What to look for through the year
Our producer-only markets follow the Mid-Atlantic growing calendar. Here is what is on the tables, season by season.
Our markets are producer-only, so what you find on the tables follows the Mid-Atlantic growing calendar rather than a grocery supply chain. Here is roughly what to look for through the year in the DC area. Exact timing shifts a week or two with the weather.
Spring (April to June)
The first big rush after winter. Look for asparagus, strawberries, sugar snap and shell peas, radishes, spring onions, tender lettuces and spinach, ramps, rhubarb, and the season's first herbs. This is when the markets wake back up and the crowds return.
Summer (June to August)
Peak abundance. Tomatoes of every color, sweet corn, peaches and plums, blueberries and blackberries, peppers, eggplant, summer squash and zucchini, cucumbers, green beans, and melons toward the end. If you are going to fill a tote, this is the time.
Fall (September to November)
The harvest deepens and turns hearty. Apples and pears, pumpkins and winter squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, hardy greens, and the last of the warm-season crops. The 14&U market runs through November before it closes for the year.
Winter (December to March)
Bloomingdale stays open year-round, and winter is quieter but far from empty. Storage crops and roots, hardy kale and collards, winter squash that keeps for weeks, plus the vendors who carry through the cold months: eggs, bread, baked goods, preserves, and prepared food. A winter market morning is one of the best-kept secrets in the neighborhood.
Meet the people growing it
Curious who actually raises all this? Our producers page introduces the farmers and makers behind the stalls, and the local producer map shows how close to home your food was grown. When you are ready to shop, check plan your visit for hours and directions.