Metro Atlanta has more than 40 local farmers markets, and the number keeps growing.
One of Atlanta’s newest markets is the Sunday afternoon Reynoldstown Farmers Market on the east side. After a successful pilot market season in 2023, the market is returning to the parking lot of Lang Carson Recreation Center on Flat Shoals Avenue and will be open April 14 to June 30 and closed Memorial Day weekend.
It was Reynoldstown resident Barbara Brockway who first had the idea to host a local market. “Our neighborhood always does an informal Thanksgiving basket program, where the Reynoldstown Civic Improvement League matches families who could use help with their holiday dinner to families who will give them a basket of food. Normally, about 50 or so families ask for help, but in 2022, over 90 did,” Brockway said.
Credit: Keye Bodison
Credit: Keye Bodison
Brockway started thinking about ways her neighborhood could provide ongoing help to food-insecure families. A market with produce, locally sourced meats, dairy and baked goods could be a gathering place for the neighborhood while also providing free and low-cost options for residents in need. When polled via social media, more than 450 neighbors supported the idea.
A call for committee members resulted in a team of eight women, ages 25 to 60-plus, who secured farmers, other vendors and volunteers, managed the budget, and developed a communication plan. “Essentially, we needed a group with the skills to run a small business, and our various life experiences have been invaluable,” Brockway said.
Eric Phillips lives across the street from the market. Last season, he and his wife shopped there every weekend they were in town, sometimes making multiple visits in one day. “My wife’s grandmother lives nearby and we would take her with us. She’s the one who would decide who had the best tomatoes and make sure I was first in line for those tomatoes. And we’d always be early to buy baked goods from Haven’s Bread and Pastry,” Phillips said.
Credit: Carmen Samanes
Credit: Carmen Samanes
Haven McGrath, owner of Haven’s Bread and Pastry, was just getting her business off the ground when she heard about the Reynoldstown market. She saw selling there as an opportunity to test her ideas. “I always brought loaves of sourdough and then would try out different pastry items like galettes and turnovers. I was so grateful for the opportunity and to see how the neighborhood responded to having good products and produce available,” said McGrath, who returns to the market this year.
Jamie Gumbrecht says that while Reynoldstown is no food desert, it was a game changer to be able to walk out the front door, pick up fruits and vegetables for the week and maybe taste something she wouldn’t have tried otherwise. “It’s so much more fun than the grocery store. All the kids running around, the treats from local restaurants like JenChan’s, and all so convenient, especially for working parents. And the wonderful bread from Haven’s Bread and Pastry — it spoiled us for bread from the grocery store,” Gumbrecht said.
Mary Kirkpatrick has lived in Reynoldstown for more than 60 years. In fact, the Lang Carson Recreation Center where the market is held was once her elementary school. “I went to the market every Sunday after church. It was so much fun to see neighbors and meet people there. And Barbara’s husband (Matt Padula) had the best corn and other vegetables. I always shopped with him,” said Kirkpatrick.
Padula sold produce on behalf of Grier Farms in Buena Vista. “That was the booth where the produce was sold at full price to everyday shoppers and half price to families we identified as food insecure. We’d text the families and have them show the text for half off. It was our way of offering discounted vegetables,” said Brockway.
For 2024, the market has been approved to partner with Georgia Fresh for Less to double SNAP/EBT benefits for fresh produce.
Mariana Satterly of Unearthing Farm and Market grows produce a mile and a half from the Reynoldstown market. “It was so lovely to see people interested in local veggies and in supporting the rich artist community. Barbara and the entire team did a remarkable job of having a great diversity of vendors. We’d talk about what was on our table and we had flexible pricing. No one was turned away for lack of funds,” Satterly said. Unearthing Farm will be back for the 2024 season.
While Brockway and the committee are delighted with the success of the market, they are continuing to look for innovative ways to serve shoppers who need a little help stretching their food budgets, and building a market that will be successful for years to come.
Reynoldstown Farmers Market
April 14-June 30; noon-3 p.m. Sundays (not open Memorial Day weekend). Lang Carson Park, 100 Flat Shoals Ave. SE, Atlanta; reynoldstownfarmersmarket.com.
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