If you live around the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, there are a few local farmers markets you should check out the next time you need some fresh, healthy produce or artisanal food products. Visiting a farmers market is a great way to directly support local farmers, producers, and artisans who contribute to the community. Some markets operate around the year, while others close for the winter and start back up again in early spring. Whatever the season, heading for a local farmers market to pick out some fresh tasty food is a wonderful weekly activity.

Peachtree Road Farmers Market

“2011 07 16 Farmers Market” licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Flickr by gmtbillings

Stop by the Peachtree Road Farmers Market on Saturdays from March until December 18, from 8:30 a.m. until noon. All produce vendors are Certified Naturally Grown, or Certified Organic, while the prepared food vendors are committed to using sustainable, local ingredients in their food. The market is located outdoors at The Cathedral of St. Philip at 2744 Peachtree Road NW, and has been going strong for 15 years. In fact, it is one of the largest producer-only markets in the state, meaning that everything you buy will be directly sold by the farm or maker who produced it.

At the Peachtree Road Farmers Market, some of the items you can find are small-batch tortilla chips and guacamole, gourmet mushrooms including Shiitake and oyster, locally made butter from fresh cream, soft and hard cheeses including sheep’s cheese, several kinds of flower honey, fermented vegetables and other products like kombucha, crispy sourdough crackers, and many kinds of fresh organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs. You can also find ready-to-eat food like freshly-made crepes, hand food, and delicious pastries.

Freedom Farmers Market

This year-round farmers market is located at 453 Freedom Parkway NE, outside at the Carter Center near Freedom Park, about a half-hour drive south of Buckhead. The Freedom Farmers Market runs from 8:30 a.m. until noon on Saturdays. Come early to get the freshest produce and largest selection before things start to sell out. From March through December you can find live music at the market along with a kids’ tent and a local chef serving up hot food. 

Since 2014 this market has been a source of fresh, local, and organic produce including fruits such as peaches and citrus, berries, greens, and all sorts of vegetables. Other local products include farm-fresh eggs, dairy products like specialty sheep and goat-milk cheese and grass-fed butter, jams and jellies, nut butters, pickled foods, honey, and locally roasted coffees, artisanal breads and bakery items, fresh Georgian shrimp, and wild Alaskan salmon. There is also a small amount of body care products and handmade candles.

Grant Park Farmers Market

Located at the Beacon Atlanta/Eventide Brewing at 1040 Grant St. SE in Atlanta, the Grant Park Farmers Market is open every Sunday throughout the year except around holidays. It goes from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., so don’t sleep in too late if you want to make it to the market. Voted one of the best farmers markets in the state, this one has everything, including weekly celebrity chef demonstrations by top area chefs. You’ll find plenty of picnic spots and seating so you can take a break and enjoy some freshly made food with a side of people-watching.

Vendors to look for include Bee Wild Honey with its range of gourmet wildflower honey and honey-infused body products. Chattahoochee Queen Bouquet and Stem Service offers colorful flowers and arrangements to brighten your day, grown right in the Grant Park neighborhood. Little Tart Bakeshop makes scrumptious baked goods with seasonal produce and locally sourced ingredients. S and J Pizza cooked up wood-fired pizza in its mobile pizza oven using in-house dough and fresh ingredients. Vegetable farmers include Sparta Gardens which produces organic produce and mushrooms throughout the year, and Cosmos Organic Farm growing 30 acres of mixed vegetables.

Morningside Farmers Market

The Morningside Farmers Market is Atlanta’s only exclusively organic farmers market, where all produce is required to be certified organic. This market runs every Saturday from 8 to 11:30 a.m. at the Morningside Presbyterian Church located at 1411 N. Morningside Drive NE. Its organic goods include hand-crafted nut milks by Atlanta’s own Astronut, and vegetables and cut flowers by Diamond Hill Farm. Honey Next Door brings you all-natural honey from locally kept bees. Grateful Pastures offers organic pastured chicken and eggs from happy hens.

If you’re looking for something to eat on the spot then check out Root Baking Company. This bakery and cafe cooks up European-style hearth breads and simple pastries along with vegetable-rich foods using grains and ingredients from the Southeast. Café Campesino serves up organic, fair-trade high-quality coffees directly purchased from small-scale farmers around the world and roasted in Americus, Georgia. Xocolatl creates chocolates using fair-trade single-origin beans in its bean-to-bar production. These small-batch chocolates are made without soy or dairy products.

The Front Porch Market

If you’re needing local produce but it’s not market-day for any of your favorite farmers markets, then stop by the Front Porch Market. This store offers fresh produce from local growers and a variety of freshly baked goods including rustic breads and savory pies. You’ll find grass-fed cheeses, local eggs and meats, sweet treats like blueberry pie, and more. The store opened in 2018 and is located at 5 Mountain St. You’ll find it behind its sister store of The Front Porch of Vinings which offers unique gifts and home decor items. 

Farmers Markets are an important part of many communities and offer a great way to purchase delicious, healthy foods while supporting local producers, makers, growers, and artisans. From weekly groceries to seasonal treats, your local market has you covered. Which farmers market on this list are you going to check out first? Have you been to any of them yet? At Crème de la Crème of Buckhead (Atlanta), Georgia, we’d love to hear which area farmers market is your favorite, so drop us a line and let us know.