I’ve always been a farmer’s market type of person, or at least I’ve always wanted to be a farmer’s market type of person. It’s important to have goals.
Despite my determination, it can be an uphill battle in college to drag yourself out of bed on a Saturday just for the sake of artisanal cheeses. However, I do believe there are some spots in Baltimore that make it worth it.
Most Hopkins students know about the Waverly Farmers’ market, located at 32nd and Barclay Street. Though it’s certainly the most convenient, the Waverly market isn’t the only one worth checking out.
The Fell’s Point Farmers Market proudly claims to be “Baltimore’s best waterfront market,” which is only half true. This year the market is actually quite landlocked in a parking lot at Caroline and Thames Street.
I presume this less picturesque locale is due to the construction happening on Broadway, the market’s previous location. While the parking lot may be less pretty, it’s also less dusty, something I appreciate in the places I buy my food from.
And though the waterfront view might be slightly obstructed by the Morgan Stanley building, thankfully the aesthetic does not affect the quality of the market.
Notably smaller than the one in Waverly, the Fell’s Point Farmers Market has many similar options, with only slightly less variety. Fresh produce, flowers, weird things in jars, live entertainment from folk bands consisting only of older men and people with tattoos — all of the staples of the modern Saturday market are there.
If anything, the shift to the parking lot has made prices slightly cheaper than most of the booths in Waverly. Of course, with locally sourced produce, there are many variables that impact price, but I think the threat of dwindling customers is enough to make any vendor slash theirs.
One of the things that was most exciting to me was finding out that the single egg seller kept pasture chickens, aka chickens that have the most room to run around (as opposed to cage-free or the trickily titled free-range eggs). Furthermore, the prices were pretty low, especially for organic food.
Say what you want about Baltimore, $8 can still get you a heck of a lot of eggs.
Another one of my favorite vendors is Pie Time, which serves sweet and savory pies, as you may have guessed. Definitely try their strawberry rhubarb, which tastes just like sitting on your grandfather’s porch in mid July.
Although I cannot personally vouch for it because I have a steadfast dedication to Diablo Doughnuts, I will say that the line for Migues Magnificent Mini Donuts is always popping. A visitor from D.C., Migues provides fun flavors like mocha crunch and apple maple bacon. I don’t think there are such things as bad donuts, so I encourage you to give it a shot.
Of course, there are also the staples of any Baltimore farmers market: Charm City Meadworks and Zeke’s Coffee. So if you go to Fell’s and absolutely hate it, you’ll still have those classics to fall back on.
By far the easiest way to get to and from the market is via car. However, this is an article for you all and so I won’t assume that you have access to a ride.
So if you’re willing to wait, you can take the Charm City Circulator after 9 a.m. This is a little inconvenient, because you have to transfer: Take the Purple Route to the Inner Harbor stop and then the Orange Route to the Caroline Street stop.
I would recommend biking there if you can get hold of a bike. Hopefully you’ve got a basket, otherwise it’s a little tricky to actually buy groceries.
(Or maybe you don’t even get groceries and just go for the snap story. That’s also acceptable.)
Either way, the trek is definitely worth it. Get out of bed, hop on a bus, on a bike or into an Uber, and release your inner hipster at the Fell’s Point Farmers Market.
