By IMKE AHLF-WIEN
Photo credit: Imke Ahlf-Wien
When I first moved to Hyattsville almost 20 years ago, after three years of living in rural Morocco (where — you guessed it — fresh food is abundant), I had a hard time finding fresh organic produce, freshly baked bread and other artisan goods in local grocery stores. My first go-to supermarket was the Safeway on Hamilton Street, where I enjoyed chatting with Bernie, the friendly cashier, but I wasn’t too happy with the selection of food.
Fortunately, I soon discovered the Riverdale Park Farmers Market, which offered everything I had been searching for. In 1998, two volunteers founded the market to make fresh, local food more accessible. Since 2006, Jim Coleman has been continuing their legacy, running it with passion and dedication.
Photo credit: Imke Ahlf-Wien
Located next to the picturesque Riverdale Park train station and its beautiful vintage clock, the market exudes a small-town feel that is hard to find in the buzzing DMV area. I always run into friends and neighbors, and I love to chat with the farmers who, by now, all know me by name. You can find everything from seasonal fruits and vegetables to bread, eggs, milk, cheese and meat; there are many options for prepared foods, as well. And, in the warmer months, you can listen to live music by local performers.
But what makes the Riverdale Park Farmers Market truly special is the diversity of its customers. Here, people from different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds come together; just strolling around for a while, you can hear a half dozen languages — from Arabic to Tagalog.
Because half of Riverdale Park’s population is Hispanic, Venezuelan natives Carlos and Jenny Saly act as Spanish-speaking “ambassadors,” as Coleman likes to call them. They help educate more of the market’s low-income customers on accepted federal and state food accessibility programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and Maryland Market Money.
The Gateway Farmers Market, at 3716 Rhode Island Avenue, has a vibe of its own, as I discovered on a beautiful Saturday in May. Located right next to the Bunker Hill fire station, on the border of Brentwood and Mount Rainier, the market is much larger than I expected.
Dozens of young families with small children gather on a grassy patch or around picnic tables, coffee and baked goods in hand. Children play, grown-ups are engaged in conversation or run a quick errand to snag a few longed-for goods. It resembles a dream come true, something I would have loved for my family when my kids were little — a place where you can combine chores with pleasure. I’m impressed by the variety of goods, especially the produce from Fireside Farm of Loudon, Va. I eagerly fill my bag with the farm’s red, green and purple radishes and its tiny white turnips with tender green leaves. In our area, these are rare and elusive treasures.
Market manager Megan Abbot joins me at one of the picnic tables. She and her husband, Gary, moved to Mount Rainier in 2020, and they hatched the idea of a farmers market right away. Abbot said that after pandemic-induced isolation, bringing the community together was even more important — and in April 2024, the market opened its doors. The couple drew on Gary’s contacts from his previous job as a farm-to-table café owner. Other vendors were looking for a new Saturday location after the 14th and U Farmers Market in the District closed in 2023, and local institutions like Riverdale Park’s Manifest Bread jumped right in.
Early in its second year, the market already has a solid vendor and customer base. According to Abbot, many of the market’s customers are recently laid-off federal workers, who meet informally “for solidarity, support and job searching.” When a woman standing nearby tells us that she just lost her job as a government employee, she and Abbot share a hug. The three of us agree that the market offers a respite in stressful times. Both markets truly have this in common.
Riverdale Park Farmers Market is open year-round on Thursdays, 3 to 7 p.m. (winter hours: 3 to 6:30 p.m.). Gateway Farmers Market is open on Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., from the beginning of April to the end of November, with some winter pop-up dates. Find more information about both markets on Facebook and Instagram.
Swiss Chard Frittata
You can make this frittata with ingredients that come almost exclusively from either farmers market. Swiss chard is available in Maryland starting in late May, and onions, garlic, eggs and cheese are also available at both markets. Other leafy greens, such as spinach, work just as well.
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems cut into ¼-inch slices and leaves chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (or more, to taste)
- pinch of black pepper
- 6 large eggs
- ½ to 1 cup cheddar cheese
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet. Add the onion and chard stalks, and sauté for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chard leaves, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the leaves are wilted, about 5 more minutes. Remove the skillet from heat and let cool. Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk. Stir in the chard mixture and blend well. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet. Put the egg-chard mixture back in the skillet, top with cheese, and place in the oven for about 30 to 40 minutes until puffed and golden.
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Imke Ahlf-Wien is a nutrition educator with a passion for fresh, locally procured foods.