NOTE: This list originally appeared in the July 2009 issue of New Jersey Family. It has not been updated since then, so please call or check websites before you go.
Have you heard the term “locavore”? Locavores are individuals who make an effort to eat only foods grown or harvested within a 100-mile radius of where they live. The local food movement that is gaining momentum around the country is a way to take advantage of homegrown harvests for your family, invest in community, and do something good for the planet.
In New Jersey, farmers grow a wonderful and unusual variety of fruits and vegetables that you may—or may not—find in your supermarket’s produce section. For example, hundreds of varieties of tomatoes are grown in the Garden State, and each has a distinctive taste. You can sample at least some of them if you buy “local.”
Here are some local New Jersey Farmer's Markets to help you in your quest to find homegrown harvests:
Essex County
Bloomfield
Venner Park, Bloomfield Ave. and State St.
June 19–Oct. 30; Thursdays, 1–7 pm
East Orange
Halsted St. and Central Ave.
July 1–Oct. 28; Tuesdays, 9 am–5 pm
Livingston
45 S. Livingston Ave., across the street from Firehouse Commons, rear parking lot
June 12–Oct. 30; Thursdays, 12–6 pm
Maplewood
Springfield Ave. at Indiana St., municipal street parking lot
June 30–Oct. 27; Mondays, 2–7 pm
Millburn
Main and Essex Sts., municipal parking lot #1
June 17–Oct. 28; Tuesdays, 8 am–2 pm
Montclair
Walnut St., train station parking lot
June 14–Nov. 22; Saturdays, 8 am–2 pm
Newark
Bethany Baptist Church, 275 W. Market St.
July 10–Oct. 30; Thursdays, 10 am–4 pm
Branch Brook Park
Lake and Park Sts., off Bloomfield Ave., Cerone Complex, Middle Division Ballfields
June 28–Sept. 27; Saturdays, 8 am–1 pm
Common Greens, Military Park, between Broad and Park Pl.
June 26–Oct. 30; Thursdays, 11 am–4 pm
Washington Park
Washington and James Sts.
June 25–Oct. 15; Wednesdays, 11 am–5:30 pm
South Orange
First St., parking lot across from the train station
June 25–Oct. 29; Wednesdays, 2–7 pm
West Orange
66 Main St., behind Town Hall
July 11–Oct. 31; Fridays, 12–6 pm
Mercer County
Hopewell
Historical Hopewell train station, off Greenwood Ave.
Year-round; Wednesdays, 2–7 pm
Lawrenceville
16 Gordon Ave., off Route 206, parking lot, Lawrenceville Fuel
June 1–Oct. 26; Sundays, 9 am– 1 pm
Pennington/Hopewell Township
Pennington Shopping Center, Route 31 and Delaware Ave.
June 6–Oct.; Saturdays, 9 am–1 pm
Princeton
Princeton University, Firestone Library/Chapel Plaza
Apr. 8–May 20 and Sept. 9–Oct. 14; Tuesdays, 11 am–3 pm
Trenton
E. State St., The Commons, between Warren and Broad Sts.
July 10–Sept. 25; Thursdays, 11 am–2 pm
960 Spruce Street, next to Halo Farms
May–Oct. Tuesdays–Saturdays 9 am–6 pm, Sundays 10 am–4 pm; Nov.–Apr., Thursdays–Saturdays, 9 am–6 pm
West Windsor
Princeton Junction train station, southbound Vaughn Dr. parking lot, off Alexander Rd., one mile off Route 1
May 16–Oct. 31; Saturdays, 9 am–1 pm
Middlesex County
Edison
980 Amboy Ave., Provident Bank
June 7–Oct. 25; Sundays, 8 am–2 pm
Highland Park
Old Senior Recreation Center parking lot, between Second and Third Aves.
July 12–Nov. 20; Fridays, 11 am–5 pm
Jamesburg
Jamesburg Presbyterian Church parking lot, Church St. and Gatzmer Ave.
July 13–Oct. 3; Saturdays, 9 am–2 pm
Metuchen
Pearl St., commuter parking lot
June 13–Oct. 3; Saturdays, 9 am–2 pm
Middlesex
Route 28/Union Ave., near Middlesex High School, across from McDonald’s
June 19–Sept. 18; Fridays, 11 am–6 pm
New Brunswick
112 Ryders La., on Rutgers Campus at the Rutgers Garden, off Route 1
May 1–Oct. 30; Fridays, 2–6 pm
Woodbridge
1 Main St., Town Hall
June 20–Oct. 31; Saturdays, 8 am–1 pm
Morris County
Boonton
Upper Plane St. parking lot, just behind Main St. accessed at the intersection of Boonton Ave. and Main St.
June 13–Oct. 31; Saturdays, 8:30 am–2:30 pm
Chatham Borough
Railroad Plaza South, off Fairmount Ave.
End June–Oct.; Saturdays, 8 am–1 pm
East Hanover
Looker’s Park, Eagle Rock and Ridgedale Ave.
June 16–Oct. 27; Mondays, 12–6 pm
Madison
Off Route 205, Madison Ave., Bayley Ellard High School at Danforth entrance
June 26–Oct. 30; Thursdays, 2–7 pm
Morris Plains
Speedwell Ave. Extension, off Route 202
June 14–Oct. 18; Saturdays, 9 am–2 pm
Morristown
Spring St. and Morris Ave., public parking lot #10, Dumont Pl., behind post office
June 14–Oct. 25; Sundays, 8:30 am–2 pm
Netcong
Main St. and Route 46, train station
June 13–Oct. 10; Saturdays, 9 am–2 pm
Somerset County
Bernardsville
Route 202 and Clairmont Rd., train station
June 13–end of Oct.; Saturdays, 9 am–2 pm
Bound Brook
Main St., train station parking lot
June 21–Oct. 25; Saturdays, 9 am–2 pm
Franklin Township
720 Hamilton St., John’s Plaza, across from New Millennium Bank
May 3–Nov. 29; Saturdays, 9 am–2 pm
Montgomery
Route 206, Village Shopper, across from ShopRite Shopping Center, just north of Route 518 junction
June 13–Oct. 24; Saturdays, 9 am–1 pm
North Plainfield
Somerset and Race Sts., municipal parking lot, across from Borough Hall
July 11–Sept. 26, Saturdays, 9 am–2 pm
Union County
Elizabeth
Union Square (between Elizabeth Ave. and High St.)
June 9–Nov. 24; Tuesdays, 11 am–6 pm
Linden
Wood Ave., across from City Hall on Wood Ave. at Raymond Bauer Promenade (use CVS parking lot)
May 11–Oct. 26; Mondays, 3–7 pm
New Providence
Elkwood Ave. and Academy St.
June 18–Oct. 29; Wednesdays, 1–6 pm
Rahway
East Milton Ave. and Irving St., train station plaza
July 9–Oct. 15; Thursdays, 12–6 pm
Roselle Park
Chestnut St. and East Grant Ave., gazebo parking lot
July 1–Oct. 28; Wednesdays, 1–6 pm
Scotch Plains
Park Ave., municipal parking lot
June 27–Nov. 7; Saturdays, 8 am–2 pm
Springfield
101 Mountain Ave., parking lot at Jonathan Dayton High School (summer); Caldwell Pl. (fall)
July 6–Oct. 26; Mondays, 12–6 pm
Summit
DeForest Ave. and Maple St., city parking lot #2, between Summit and Maple Sts.
June 7–Nov. 22; Sundays, 8 am–1:30 pm
Westfield
South Ave., railroad station parking lot
July 11–Oct. 31; Saturdays, 8 am–2 pm