27 replies to this topic

[zoramargolis]

Bethesda Central Farm Market

[DanielK]

I went this past Sunday. It's not huge, as you can see from the list of vendors, but reasonably spacious so there's no problem in walking around the market. However, since the market is on the parking structure, you have to park elsewhere, which will be at least 1-2 blocks if you're not there in the first hour.

Nice variety, not just produce, but meats, cheeses, herbs, plants, flowers, honey, etc. and several vendors selling prepared foods to eat.

[Lydia R]

Bethesda Central Farm Market

This isn't the easiest site to navigate. A map indicating the two market locations and best parking options would be a big, big help.

[DanielK]

This isn't the easiest site to navigate. A map indicating the two market locations and best parking options would be a big, big help.

It's there, under "About Us", then "Hours and Location".

[Pool Boy]

I forgot to go to the micro-Bethesda Tuesday market. Dang it.

[hillvalley]

I forgot to go to the micro-Bethesda Tuesday market. Dang it.

You're in luck-it's on Thursdays

[Lydia R]

It's there, under "About Us", then "Hours and Location".

Thanks Daniel. Not sure why I couldn't navigate there directly.

Two Locations:
(1) Sundays 9:00am-1:00pm, June 7, 2009 until at least Nov. 1, 2009, located in the parking lot on Elm Street between Woodmont Ave. and Wisconsin Ave. in Bethesda (an *approximate* address for GPS is 4780 Elm St., 20814)

(2) Thursdays 3:00pm-7:00pm at Bethesda Lane (on Bethesda Row), year round, beginning June 11, 2009. (See Location 2 on the map below). Bethesda Lane is a pedestrian only street between Elm Street and Bethesda Avenue, parallel to and near Arlington Road.

[bookluvingbabe]

Meh.

It is spacious, I'll give it that. Lots of room for people to let their dogs run to the end of their leash for other people to trip over. I am so not a fan of dogs at the Market. (BLToddler on the other hand was in heaven with all the doggies.)

Not many veggie vendors--plenty of fruits and cheese and other stuff. BLToddler was distraught that there wasn't a drinkable yogurt vendor. Such is life with a two year old.

I could easily see this as an addition to my Sunday routine but not as a stand alone substitute.

[DameEdna]

Market only has a few vendors. Main topic of conversation,difficulty of parking at Dupont Market. Meatcrafters had samples of their products, Keilbasa,
that New Orleans sausage I can't spell, brats, lamb merguez, dc halfsmokes. Halfsmokes, I don't see the attraction. Got some merguez to look forward to. As mentioned elsewhere, few veggies. Some of the vendors do seem to be 'serious amateurs," the ones I'm find most interesting.

[Pool Boy]

I went to location #2 last week and got some gorgeous beans from (I think) Cat's Paw farms. Good produce there overall, another stand doing cheese, eggs, bacon and the like and another doing cured meats and sausages were the highlights for me. This week I think I might get some of the meats and what's new with produce. I went to the Thursday afternoon market, FWIW.

[LauraB]

I couldn't find an entry for these markets, so I've started this thread. If another thread exists, please move this.

I just wanted to let everyone know that the Bethesda Central Farm Market is well worth a visit. We have been to the Sunday morning market several times and it just keeps getting better. You can get all of the usual fruit and vegetables from Toigo, Bending Bridge Farm, Red Bud Farm, Twin Springs Farm and others. Jamison has many forms of lamb; MeatCrafters has really delicious sausages (our favorites are the Lamb Merguez, the fresh Kielbasa, the Cajun Andouille, and the Chicken Basil). Atwater's is there with all of their incredible breads (our favorite is the Sunflower Flax). And you can get a personal tutorial and tasting on raw honey from the Naked Bee and olive oils from The Olive Man (sorry, I've forgotten the exact name of his business -- olive oils are delicious!)

