Skip to content

A town square for an unsquare town

redbankgreen

Standing for the vitality of Red Bank, its community, and the fun we have together.

FARMERS MARKETS: WHERE TO GET FRESH

061815sbmkt1-500x250-5373672At the Sea Bright farmers market, Meg Paska sells locally grown produce and flowers from Seven Arrows Farm, while the Holly Hill Farm table, below, offers Rumson-grown seedlings and produce.  (Photos by Susan Ericson. Click to enlarge)

By SUSAN ERICSON

061815sbmkt2-220x145-3637222Options for finding locally grown produce on the Greater Red Bank Green doubled with the addition last year of a farmers’ market in the Sea Bright municipal parking lot on Thursdays.

For local shoppers, that means more variety. While both Sea Bright and the Red Bank Farmers’ Market at the Galleria on summer and autumn Sundays are dependable for farm-grown veggies, there are some characteristics that differentiate the two.

rb-farm-mkt-051715-5-500x375-2195266Red Bank’s market now hosts a guacamole stand and a Shore Shake. (Photos by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)

rb-farm-mkt-051715-25-220x165-2955456Which marketplace you choose might come down to how hyperlocal you want your produce, and whether you’re looking for treats from food trucks. Sea Bright doesn’t host food trucks, but locally grown produce and farmers who can help you make decisions? That they have, by the vanload.

At both markets, you’ll find honey from Neshanic Valley Bee Keepers; Holly Jolly Jams; Fair Mountain Coffee; and the Pickleicious vendor, selling everything from spicy olives to pickled green tomatoes. The similarity ends there.

Sea Bright features locally grown produce, flowers, eggs and cheese from Seven Arrows Farm in Locust; Holly Hill Farm, Harvest Moon, Central Valley, and the Green Duchess farms – all local to the Garden State. In addition, Bakers Bounty supplies fresh baked bread and pastries.

Sea Bright also features local-chef demonstrations and tastings from borough restaurants. Franklin Soap Works, Clariza’s Clay pots and a professional knife-and-scissor sharpener can be found here as well. You can check for updates here.

Well-established, the Red Bank market has a bazaar-like feel with a mixed bag of food options.

Local food trucks Freezy Freeze, Johnny’s Pork Roll and the Cinnamon Snail have a new addition to their ranks this season: Shore Shake offers fresh fruit smoothies and shakes. Lines of customers tell us the trucks are a big, crowd-pleasing draw.

Now that the growing season has begun in earnest for the farmers, we will see more of the farm stands showing up, we’re told by market management. Certified Organic farmers anchors one corner of the market, and Hauser Hill Farms is in the opposite corner.

Taking up space between are bakers, Italian specialty purveyors, coffee sellers, cheesemongers and a mushroom seller who brings in shitakes, criminis, oyster and enokis from Kennett Square Pennsylvania.

New to the Galleria market is the colorful Anita Guacamole stand, where you can watch a vendor mash avocados for the green condiment everyone seems to love.

You can also find a guy named Steve selling Steve’s Pound Cake. Step up to his table and he’ll give you a taste of the assorted flavors he has on hand.

PieHole has been told by farmers from both markets that zucchini, and blueberries should be available this week, but it’s still a little early for locally grown tomatoes.

The Sea Bright farmers market is open from 2:00 PM till 7:00 PM. Red Bank farmers market opens at 8:30 AM and closes down at 2:00 PM.

 

Remember: Nothing makes a Red Bank friend happier than to hear "I saw you on Red Bank Green!"
Partyline
RED TRUCKS AT RED ROCK
A small dishwasher fire at Red Rock Tap and Grill was put out quickly by firefighters overnight, causing minimal damage. Red Bank Fire Depar ...
CREATIVE COVER UP
The windows of Pearl Street Consignment on Monmouth Street were smashed when a driver crashed their car through them injuring an employee la ...
THEY’RE BACK!
Ospreys returned to the skies over Red Bank this week for the first time since they migrated to warmer climes in late fall. With temperature ...
SPRING IS SPRUNG
RED BANK: Spring 2024 arrives on the Greater Red Bank Green with the vernal equinox at 11:06 p.m. Tuesday.
RED BANK’S FINEST – AND NEWEST
Red Bank Police Officer Eliot Ramos was sworn in as the force’s newest patrolman Thursday, and if you’re doing a double take thinkin ...
EASTER EGG MAYHEM AT THE PARK
An errant whistle spurred an unexpectedly early start to the Spring Egg Hunt on Sunday, which had been scheduled to begin at eggsactly 11am ...
PRESEASON DOCKWORK
RED BANK: With winter winding down, marina gets ready for boating season with some dockwork on our beautiful Navesink River.
CORNED BEEF AND DISCO FRIES?
It’s Friday, and smart Lent-observing Leprechauns know the pot of gold at the end of Red Bank’s rainbow is actually the deliciou ...
SURFBOARD DITCHED
It’s a violation of etiquette in surfing to ditch your board.  (it could hit another surfer and hurt them). But someone appears to ha ...
ELSIE, TAKE ME WITH YOU!
Soaked by pouring rain with the temperature hovering in the low 40’s, this sign in the window of Elsie’s Subs on Monmouth Street ...
WALK THIS WAY
PARTYLINE: Before-and-afters of a sidewalk cleanup on West Street.
SOGGY NOTION
RED BANK: Breezeway sculpture captured the mood downtown as heavy rains fell Saturday morning.
HOME DELIVERY
RED BANK: After a subdivision, an instant house rises on a new Catherine Street lot.
COMMUNITY PROFILES
For Black History Month, Red Bank's Community Engagement and Equity Advisory Committee has been running a series of local profiles on Facebo ...
HEARTY FAREWELL FOR HARDY
RED BANK: Council to honor DPU supervisor Rich Hardy, who retired recently after almost 39 years of keeping things running.
HOMEBOUND? READ ON…
RED BANK: Can't get to the public library? It's now offering free delivery and pickups for homebound borough residents.
TAMING A BEAST OF A WEEK
RED BANK: After the second snowfall of the week, a borough family finds the perfect use for it – a Godzilla snow sculpture.
RED BANK: LIBRARY CLOSED, BUT THE HILL’S OPEN
RED BANK: Though the library was closed by a snowstorm, kids got to enjoy the riverfront property's steep slope Tuesday.
LIGHT(HOUSE) MAKEOVER
This year, getting ready for spring means a midwinter makeover for Strollo's Lighthouse in Red Bank.
TODAY: LOCAL PUPPY COMPETES ON ANIMAL PLANET’S “PUPPY BOWL”
Red Bank’s very own rescue puppy, Biscuit, is set to compete in Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl this Sunday, February 11, at 2 PM. Th ...