Welcome to the Market

Farmers markets bring a wealth of benefits to the location they are located including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, social benefits, and economic benefits in the form of incentives and cash-back programs.

Beginning in 1976 with but a few farmers, the Union Square Greenmarket was established by the then Council on the Environment of New York City, now known as GrowNYC. Initially, the farmers’ market opened once a week and consisted of a limited array of produce. As word spread, more and more farmers seized the opportunity to shorten the supply chain “between producers and consumers by providing regional farmers direct access to their customers,” says Michael Hurtwitz, the director of the Greenmarkets for GrowNYC. Growth was gradual, as word spread of this profitable opportunity at a time when local farmers struggled against large commercial farms. Local farmers who were outcompeted by large corporate farms joined this growing niche. This niche was solidified by a growing awareness of health and healthy eating. By 1986, the market was full of locally grown fruits and vegetables such as apples, pumpkins, and carrots. Today, the market hosts “140 regional farmers, fishers, and bakers” (GrowNYC), selling all kinds of goods from jams to sauces.

Environmental Benefits

When you shop at a farmers market, it is not just about organic produce, it’s also about the environmental impact of transporting food. Such is called food miles, which measures the distance it takes from the farm to your table. That is then translated into pollution emitted into the environment. A larger food miles factor means that the food has traveled farther, which amplifies the cost to the environment. The cost comes in the form of greenhouse gas and fossil fuel emissions from trucks, planes, farming equipment, etc. A study by Nature Food says that food miles were responsible for “3bn tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions – 3.5-7.5 times larger than previous estimates”(Tandon). According to the Farmers Market Coalition, “Locally or regionally sourced produce travels about 27 times less distance than conventionally sourced produce.”

The Union Square Greenmarket helps reduce this harm by attracting local farmers who bring locally grown produce, reducing food miles significantly. They also practice environmentally friendly farming practices such as no pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides.

Health Conscious and Home Cooking

In recent decades, global awareness of the environment and health has made a major impact on how people live. According to an analysis by NIQ, “67% of global consumers say that environmental health and how their choices impact the planet is important to them”(NIQ). These are major reasons why farmers’ markets are attractive.

Since the market’s opening, travel to the neighborhood has increased significantly, reclaiming NYC’s public spaces that saw a decline in accessibility in the 1970s (Falk). In recent years, Union Square has seen major increases in the commercial market. A 2024 commercial report noted Union Square saw 370,000 daily weekday trips with a 13% increase on Greenmarket days. Making the Greenmarket a major attraction. The 14th Street Union Square subway station sees 58,000 average daily riders, along with increases in small businesses in the surrounding area. Union Square residents are “well-informed, technologically-savvy consumers who prioritize health, wellness, and environmental sustainability”, key values that the Greenmarket represents. Union Square has attracted 43 new businesses in 2024, 60% of which are food and beverage related. They also saw a 7% increase in spending in restaurants. The Union Square Greenmarket is a major pull factor in Union Square, bringing both businesses and people alike into the area.

Government Support

Last but not least is government support. The government has always played a major role since the beginning of the Greenmarket; after all, GrowNYC started it. To bolster support as well as expand the consumer market, NYC implemented various programs and currencies to make prices more affordable for middle to lower-income families.

The market offers both flexible and generous payment methods that make Greenmarket produce more affordable. First, they offer Greenmarket-specific tokens that can be exchanged for cash, allowing you to spend it at any stall. Since many farmers come from different locations and operate on differing equipment, this method created unity, making purchases more seamless and less of a hassle. These tokens can only be exchanged at GrowNYC/Info tents, they are highly distinguishable. In addition, looking for Market Managers who are wearing GrowNYC t-shirts will help you navigate the busy market.

Second, the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) offers health bucks that make the produce a lot more affordable for lower-income and senior citizens. This program provides health bucks that can be used at any stall to those who spend SNAP EBT at any Greenmarket. It provides $2 in Health Bucks for every $2 of SNAP EBT that you spend at the market up to $10 per day. This essentially halves the first $20 you spend at the Greenmarket. Health bucks are sponsored by NYC to encourage spending at farmers markets, but this incentive also benefits the farmers directly as the currency is only accepted at NYC greenmarkets, boosting sales by up to $10 per SNAP transaction. This method makes it more profitable to join and sell within NYC markets, attracting more local farmers, but also helping them stay in business. An important thing to note is that all Health Bucks distributed within the year expire by the end of the year; the expiration date can be found on the Health Buck. Unlike Health Bucks, Greenmarket tokens do not have an expiration date, allowing you to spend more freely.

In 2022, the SNAP incentive distributed 854,000 Health Bucks, worth approximately 1.7 million. An additional 121,000 was distributed by community-based organizations, totaling $242,000. All together, the SNAP incentive program distributed 2.6 million dollars in fruits and vegetables.

Another currency that helps make Greenmarket produce more affordable is the WIC program, otherwise known as the Women Infants Children’s program. This program provides $25 to those eligible and can be spent at any Greenmarket, giving those who otherwise wouldn’t buy locally grown produce a chance to enjoy the many choices that you may not find in commercial supermarkets. As of 2023, there were an average of 221,000 monthly WIC participants. Spending this money does not grant the $2 Health Buck benefit like credit cards, cash, and other forms of currency that are not SNAP EBT.

Last but not least

The future of the market will only continue to grow with the shifting focus of the general public towards health and wellness. The market has seen many expansions with stalls opening in other locations when the Union Square Greenmarket isn’t open. The Norwich Meadows farm operates outside of Union Square as well, opening at Tompkins Square on Sundays year-round (GrowNYC). A smaller offshoot of the Norwich Meadows Farms stand is the Two Bridges Youth Market, a youth-run farmers market that opens yearly from May to June. Greenmarkets will continue to expand, bringing prosperity to their locations.