Also want to mention the Sharpen This booth where you can get your knives sharpened while you shop! We took all of our kitchen knives there this morning and we were very pleased with the results. The price is comparable to what you would pay at Sur La Table ($1.00 per inch), but the results are better, in my opinion. Plus, you get your knives back within an hour, instead of waiting days. They are only there every other week, so their next visit will be Oct. 4th.

There are many other vendors that time does not permit me to include. We tend to get there early when the crowds are thinner than they may be later on. Parking is easy in the neighborhood.

http://www.bethesdac...farmmarket.com/

[LauraB]

You can read about the Bethesda Farmer's Market in the Farm and Farmer's Market forum here.

I looked there, but I did not see the Bethesda Central Farm Market listed. There is a Bethesda market listed, but that is not the same as this market.

[KMango]

I couldn't find an entry for these markets, so I've started this thread. If another thread exists, please move this.

I just wanted to let everyone know that the Bethesda Central Farm Market is well worth a visit. We have been to the Sunday morning market several times and it just keeps getting better. You can get all of the usual fruit and vegetables from Toigo, Bending Bridge Farm, Red Bud Farm, Twin Springs Farm and others. Jamison has many forms of lamb; MeatCrafters has really delicious sausages (our favorites are the Lamb Merguez, the fresh Kielbasa, the Cajun Andouille, and the Chicken Basil). Atwater's is there with all of their incredible breads (our favorite is the Sunflower Flax). And you can get a personal tutorial and tasting on raw honey from the Naked Bee and olive oils from The Olive Man (sorry, I've forgotten the exact name of his business -- olive oils are delicious!)

Also want to mention the Sharpen This booth where you can get your knives sharpened while you shop! We took all of our kitchen knives there this morning and we were very pleased with the results. The price is comparable to what you would pay at Sur La Table ($1.00 per inch), but the results are better, in my opinion. Plus, you get your knives back within an hour, instead of waiting days.

There are many other vendors that time does not permit me to include. We tend to get there early when the crowds are thinner than they may be later on. Parking is easy in the neighborhood.

http://www.bethesdac...farmmarket.com/

Thanks for the tips! I did not know about this one. And with parking being available, will have to check it out soon.

The iPhone Locavore app indicates that the market also appears again on Thursday evenings. I wonder if the abundance is mirrored there or if it's a smaller showing.

[LauraB]

The iPhone Locavore app indicates that the market also appears again on Thursday evenings. I wonder if the abundance is mirrored there or if it's a smaller showing.

I haven't yet been to the Thursday afternoon market (3-7pm) in Bethesda Row, so can't comment on what's available then. Here's the link to the market, hopefully it will have info for you: http://www.bethesdac....com/index.html

Just to clarify:

The Sunday morning market is on Elm Street in an open-air parking lot between Wisconsin and Woodmont. The Thursday afternoon market is in the Bethesda Row pedestrian area where Le Pain Quotidien and Redwood Restaurant are located.

[fstewart6]

There weren't quite as many vendors today as the last time I went (two weeks ago) but there were one or two I hadn't seen before. I got there close ot the end of the market so some vendors may have already left and some things were sold out. I got spicy greens, red pepper, carrots, radish, crimini mushrooms, a mix of soup veggies, apples, rockfish, trout and herbed carrot soup. The eggs, cheeses, pasta, sausages, baked goods, chocolates, and gelato looked great but I managed to resist buying too much today. I can take the Capital Crescent Trail from my house to the market, which is lovely on a day like this but carrying everything back can be a challenge.

[Pool Boy]

Do they still do the Thursday afternoon time slop over in Bethesda Row? Been meaning to swing down there this season and have yet to. TIA

[LauraB]

Do they still do the Thursday afternoon time slop over in Bethesda Row? Been meaning to swing down there this season and have yet to. TIA

Yes, from 3:00 to 7:00.

[Pool Boy]

Yes, from 3:00 to 7:00.

Ah many thanks....finally poked around the interwebs myself and found that the place has moved to the parking deck lot behind adjacent to Jaleo. I'll have to check it out.

