{"id":248015,"date":"2026-05-29T18:43:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T18:43:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/248015\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T18:43:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T18:43:46","slug":"grownyc-celebrates-50-years-of-iconic-greenmarkets-in-brooklyn-brooklyn-paper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/248015\/","title":{"rendered":"GrowNYC celebrates 50 years of iconic greenmarkets in Brooklyn \u2022 Brooklyn Paper"},"content":{"rendered":"

For 50 years, New Yorkers have flocked to Greenmarkets for farm-fresh strawberries, freshly baked bread and seasonal produce hauled in from across the Northeast. But according to the team behind GrowNYC\u2019s<\/a> iconic markets, the experience has always been about more than groceries.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really about creating community,\u201d said Angela Davis, director of food access and agriculture at GrowNYC. \u201cYou\u2019re getting healthy regional food while directly supporting independent farmers, but you\u2019re also creating spaces where neighbors connect.\u201d<\/p>\n

This spring and summer, GrowNYC is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Greenmarket<\/a> program as seasonal farmers\u2019 markets reopen across the five boroughs \u2014 including several beloved Brooklyn locations like Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, Fort Greene, McCarren Park and Grand Army Plaza.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"GrowNYC\"GrowNYC has been a staple in the city, and will open a variety of Greenmarkets across Brooklyn this summer.<\/p>\n

Since launching in 1976 with a single market on East 59th Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan, Greenmarkets have evolved into a citywide network of more than 45 producer-only markets serving thousands of New Yorkers each week. Today, more than 190 farmers and producers participate in the program, stewarding nearly 49,000 acres of farmland and growing over 6,000 unique and heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For longtime GrowNYC staff members like Liz Carrolo, assistant director of the Greenmarket program, the markets serve as modern-day town squares in neighborhoods often defined by their fast pace and density.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cGreenmarkets offer that third space,\u201d Carollo said. \u201cPeople come for the food, but they stay for the connection. It\u2019s this town-square feeling where neighbors can interact, kids can participate in activities, and people can feel connected to each other and to where their food comes from.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GrowNYC\"The organization has 45 producer-only markets serving thousands of New Yorkers each week.USDA Photo by Preston Keres<\/p>\n

That sense of connection has become increasingly important as more New Yorkers seek healthier, locally sourced food options. Davis said GrowNYC helped pioneer the city\u2019s farm-to-table movement decades before it became mainstream.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFifty years ago, reconnecting people to local food was something really unique,\u201d Davis said. \u201cNow people are much more aware of local agriculture and sustainability, but Greenmarkets helped lay the foundation for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond promoting local farms, GrowNYC has also expanded efforts to make fresh food financially accessible during a time when many families are struggling with rising grocery costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

All Greenmarket locations accept SNAP EBT, Summer EBT, WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program coupons, among other benefits. Customers using SNAP or Summer EBT can also receive Health Bucks \u2014 a program that gives shoppers an extra $2 for every $2 spent, up to $10 per day.<\/p>\n

\"\"Carollo said the Greenmarkets offer a unique \u201cthird space\u201d for New Yorkers.Photo by Deneka Peniston<\/p>\n

GrowNYC officials said many New Yorkers still do not realize those benefits can be used at Greenmarkets, prompting the organization to launch additional outreach campaigns this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want people to know these markets are for everyone,\u201d Davis said. \u201cOur goal is making sure communities have equitable access to healthy, local food.\u201d<\/p>\n

The organization has also expanded partnerships with healthcare providers like Healthfirst, allowing some members to use over-the-counter health benefits to purchase fresh produce at participating markets.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For first-time visitors undeterred by navigating a farmers market, Carollo said GrowNYC staff and volunteers are trained to help shoppers understand everything from seasonal produce to payment programs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re unfamiliar or unsure, go right to the information tent,\u201d Carol said. \u201cOur staff will walk you through how to use your benefits, what\u2019s in season, and help answer any questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"The organization aims to give people equitable access to food and produce \u2014 accepting SNAP EBT, Summer EBT, WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program coupons, among other benefits.Photo courtesy of GrowNYC<\/p>\n

And while every market reflects its own neighborhood personality, Brooklyn\u2019s markets stand out for their diversity, Carollo said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou get a completely different experience depending on which Brooklyn market you visit,\u201d she said. \u201cBut what connects them all is that people are there for the same reason \u2014 to access fresh, high-quality food and support local farmers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seasonal Greenmarkets throughout Brooklyn will continue opening through the summer, including the Boro Park Greenmarket on July 9 and the Fourth Avenue Sunset Park Greenmarket on July 11.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For 50 years, New Yorkers have flocked to Greenmarkets for farm-fresh strawberries, freshly baked bread and seasonal produce…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":248016,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[98,100,35831,99,1882,96918,63663,96919,13550,96920,96921,78087,96922,9,24,12,370,63,96923,12825,4838],"class_list":["post-248015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn-headlines","tag-brooklyn-neighborhoods","tag-brooklyn-news","tag-community","tag-farm-to-table","tag-farmers-markets","tag-food-access","tag-fresh-produce","tag-greenmarkets","tag-grownyc","tag-healthy-eating","tag-local-food","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-news","tag-newsletter","tag-nyc","tag-nyc-agriculture","tag-snap-benefits","tag-sustainability"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248015","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=248015"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248015\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/248016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=248015"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=248015"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=248015"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}