Farmers Markets and Roadside Stands offer bountiful choices
When I was growing up, my grandfather was an avid gardener. He had a planted lot behind his house in Auburn, NY that to me, as a child, seemed to go on for miles. The corn, tomatoes, peppers, beets, squash and even horseradish were strung in rows, waving like laundry on a sunny day. I can almost smell the rich earthiness of the corn or tomatoes he would pass to me as made his way down the aisles, picking only the best and ripest for me to take home that day.
Sadly, I did not inherit his skill or zeal for gardening. I love the idea of it, but I didn’t spend enough time there learning the tricks of the land, so my attempts at gardening have ended in woefully withered, barren or bug-infested plants.
I did, however, inherit his love of fresh produce, and fortunately, one of the things this region is known for is its agricultural bounty. From May through October, you can find some of the most delectable delicacies of the earth here. Below are resources where you can find a list of farmers markets for each Finger Lakes County where farmers gather on various days of the week to sell succulent produce to local resident. As you travel throughout the region, also be sure to visit the roadside vegetable stands where local farmers and entrepreneurs offer some of their finest fare to neighbors, friends and lucky passersby.
Cayuga County Farmers Markets – Listing of 14 markets including Greater Auburn, Aurora, Locke, King Ferry and Weedsport. Courtesy of the Assemblyman Gary Finch. Note: list is from 2010 but should still be in effect.
Chemung County Farmers Markets – Listing of 4 farmers markets, including Big Flats, Elmira and Horseheads. Courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Cortland County Farmers Markets – Listing of 5 farmers markets, including Greater Cortland, Cincinnatus, Homer and Virgil. Courtesy of BDC/IDA of Cortland County.
Livingston County Farmers Markets – Listing of 7 farmers markets, toward bottom of page including Avon, Dansville, Lima, Mt. Morris, Nunda and Geneseo. Courtesy of Finger Lakes West.
Monroe County Farmers Markets – Listing of 20 farmers markets including Brighton, Brockport, Chili, East Rochester, Fairport, Greece, Hamlin, Irondequoit, Penfield, Pittsford, Greater Rochester, Rush and Webster. Courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Onondaga County Farmers Markets – Listing of 8 farmers markets and 10 mobile markets including Camillus, Liverpool, Skaneateles and Greater Syracuse. Courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Ontario County Farmers Markets – Listing of 5 farmers markets including Canandaigua, Geneva, Naples, Phelps and Victor. (Please note that the location of the Canandaigua Market has changed to167 Mill Street.) Courtesy of Ontario County’s Agriculture.
Schuyler County Farmers Markets – Listing of 2 Farmers Markets including Montour Falls and Watkins Glen. Courtesy of Beautiful Finger Lakes.
Seneca County Farmers Markets – Listing of 4 Farmers Markets including Seneca Falls and Waterloo, toward bottom of page. Courtesy of Finger Lakes Central.
Steuben County Farmers Markets – Listing of 3 Farmers Markets including Bath, Corning and Hornell. Courtesy of American Towns.
Tioga County Farmers Markets – Listing of 4 Farmers Markets and multiple other farms, including the towns of Owego and Waverly. Courtesy of Assemblyman Gary Finch.
Tompkins County Farmers Markets – Listing of 9 Farmers Markets including Caroline, Groton, Lansing Trumansberg and Greater Ithaca. Courtesy of Ithaca’s Food Web.
Wayne County Farmers Markets – Listing of 6 Community Farmers Markets including Clyde, Lyons, Macedon, Newark, Palmyra and Sodus. Courtesy of Wayne County Tourism.
Yates County Farmers Markets – Listing of 3 Farmers Markets on page 18 including Penn Yan and Dundee. Courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension. (Note: This is a fabulous downloadable pdf guide to a variety of food products in and around Yates County and includes wineries, the cheese trail, various beverages, U-pick produce, harvest season, etc.)
Another terrific resource for Farmers Markets throughout New York State is the New York State Department of Agriculture.
The Finger Lakes Travel Maven 