[LauraB]

Ah many thanks....finally poked around the interwebs myself and found that the place has moved to the parking deck lot behind adjacent to Jaleo. I'll have to check it out.

Sunday mornings it is on the parking deck from 9:00 - 1:00. Thursday afternoons (3-7) it is in the pedestrian area between Elm Street and Bethesda Ave -- where Redwood is.

[hillvalley]

Stopped by this afternoon. It is a tiny market with 5 stands. Cowgirl has a stand that sells 5-6 cheeses, Meatcrafters sells their salamis and sausages along with other products like potpies, two veggie/fruit* vendors and a stand selling tomato sauce.

*One of the stands sells berries from Westmoreland. They don't have a sign and I didn't really understand why they couldn't label themselves as Westmoreland but the lady selling them said they were. She also had the most beautiful squashblossoms, huge and fluffy and heirloom cherry tomatoes.

[mame11]

This market has vaulted to the top of my list for DC area markets. It's not small anymore on Sundays. They have the most diversity of vendors of any markets I've attended in the DC area, which include the usual subjects and less frequented ones too. In addition to produce vendors, they have 2 pickle stands, 2 (maybe 3) cheese purveyors, 2 smoked meat options, falafel, chips & salsa, coffee, chocolate, oh my the list goes on. Worth checking out if you haven't lately, or ever.

[Marty L.]

Great news -- This year the Westmoreland Berry Farm is at the Sunday Bethesda market (which is currently being convened at Bethesda Elementary). For those of you who are unfamiliar with them from, e.g., the Arlington market on Saturdays, their berries, in particular, inspire very long lines of loyal customers before the market even opens. Yesterday, thay already had very good strawberries and asparagus.

[darkstar965]

This market has vaulted to the top of my list for DC area markets. It's not small anymore on Sundays. They have the most diversity of vendors of any markets I've attended in the DC area, which include the usual subjects and less frequented ones too. In addition to produce vendors, they have 2 pickle stands, 2 (maybe 3) cheese purveyors, 2 smoked meat options, falafel, chips & salsa, coffee, chocolate, oh my the list goes on. Worth checking out if you haven't lately, or ever.

Have to agree with the above. We went this past weekend for the first time and really liked it. Westmoreland and one other vendor had loads of great early-season strawberries. And, the seafood vendor, who sells from a white truck, had an amazing broad mix of offerings, ranging from several fin fish, clams, and mussels to squid and just a few things from farther afield that aren't available in local waters. Full info on provenance written on the boards. Nothing frozen/all fresh.

The market isn't as big (or as crowded) as Dupont but love how it's managed with seemingly more reasonable rules. While I personally like that dogs are allowed, could see them changing that in the future depending on what they sense their customers would prefer. The big thing here is reasonableness with respect to balancing local with what customers value. Coffee at a farmers market. Go figure. Wonder if they'd allow a 2nd coffee vendor in if one of the better local roasters knocked on their door?

[goodeats]

Coffee at a farmers market. Go figure.

Despite previous thread discussions, plus the fact that we would like to get Qualia into DC/MD markets, coffee roasters have been permitted at Virginia FMs for awhile. Usually it's Hondo Coffee or Beanetics, of which, I am a fan of the latter (have not tried the former yet, oddly).

(Just clarifying some things...)

[porcupine]

Nice market. Wish they had a dairy vendor, though. (Stonyman selling Homestead milk doesn't count.)

[bookluvingbabe]

It is definitely the BLPreschooler's favorite market of the moment. Lots of baked goods, a playground at the school and walking distance to Barnes and Noble.

I like their current lineup of meat vendors a lot. I also wish there was a dairy vendor. I also don't find I like their produce options as much as I do the ones at Dupont or Takoma Park.

