The Start of Autumn Farmers' Markets

Co-founders MJ Anderson and Nadia Korths stand at the entrance to the Murray Hill Farmers' Market, held every Wednesday evening. Photo by Austin Allen.

Like the crisp crunch of a yardlong bean, the first cool air of fall breaks through the summer heat. Florida summers can be brutal; aside from a few resilient plants, farmers forfeit the battle against bugs to plan and prep for fall. Recent record temperatures have made the season even more challenging with farmers having to prioritize the safety of farm staff in extreme weather. So, once the October air shows any sign of cooling down, farmers, market managers and customers in Northeast Florida welcome the kickoff to peak growing season.

“It feels like a season of renewal,” says Sarah Salvatore, farmer and director of Eartha’s Farm and Market in Northwest Jacksonville, who anticipates the busy season even with the long days of sowing seeds and working the soil.

Although many farmers’ markets in our region are open year-round, fall marks the return of an abundance of local produce. Markets in other parts of the country close when winter approaches; in Florida, booths are once again filled with seasonal produce like beans, peas, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, root vegetables, lettuces and leafy greens. Market staff and vendors look forward to the return of shoppers making a weekly visit to get seasonal favorites and staples like sourdough bread, fresh eggs or local meats. Farmers’ markets are a meeting place and without the summer heat, folks are happy to be back, catching up with neighbors, swapping recipes and connecting with the farmers and artisans who produce their food.

Under the bridge at the Riverside Arts Market in Jacksonville, Farmers Row is once again filled with fresh local produce and cartons of farm-fresh eggs. Tucked behind the trees at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre Market, vendors fill the booths with locally-produced favorites and a chef shows shoppers how to cook up their market finds with easy recipes.

Jessica Meyer, market manager at DIG Local Network, which hosts Beaches Green Market at Penman Park in Jacksonville Beach, looks forward to the families returning to the market and the fall events. She loves that autumn invites more people to discover vegetables like Seminole pumpkins, kohlrabi and broccoli spigarello (an Italian heirloom cross between broccoli and kale) at her market. And some of those market discoveries end up on holiday dinner tables, creating new experiences and conversations.

Cultivating those conversations around the importance of agriculture and building connection to our food is what moved Miranda Jade Anderson, better known as MJ, and her business partner Nadia Korths, to launch their own neighborhood farmers’ market. Murray Hill Farmers’ Market opened in September 2022 at Fishweir Brewing Company, but taking the original idea between two friends and growing it to the community market it is today took research, intention and a shared passion. When Anderson moved to the Murray Hill neighborhood, she became passionate

Co-founders MJ Anderson and Nadia Korths stand at the entrance to the Murray Hill Farmers' Market, held every Wednesday evening.about facilitating a space to connect her community to where their food comes from and to foster sustainability. Having never started a farmers’ market, she reached out to seasoned market managers who could offer some advice. She did a lot of research and built systems and a foundation to support their mission.

Anderson had friends – farmers, small business owners and artisans – who were ready to fill the booths and put their passion on the pavement. The community-centered Fishweir Brewing Company was willing to give them a space. As someone who has worked with many farmers markets, I have to say, this is not how this typically goes. But that is the magic in this market.

When I spoke to Anderson, she talked a lot about her “farmily,” the vendors and team that make the market happen every Wednesday night. She explained how they discuss decisions and share ideas as a group, with a collective commitment to making the market successful. They also share meals together, support each other in times of need and nurture their relationships beyond the market-day setup and breakdown. The Murray Hill Farmers’ Market has created a community within their market, not just a market serving the community.

Anderson and her farmily hope to continue to grow that community by building capacity to increase food access and get the word out through mailers sponsored by local businesses. She envisions similar models replicated in other neighborhoods of Jacksonville and is happy to be a resource for others. “It takes the right person and passion to do it,” says Anderson. “It is equally important to have the right skills (organization, marketing, communication) and being social and caring about the cause – farming and bringing local food to the public. All of the other details will work out, but the person or people need to have those things going."

Whether Northeast Florida’s abundant growing season inspires you to create a new meal or discover a new market, community connections and peak produce are waiting for you at your local farmers’ market this autumn.