Farmers’ Markets are the best part of spring and summer. Yet one of the most bountiful & popular in Center City is Rittenhouse Farmer’s Market, which takes place year-round.

As Rittenhouse Farmer’s Market Manager Ben Bergman explained, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes of the Farmer’s Market. After reading Omnivore’s Dilemma changed his life, he wanted to get closer to the local food movement. He understands the importance of becoming a locavore tasting each season, explaining,

“When you’re buying local food, you’re connecting yourself to where you live.”

He now manages the largest Farmer’s Market in Philly, so we think he’s on the right track. Part of his responsibilities are helping arrange the market layout, assisting vendors and ensuring things go smoothly every Saturday.

When: The Rittenhouse Farmer’s Market runs year-round on Saturdays from 9 AM to 3 PM.

Where: 18th & Walnut Streets, both on south sidewalk of Walnut St and west sidewalk of 18th St

What will you find? That’s why we have the:

Rittenhouse Farmer’s Market Guide

Petal Plants

•  Based out of Central New Jersey
• Wide variety of plants & veggies to start your own urban garden
• Plants aren’t sprayed (not certified Organic but follows practices)

John & Kira’s Chocolates

• Gourmet chocolates in various sizes & sorts
• Partner with organizations where kids grow mint, chili peppers & rosemary for Urban Garden Bars
• Proceeds go back to teaching kids how to farm
• No retail store but appear at Farmer’s Markets and online

Rivera Family Farms

• Based out of Lancaster County
• Offers a variety of fresh produce and local foods such as eggs, vegetables, free range chicken & pasture-raised beef, homemade pasta, jams & more.
• Not certified organic, but the only produce sprayed are typically strawberries
• Also appear at Chestnut Hill Farmer’s Market, Suburban Station & others

Shore Catch

• Out of Barnegat, New Jersey (LBI,  NJ)
• Includes a variety of seafood including tuna, cod, flounder, scallops & oysters

Wild Flour Bakery

• Yards Multi-grain CSA, Honey, and more
• Cookies, carrot/zucchini breads
• Hot dog rolls & hamburger buns
• Also go to Collingswood, Bryn Mawr, Parkwood, Headhouse Square, Mayfair

Amaranth Gluten-Free Bakery

• Baked goods like pitas, sandwich rolls, hotdog buns and more.

Market Day Canele

• French pastries, a perfection mastered by Gil Ortale & Nem Ngo.
• Frequent HeadHouse, Rittenhouse, Fitler Square, Bryn Mawr, Chestnut Hill, East Goshen and Media Farmers Markets.

Rambling Roots Farm

• Based out of Cochranville, PA outside of Kennett Square, PA
• Beautiful greens & produce

Cranberry Creek Farm

• Cheeses, yogurt & more
• Cheesemaker Paul Lawler is from Philly
• Also appears at Headhouse Square, Fitler Square, Jefferson & others

Davidson’s Exotic Mushrooms

• Kennett Square, PA
• Wide variety of mushrooms

Tassot Apiaries, Inc

• Syrups, honey, pee pollen, beeswax soaps, candles & more
• Great for gifts for others (or yourself!)

Beechwood Orchards

• PASA member with wide variety of produce & products
• Includes novelties like Bloody Mary Mix, tomato sauce, apple sauce, daiquiri mix, etc
• Integrated pest Management: Mostly organic with Little-reduced pesticide use (Spray fruit trees). All plants sold are organic.
• Also appears at Weavers Way, Fair Food Stand, Greensgrow, Headhouse, UPenn, Fairmount Park
• North of Gettysburg, PA

Triple Tree Flowers

• Fresh cut selection of flowers like peonies, greenhouse snaps, mixed bouquets, lilacs & more
• Lancaster, PA

Made in the Shade Lemonade

• Cool off with classic, ginger or strawberry lemonade
• Headhouse Square, Open Air Market (22 & Arch), Porch on 30th Street

Good Spoon Hot Soups

• Soups made from scratch, based with locally sourced ingredients
• Elia Malka & Kate Hartman created company after moving to Philly from NYC and wanted comfort food
• I sampled the Asparagus soup, and it was DELICIOUS.
• Can purchase hot soups or Frozen varieties for later

Down Home Acres

• Organic produce like greens, radishes, broccoli flowers, heirloom tomatoes, peppers
• Paul Crognale & Hana Payne also sell novelties like homemade serving boards
• Gilbertsville, PA
• Have a CSA option with pickup & drop-off options

FreshaPeel Hummus

• PASA member, organic, Non-GMO and much local hummus (including oil grown in PA!)
• Consider sustainable methods with packaging: Soy labels without plastic film, paper bags, reuse tasting sticks to use for gardens, etc. They even use reusable ice packs for selling
• Also showcase at Downingtown Farmer’s Market & Malvern
• Richard Leboon offered a sample of each hummus for me and gave great recipe ideas!

Green Aisle Grocery

• Unique items like ramp butter, green sea salts, lavender hibiscus sugar, pickled asparagus & much more
• Brick & Mortar store at 1618 East Passyunk Avenue

Neighborhood Foods CSA

• Based out of West Philly, this CSA produce comes straight from farmers on-site
• Overbrook Farms

Stoudt’s Cheese

• Variety of fresh farm cheeses, often mixed with Stoudt’s infamous beer like Fat Dog
• Offers breads at farmers’ markets like Chestnut Hill, Bala Cynwyd & others (but usually not Rittenhouse)

Need help navigating Farmers’ Markets? Here’s 10 tip to conquer them.

*Vendors may vary

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Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake. View all posts by Julie Hancher