[LauraB]

Glad to see Sunday's Bethesda Central Farm Market getting some love. It's been our favorite FM since it opened in 2009. (Ok, full disclosure, if we lived in DC, we'd go to Dupont, but that's not really a weekly option from Rockville.) At first, we were skeptical about the move to the school, but now find that we like it even better -- a lot more 'elbow room' than the original location in the parking lot and the more recent Elm Street proper. Only downside is that our BofA ATM machine is not at the end of the block like it was on Elm, thus making planning ahead a necessity .

We were so pleased to see the addition of Westmoreland Berry Farm and Fresh Crunch. We have fallen in love with Fresh Crunch's Horse Talk pickles (made with horseradish). Also great to see Susie Sunshine back with her incredible sprout salads -- I could live on those, especially the Sussex Homegrown. Sharpen This is a great asset at this market -- knife sharpening while you shop. Drop off your knives, pick them up when you're done. Our knives had not been sharpened since ST's last appearance at the market in the fall. We were SO happy to see them on opening day! Vernon's Seafood is always a great choice -- we always bring coolers so we can buy fish from Vernon. Certainly the number and variety of produce vendors is not as large as Dupont, and yet, you can find almost everything you need. Our favorite produce vendors are Bending Bridge and Twin Springs. And the musical offerings are always a nice addition -- especially love that the high school jazz combo has an opportunity to perform.

While I personally like that dogs are allowed, could see them changing that in the future depending on what they sense their customers would prefer. The big thing here is reasonableness with respect to balancing local with what customers value.

As dog lovers who are currently dogless, we LOVE that dogs are welcomed-- allows us to get our 'dog fix' on Sunday mornings. I haven't seen any problems caused by dogs and dogs have been present since the beginning. Why would you think they might change that?

[darkstar965]

Glad to see Sunday's Bethesda Central Farm Market getting some love. It's been our favorite FM since it opened in 2009. (Ok, full disclosure, if we lived in DC, we'd go to Dupont, but that's not really a weekly option from Rockville.) At first, we were skeptical about the move to the school, but now find that we like it even better -- a lot more 'elbow room' than the original location in the parking lot and the more recent Elm Street proper. Only downside is that our BofA ATM machine is not at the end of the block like it was on Elm, thus making planning ahead a necessity .

We were so pleased to see the addition of Westmoreland Berry Farm and Fresh Crunch. We have fallen in love with Fresh Crunch's Horse Talk pickles (made with horseradish). Also great to see Susie Sunshine back with her incredible sprout salads -- I could live on those, especially the Sussex Homegrown. Sharpen This is a great asset at this market -- knife sharpening while you shop. Drop off your knives, pick them up when you're done. Our knives had not been sharpened since ST's last appearance at the market in the fall. We were SO happy to see them on opening day! Vernon's Seafood is always a great choice -- we always bring coolers so we can buy fish from Vernon. Certainly the number and variety of produce vendors is not as large as Dupont, and yet, you can find almost everything you need. Our favorite produce vendors are Bending Bridge and Twin Springs. And the musical offerings are always a nice addition -- especially love that the high school jazz combo has an opportunity to perform.


As dog lovers who are currently dogless, we LOVE that dogs are welcomed-- allows us to get our 'dog fix' on Sunday mornings. I haven't seen any problems caused by dogs and dogs have been present since the beginning. Why would you think they might change that?

Hi! I wasn't predicting they would change the dog policy; just that I wouldn't be shocked if it happened. I should just apologize though-kind of off topic for this thread and there are other threads for dining with dogs on dr.com. FWIW, we have a dog and love that dogs are allowed. We just try to be ultra sensitive to those who, for a wide variety of good reasons, aren't fond of dogs or can't be around them. And, sad but true, most anti-dog policies come about due to bad owners rather than bad dogs. Hopefully all dog owners will use good judgment and clean up after their dogs at all places where they are allowed.I'd love nothing more than dogs being allowed at Bethesda for a very long time. It does fit in with their more laid back and more customer (and producer) focused approach IMHO. Oh, and thanks for your post. Love the report and the detail!