarket. Her book is a great read and will teach you the importance of eating natural, local and sustainable foods. She is a big supporter of meats and cheeses as well as fruits and vegetables and suggests "eating around the edges of the supermarket" and staying away from processed foods. These are young, new markets and at the moment they're small. The one at Petrosino Square has perhaps a few more vendors than the South Village market, but everything will change come September when people have returned from vacation and all that harvest produce starts rolling in. The market is in session from 10am - 2pm every Saturday until December 23rd. And these are not farmers' markets in the true sense. They are "real food" markets and feature food from not just farmers, but also "food artisans", or people who make things like pickles, zucchini bread, yogourt, etc. Last Saturday I picked up a delicious round of cheese bread and bag of pea shoots courtesy of Thanksgiving Farms, some unbelievable bacon from Cayuga Farms and a slice of delectably moist zucchini bread from Brooklyn's very own Angie's Exotic Bakery. Stone Ridge Orchards from the Catskills was in the process of unpacking big baskets of ripe produce and there was even a pickle stand going on with lots of free samples. Shopping at one of the Real Food markets is a great way to get to know local farmers and purveyors of down home, natural, sustainably raised food. It's healthy, it's tasty and it's fun!