By: Mykalee McGowan
Edited by: Onyx Ramírez
This blog post contains the personal opinions and reflections of the author and is not representative of the voice of the organization.

By Mykalee McGowan, Communications Associate at Black Farmer Fund

Farmers markets are more than a place that pops up with nice looking vegetables, fragrant baked goods, and great vibes. They are also a vital hub that sustains the community in three ways.

Increase Food Access: According to a research study by McCormack et al. (2010) farmers markets are a popular and viable strategy to increase community wide fruit and vegetable consumption as diverse urban and rural communities associate fresh produce with markets. Over $100 million dollars of federal nutritional benefits from programs such as SNAP, WIC FMNP, and Senior FMNP were redeemed at farmers markets (Farmers Market Coalition, 2022).

Stimulate the Local Economy: According to the 2020 Local Food Marketing Survey, farmers markets were responsible for $514 million of direct to consumer sales with 52% of those sales being fresh food products. Besides putting money in farmers pockets, they also bolster job creation as 53% of market operators were paid employees (United States Department of Agriculture & National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2020) and local growers were able to create 13 full time farm operator jobs per $1million in revenue earned (United States Department of Agriculture, 2012).

Strengthen Community: Farmers markets are more than a place to shop but a community hub to meet your local farmers, producers, and artisans. They also offer community resources, educational workshops, a safe space for families and overall bring neighbors together.

Today, we are highlighting nine Black-led farmers markets around the country. These markets not only provide these 3 things that all farmers markets do but with the intention of building more health, wealth, and power to Black and other marginalized communities.

1. Corbin Hill Farm Stand

Location: Harlem, NY | www.corbinhill-foodproject.org/farmstand-data

The Central Park Farm Stand was created by the Corbin Hill Food Project in partnership with the Black Farmer Ecosystem and support from the Central Park Conservancy.
The farm stand is located in historic Harlem at 110th street and Malcolm X Boulevard, an intentional space to build the local food ecosystem and celebrate the intergenerational knowledge, right to food sovereignty, and accessibility.

From July to November, Harlem community members can purchase fresh and affordable produce and goods from local QTBIPOC growers, producers, and makers. The farm stand also hosts cooking demos and shares recipes on how you use the produce purchased in a flavorful and healthy way.

2. Get Fresh Daily’s Black Farmers Market

Location: Philadelphia, PA | www.getfreshdaily.org

Get Fresh Daily’s Black Farmers Market is a West Philly based initiative to celebrate Black foodways, wellness, and community power. Led by founder and health justice advocate, Jiana Murdic, Get Fresh Daily is a mission driven organization that provides healthy living education and promotes wellbeing within the Black community.

From June to December, their Black Farmers Market serves as a hub for fresh, organic, and chemical-free produce, plant based foods, and hand-crafted wellness goods sourced directly from Black farmers, producers, and artisans. Besides shopping, neighbors can also participate in wellness workshops, music, and family-friendly activities.

3. Harvest Home Farmers Market

Location: New York, NY | www.harvesthomefm.org

The Harvest Home Farmers Market is a non-profit organization committed to increase food security and access to fresh healthy produce to underserved neighborhoods.

Harvest Home was founded in 1993 by Maritza Owens and now grown to several farmers markets in Manhattan, Bronx, and Brooklyn. From June to November, Harvest Home Farmers Markets also provides health education by hosting cooking demos and nutrition classes.

4. Black & Forth Farmers Market

Location: Washington DC | www.blackandforth.org/farmersmarket

The Black and Forth Farmers Market features all Black vendors from Mid-Atlantic farmers, food businesses, and artisans. From April to October, Black and Forth also host djs, fitness workshops, and food trucks every market day.

The farmers market was founded by Angel Gregorio, the creator of The Spice Suite, a specialty spice shop and Dream Incubator, a non-profit that support local small business owners and manages the activities of the Black and Forth property, including the market.

5. Come Thru Market

Location: Portland, OR | www.comethrupdx.org/home

Come Thru Market is an incubator market that centers Black and Indigenous farmers, makers, and friends. From June to October, the market supports BIPOC growers building their small businesses while providing fresh local produce and artisanal goods to the community.

6. Freedom Farmers Market

Location: Oakland, CA | www.farmstogrow.org/freedomfarmersmarket

For 11 years, The Freedom Farmers Market has served as a gathering place for community members to shop fresh healthy produce from local farmers, socialize with neighbors, and connect with a history that ties food to land, culture, and community building.

The market’s season starts in July and ends in November and it is filled with events such as open mics, chess competitions, and health fairs.

7. Prosperity Market

Location: Los Angeles, CA | www.prosperitymarketla.com

Inspired to create economic impact in their communities, Carmen Dianne and Kara Still left the Hollywood beauty and fashion scene to start the Prosperity Market in 2020.

The mobile market sells produce and goods from local Black farmers and food producers to strengthen the local food system. This year, the Prosperity Market received a donation from Grammy Award winning music producer, Dr. Dre to build two more solar powered trailers to expand their food security mission in Los Angeles (Dorisca, 2025).

