BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

I like the produce at Good Apples (2100 Smallman).

When does the city begin the neighborhood farmer's markets? Pretty sure shadyside has one off walnut...

East Liberty farmers market coop by Home Depot. Year round Saturdays 5-noon

farmer markets start may 11th

so far, all i know of is stan's in the strip.

Wholey's and PennMac sell produce too, though I haven't looked all that closely at the sourcing of it (how much is local, organic etc.) since I don't purchase produce there all that often. But both places offer a year round source in the strip.

In season PennMac often has ripe heirloom tomatos often for way less than other retail establishement. Pittsburgh has traditionally been a terrible fresh produce town but great strides have been made all over the place since the arrival of Whole Foods a decade or so ago. Remember, if you want stuff that is not in season here (very little currently is) you are going to have to buy stuff that has been stored or trucked in--just like at the Iggle.

+1 for the recommendation of the Farmers Market in East Liberty next to Home Depot. It's year round and good. And the big Citiparks one will be there pretty soon.

For you folks passing through Oakland on Wedensdays I got a lot of really fine produce from the little farmers market Phipps Conservatory did on Wednesday afternoons. I'm hoping they'll do it again this year. I was able to supplement my CSA shipments very nicely by stopping by on my way home from work.

East End Food Coop tries to carry local produce- and what they do have always looks good to me. I would try them before any regular groceries or the farmers markets open. Plus supporting coops is always a good thing!

East End Food Coop

+1 forgot about them.

the coop is cool and all, but i find it difficult to pay $3.99 a pound for roma tomatoes when i know at least two places where they're less than half that.

though i have to say, i would likely pay out the ear for fresh san marzano tomatoes, if i could find those anywhere. maybe when they're in season.

The coop is almost always organic too, usually farmers markets are not.

fresh san marzanos? in western pa???

Local Produce: I hate to say it, but Whole Foods often does better than the Coop at sourcing produce from local farms. They are both expensive stores, but I'm willing to pay more when I know it came from a local farm. Although if you are after apples specifically, the Coop had some good local ones as of mid-April

There won't be much local produce at farmers markets or in stores until the last week of may, even if they are open. Maybe you'd find some greens or last year's potatoes, but that's about it. The growing season is just not really getting started until then. There's still a risk of frost until mid-may.

Don't forget about the Phipps farmers market. It's not listed with the Citiparks ones. It starts the first week of June. http://phipps.conservatory.org/exhibits-and-events/events-calendar.aspx#tab3

Or the Farmers at the firehouse in the strip every saturday morning during summer.

Organic: Though I don't think it's required for sellers at farmers markets to be registered organic, a lot of the vendors are and the rest are usually chasing the certification or still grow the food responsibly. I think certification is a big expense. I place more weight on knowing the person who grew it.

Right By Nature?

how is right by nature? i was only in there once, but it was last summer and i was looking for something specific, so i don't recall what the quality, selection, or prices were like.

It's kind of expensive.

Food Glorious Food on Bryant sells local eggs. While there, be sure to bask in additional glory of their baked goods.

These guys usually sell at the Sat. morn. East Liberty market that someone noted earlier in this thread. I prefer the summer farmer's mkt for apple selection, but in a pinch, these guys aren't bad. Plus, unlike Kennedy's Meats (which is good stuff too), Kistaco's usually still has apples if you go at 10am.

right by nature, while i agree most of their stuff is incredibly overpriced. they do have reasonably priced produce and sometimes have good deals on produce! but only produce everything else is through the roof.