While COVID-19 has put many business operations on hold, farmers in the Capital Region and beyond are still cranking out farm-fresh food. And while the means of getting that food to consumers have changed slightly during the pandemic, Upstate New York farmers are finding safe ways to keep the Capital Region healthy, happy and well fed. Here are some of the ways you too can skip a trip to the grocery store and support local farms:
Saratoga Farmers’ Market
Wilton Mall, Saratoga Springs
Wednesdays 3-6pm and Saturdays 9am-1pm
This summer, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market is operating outside of Wilton Mall, instead of at its regular location in High Rock Park. The market is focused on function, so while there’s no live music for the time being, there are dozens of booths stocked with delicious offerings. Customers and vendors alike are required to wear masks, hand sanitizer is available for use at all tables and a hand-washing station has been set up to keep everyone safe. Check out the Saratoga Farmers’ Market website to learn about pre-ordering and curbside pickup.
Spa City Farmers’ Market
Lincoln Baths, Saratoga Springs
Sundays 10am-2pm
Stop by the Spa City Farmers’ Market at Lincoln Baths on Sundays to stock up for the week. To keep attendees safe, sampling and self-serve stations have been abandoned for the time being, vendors are stationed six feet apart and everyone is asked to wear a mask. Hand sanitizer is available at all booths, and the market also has a hand-washing station.
Troy Waterfront Farmers’ Market
Carioto Produce, 80 Cohoes Ave., Green Island
Pickup on Wednesdays and Saturdays 10am-2pm
Due to it’s the size and popularity, the Troy Waterfront Farmers’ Market has opted to hold off on opening for in-person browsing. Instead, the market has approached the pandemic as an opportunity to expand its services, and is now operating online in partnership with Green Island’s Carioto Produce Distribution Center. The online market allows customers to shop the market’s ever-changing product list of local goodies from the comfort of their living rooms. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, customers can pick up their locally sourced groceries from the Carioto Produce Distribution Center.
Schenectady Green Market
Schenectady City Hall, 105 Jay St., Schenectady
Sundays 10am-2pm
Serving a neighborhood without a supermarket, the Schenectady Green Market is truly essential. More than 20 vendors continue to show up every Sunday, and you should too! Shoppers and vendors alike are required to wear masks, and all have access to hand sanitizing stations. In addition to these measures, only one customer is allowed at a booth at a time to ensure compliance with social distancing rules.
Honest Weight Food Co-op
100 Watervliet Ave., Albany
Daily from 8am-8pm and Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays from 6-8am for at-risk customers
This one’s technically a grocery store, but carries only the highest quality natural foods. Albany’s Honest Weight Food Co-op doesn’t sell anything that contains unnatural chemicals or hormones; everything inside is organic, locally sourced or both! The Co-op has posted a guide to its busiest times on its website to help you plan when to go, and has early morning hours dedicated to at-risk shoppers. To ensure a safe shopping experience, Honest Weight has also reorganized the store to allow for proper social distancing.
Capital Roots Veggie Mobile
Various locations in Albany, Troy, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Watervliet, Cohoes and Mechanicville
Monday-Friday, schedule varies by day
The Capital Roots Veggie Mobile has been bringing fresh, affordable, local produce to inner-city neighborhoods throughout Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady and Southern Saratoga Counties since 2007. The mobile market, housed inside a box truck, is stocked with fresh meat, eggs and produce, and stops at more than 30 locations throughout the work week.
Field Goods
Home delivery
Saratogians should place orders by 11:59pm on Sundays to guarantee delivery on Wednesday
Field Goods, a food delivery service launched in 2011, has since partnered with more than 100 farmers and food entrepreneurs to bring quality, locally produced products to homes all across New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. The Field Goods website has everything from produce to pantry items and clearly lists the name of the farm from which the item was sourced, so you know exactly where your food comes from.
Farmers Market Home Delivery
Home delivery
Allow two days for delivery
Farmers Market Home Delivery, the Capital District’s clearinghouse and wholesaler of the highest quality produce, will deliver farm-fresh foods right to your door. The online market has a section dedicated to all things local—including comforting favorites such as ice cream, cookies and freshly baked bread. The website lists the name of the farm a product is from right next to the name of the product itself, and orders ship in just two days.
