Charles Square Farmers Market

I give this farmers’ market a massive thumbs-​up for being open on Sundays! As a weekday nine-​to-​fiver who works nowhere near a decent FM, and as someone who tries to be at the beach or asleep (or asleep on a beach) on summer Saturdays, the Sunday edition of the Charles Square Market is my go-​to.
This is one of the smaller markets I’ve seen in greater Boston, but in terms of produce staples, it’s all here. Kimball’s Fruit Farm is the biggest vendor and has most things covered– right now they’re stocked with greens, lettuces, summer squashes, zucchini, onions, beets, carrots, beans, raspberries, blueberries, etc. etc. Though it’s tempting to just buy everything from Kimball’s since they’re the vendor at the front of the market, I do encourage you to check out other produce vendors as well for expanded varieties, potted herbs, and things Kimball’s doesn’t have, like Kohlrabi.
Hi-​Rise Bakery is also there weekly with their breads, jams, and treats, along with a pasta vendor, a meat vendor, a sea catch vendor, and a few others I can’t recall.
Get there early for optimum selection, though I’ve had success coming even later in the afternoon.

I love Farmer’s Markets and I support all the local vendors. Yes, you tend to pay more for the same items you can buy at the supermarket but they’re fresh. Sometimes you can find the most unique and/​or yummy treats. For example, I tried a delicious apple cinnamon doughnut from a vendor that grows their own apples and makes their own ciders. LOVED IT.

I finally made a trip to the Charles Square Farmers Market last weekend and I was very pleased. I typically go to the Union Square Market in Somerville on Saturday mornings, but to be honest it’s crammed into a fairly small area, there’s a band (with lots of dancing kids/​families) and is packed unless you get there when it opens. It’s tough if you want to get in and out… although I still really love the vendors there as well!
Charles was spacious and there were lots of vendors to peruse in a more orderly fashion. I got plenty of vegetables, flowers and some amazing homemade pasta from Valicenti Organic which was to DIE for. Seriously some of the best pasta I have ever had (it was the herbed papardelle if you’re wondering. I made it with garlic, olive oil, spinach and some good grated pecorino romano cheese). My husband really loved all the meat vendors and quickly purchased enough to fill our overcrowded freezer.
All in all I highly recommend this market!

I think people complaining about the prices here are kind of missing the point of this farmer’s market. It’s not about cheap (though last summer there so many tomatoes coming in they were almost giving them away) it’s about quality and knowing where your food comes from.
This time of year, I’m willing to pay a little extra for good quality greens. Later in the summer I’ll pay for the tomatoes (assuming my CSA doesn’t come through like it did last year.)
I tried the eggs from Stillman’s last time around. Good eggs, but am I willing to pay $ 5 for a dozen? Probably not. I’d rather just buy their fantastic meats (pork chops to DIE for… make sure you cook them medium rare) and buy the eggs at Trader Joe’s. They also take credit cards to make it easier for you to buy that whole leg of lamb.
But that’s just reality. I can’t mark them down on the review because they’re more expensive than a grocery store.
The selections are always pretty good and seasonal, and that’s what you want in a farmer’s market.
If you want cheap, hit the Haymarket on Fridays and Saturdays.

It’s great that this farmers market is open so late into the year (one of a handful around here that are open through November, I hear), but when I went last Friday, the pickings were very slim… and not so cheap.
Yes, I want to support the local people, but do I really want to pay $ 2 for a single bunch of scallions when I can get them for a an eighth of the price at H-​Mart? I didn’t find a lot of great deals here, though I admit a lot of the veggies and fruit looked pretty fresh.
There were two fruit/​veggie stands, Hi-​Rise and a plants/​flowers stand, and that was pretty much it. I brought my big Whole Foods reusable bag ready to fill it to overflowing, but didn’t get to put a single thing in it.
Maybe it’s better on a different day? Different season?

This farmer’s market is great but don’t even think about driving here. Parking is insane in Harvard Square on any given day but on market days it’s unfathomable.
Many vendors at all different price points. Everyone is very friendly, variety is really great, and location is awesome.

Sixteen Dollars for a loaf of bread?!! Good God, that’s a lotta money! I won’t be shelling out 16 Washington’s for a loaf, but I will sample the free challah, spice, and country white bread that High Rise Bakery let’s you sample. I have probably eaten a full slice in one day from their samples alone. They kinda give me the olé stink eye on ocassion, but what do I care? Free. Sample. That’s just how I do. There is a handful of other vendors around from a lady that makes her own jam (and it’s good, I’ve purchased a jar from her). There is a dude that roasts nuts. There is a lady who sells flowers. And, there are a few vendors who have all the seasonal fruits and veggies to keep you going through the fall/​spring/​summer. They do close down mid-​fall so, get going while the going is good. They are open on Friday and Sunday afternoons. The prices for the fruits and veggies are just fine as the quality is good and the pickings are bountiful. Check them out before old man winter come knocking on your door.

This is indeed quite a small farmers market – but what do you expect, it’s in the middle of harvard sq! There are so few farmers markets around here on the weekend, this one is a great option. And it goes until 3pm so you can sleep until noon and still get there! Last weekend I bought arugula, basil, tomatoes (including very tasty heirloom tomatoes) and something called water spinach. It was all very good and at good prices. There was also a stand there selling low sugar jam in some creative flavors including hot hot peach, which we got. And it is hot! There was also a lot of zucchini and other squash, peaches and some berries, and other greens, pretty much everything you’d expect to be available locally was there. Last weekend was the first time I made it there, and I’m planning to go again right now, so clearly I’m happy with it. The only reason it’s not 5 stars is it is quite small and parking is a bit of a pain around there, but it’s really nice for what it is. I bet in the fall they’ll have some great apples…

This farmer’s market is smaller than some of the others in Cambridge and Somerville, but if, like me, you find getting to one on a workday tricky sometimes, it’s a convenient one, since it’s open Fridays, 12 – 6 pm, and Sundays, 10 am– 3 pm. This early in the season (early June), there isn’t much yet to be had – Hi Rise is there with delicious breadstuffs (and free samples, mmm), and there are a couple of plant stands. I picked up some herbs and organic strawberry plants for my garden from one, and they had great stock including 5 or 6 types of basil plants. Later in the season in years past they’ve had a good assortment of vegetables too, including some organic options, so I’m looking forward to those.