At The Mount Vernon Farmers Market-July 8, 2008
(Twin Springs Fruit Farm white peaches and raspberries, Virginia honey and homemade ricotta cheese)
On this still cool morning, for the first time I made my way to the Mount Vernon area of Alexandria to check out the Mount Vernon Farmers Market, a Fairfax County, VA market held on Tuesdays from 8am-12pm. The tree lined parking lot of the Sherwood Regional Library hosted about a dozen vendors and a flurry of patrons who were busy buying by the time I arrived at 8:30am.
All of the stalls were brimming with fruits, vegetables, baked goods, fresh flowers and coolers full of meat and eggs. I was so pleased to see familiar faces and some new surprises. It was also nice to shop early in the morning, with plenty of shade nearby.
Here’s a list of the vendors and what they were selling.
Three Way Farm (Warsaw, VA)
~Corn, produce, fruits
Westmoreland Berry Farm- (Oak Grove, VA)
~Berries, fruit, produce
Pleasant Field Farm (Hanover, VA)
~The largest selection of produce, including bi-color corn
Valentine’s Country Meats (Orange, VA)
~Part of a Mennonite Amish Church, Valentine’s has meats that are grass fed, no steroids, no antibiotics, no growth hormones. They sell beef whole or half if you want to stock your freezer. Soup bones and organ meat of all kind is stocked in their coolers. Also, an amazing array of baked goods that you would hope to find from Amish vendors including whoopie pies and shoe fly pie and quiche. Free range eggs are $5.
Sunset View Farm (Riva, VA)
~Fruits, vegetables, baked goods.
Cibola Farms(Culpepper, VA)
~Buffalo, Pork, Lamb, Goat and some of the best jerky around.
Grace’sPastries(Herndon, VA)
~Breads, focaccia, pastries.
Twin Springs Fruit Farm(Orrtanna, PA)
~A wide array of berries, peache, apricots, plums and cherries. Tomatoes, corn and onions.
Laurel Grove Farms(Westmoreland Co. VA)
~Vegetables and many unusual herbs used for Latino cooking.
Potomac Vegetable Farms (Vienna, VA)
~Vegetables and fresh herbs.
This market is a winner! Until the next At The Market, eat and buy local when you can. Oh, I’ll hopefully remember to bring my camera here next time.
Simple and elegant indeed! I recently made Peach melba with cardamom ice-cream and raspberry sauce:) isn’t this a deadly combination of flavors?!:)
beautiful dish! i love freshfarm markets. i usually go to the one at dupont circle while i’m at school.
Mansi-I have cardamom..hmmm…maybe a syrup or infusion. Thanks for the idea!
Becky-I adore the Dupont market. I spend more time there during the winter when my nearby markets are closed.
I’ve always wondered how that market was, but never had a reason to be down that way on a Tuesday morning. Thanks for the detailed report!
That may be one of my favorite food porn pictures of all time.
Oh, and Westmoreland Berry Farm is great - they’re always the biggest draw at the courthouse farmers market.
That market is literally down the street from my house, but I’ve never been able to make it out there . Maybe tomorrow morning. . . thanks for the informative report!
btw- the dessert looks delicious!
Definitely go! I’d love to read about your experience.