Metro Atlanta farmers markets are back in season

Flowers are blooming, trees are turning green and farmers markets have returned to a neighborhood near you.

What they're saying: Katie Hayes, the executive director of Community Farmers Markets, which operates markets in Decatur, East Atlanta, Virginia-Highland and other neighborhoods, says last week’s markets drew strong crowds.

• “It felt pre-COVID times,” Hayes says. “People are back in force and gathering."
• She’s seeing greens, garlic, onions, asparagus and foraged produce. Also look out for vendors selling Japanese knotweed, which has medicinal properties.

Of note: Yes, we had a few freezes, but mild winters like the one Georgia recently experienced often result in stronger produce, Hayes says.

Here are the best Atlanta-area markets to stock up on your greens:

Grant Park Farmers Market: Take a chef demonstration and pick up locally grown veggies, meats, breads, fresh-cut flowers and everything else you can imagine at this beloved and popular market Sundays at The Beacon.

Downtown Alpharetta Farmers Market: Dozens of vendors, musicians and residents take over Alpharetta City Center every Saturday morning until late November at a market filled with produce, flowers and artisanal goods.

Morningside Farmers Market: Organic produce, local meats, breads, and goods like cider tonic, organic cleaning products and more await you at this long-running, year-round market on Saturday mornings at Morningside Presbyterian Church.

Peachtree Road Farmers Market: Located at the Cathedral of St. Philip, the beloved market celebrates its 16th birthday Saturday with appearances from farm animals, storytime by the Alliance Theatre and more.

Freedom Farmers Market: The year-round Saturday morning market is a Poncey-Highland favorite that showcases produce, honey, dairy, pasta, pickles and much more under the shade of trees at the Carter Center..

Fresh MARTA Markets: Operated in partnership with CFM, the pop-up markets at rail stations in Fulton and DeKalb counties make affordable, fresh produce available to riders, some of whom live in food deserts. The program will soon expand to the Doraville and Kensington rail stations.

Don’t forget the Roswell Farmers and Artisans Market, the Brookhaven Farmers Market and the Sandy Springs Farmers Market.

• To find more fresh markets near you, check out Local Harvest and the Georgia Department of Agriculture.