Prosperity Market hosts regular pop up market events around the Los Angeles area and even has an online market so patrons can order goods for local pickups, delivery, and shipping.

8. RVA Black Farmers Market

Location: Richmond, VA | www.rvablackfarmersmarket.com

Photo: AJ Photography, RVA Black Farmers Market

The RVA Black Farmers Market was founded in August 2020, in celebration of cultural togetherness and resilience.

The market season spans from June to November, where community members can purchase the freshest selections of produce, homemade goods, and crafts by local Black farmers and artisans.

9. TheNEWmpls Farmers Market

Location: Minneapolis, MN | www.thenewmpls.com/farmers-market/

With the goal of reducing the food & health disparities in Minneapolis, community health and wellness leader, Chaz Sandifer, created theNEWmpls Farmers Market (fka Lakeview Terrace Farmers Market) in partnership with the City of Robbinsdale.

Centering food, health, and community, theNEWmpls Farmers Market provides fresh and organic produce from local farmers as well as hosts fitness classes and cooking demos.

As a cornerstone of many cities, suburbs, and rural towns, farmers markets play an integral role in the food system. They increase access to fresh, healthy foods, boost the local economy, and strengthen the community by providing a safe space for neighbors to learn, share resources, and connect.

Based on the discriminatory ideals, laws, and practices of the past (and continued present), the American food system has failed to provide optimal nourishment of Black and other marginalized communities.

Black-led farmers markets and other community based food models strive to fill the gap created by the federal government all while promoting food sovereignty, economic empowerment, and community resilience.

As the current administration wipes away critical resources that help sustain our bodies and our livelihood, it is imperative that we support the community food hubs that support us.

Know some more Black farmers' markets in the country? Shout them out in the comments below!

Sources:

Black & Forth Business School. (2022). Farmer’s Market. Black + Forth. Retrieved September 6, 2025, from https://www.blackandforth.org/farmersmarket

Come Thru Market. (n.d.). Come thru market: Black & Indigenous market. Retrieved September 3, 2025, from https://www.comethrupdx.org/home

Dorisca, S. (2025, September 12). Dr. Dre invests in Black Women-Owned, Los Angeles-Based farmers market, with funds set to support 2 Solar-Powered mobile trailers - AfroTech. AfroTech. Retrieved September 16, 2025, from https://afrotech.com/dr-dre-invests-in-black-women-owned-farmers

Farmers Market Coalition. (2022). Farmers Market facts and figures [Fact Sheet]. https://farmersmarketcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Farmers-Market-Facts-Figures-2022.pdf

Farms to Grow, Inc. (2025). FREEDOM FARMERS’ MARKET | United States | Farmstogrow.org. Farms to Grow: Grow It, Eat It, Love It! https://www.farmstogrow.org/freedomfarmersmarket

Farmstand data. (2025, June 23). Corbin Hill Food Project. https://corbinhill-foodproject.org/farmstand-data/

Get Fresh Daily - Wellness, Reimagined. (2023, September 13). Get Fresh Daily. https://www.getfreshdaily.org/ Harvest home farmers markets. (n.d.).

Harvest Home Farmers Markets. https://www.harvesthomefm.org/

RVA Black Farmers Market | Black Farmers and Artisans (2024). RVA BFM. https://www.rvablackfarmersmarket.com/

McCormack, L. A., Laska, M. N., Larson, N. I., & Story, M. (2010). Review of the nutritional implications of farmers’ markets and community gardens: a call for evaluation and research efforts. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 110(3), 399–408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2009.11.023

McGowan, M. (2022, August 1). Farmers markets don’t just happen: Celebrating farmers markets during National Farmers Market Week. Mother Earth News: The Original Guide to Living Wisely. Retrieved August 13, 2025, from https://www.motherearthnews.com/mother-earth-news-fair/farmers-markets-dont-just-happen-celebrating-farmers-markets-during-national-farmers-market-week/

Pitts, S. B. J., Gustafson, A., Wu, Q., Mayo, M. L., Ward, R. K., McGuirt, J. T., Rafferty, A. P., Lancaster, M. F., Evenson, K. R., Keyserling, T. C., & Ammerman, A. S. (2014). Farmers’ market use is associated with fruit and vegetable consumption in diverse southern rural communities. Nutrition Journal, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-13-1

Prosperity Market | Not your average farmers market. (2025). Prosperity Market. https://www.prosperitymarketla.com/

theNEWmpls. (2025). TheNEWMPLS Farmers Market at the Coliseum. theNEWmpls: Food - Health - Community. Retrieved September 6, 2025, from https://thenewmpls.com/farmers-market/

United States Department of Agriculture. (2012). KNOW YOUR FARMER, KNOW YOUR FOOD COMPASS. In USDA. Retrieved September 18, 2025, from https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/KYFCompass.pdf

United States Department of Agriculture & National Agricultural Statistics Service. (2020). 2020 NATIONAL FARMERS MARKET MANAGER SURVEY [Report]. https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Methodology_and_Data_Quality/Farmers_Market/08_2020/questionnaire-2020.pdf

9 Black Farmers Markets Strengthen Communities Nationwide