"There's a farmers market where?"

"Yes, you heard correctly," I reply to the disbelieving faces when I mention the farmers market at New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal. "But it's so dirty!" everyone says. We'll, they're not exactly selling tomatoes where the buses pull up.

And what better place to meet a local farmer? Around 210,000 people pass through the terminal every day, according to the Daily News.

The market is held each Thursday between 8 am and 6 pm. Unfortunately, it's positioned on the ground floor of the North Terminal, which most busy commuters, including myself, just don't go through. But I'm glad I sought them out. The only dirt involved was the soil from the Earth the fruit and vegetables were recently pulled from.

Katchkie Farms sells not only fresh produce...

...but they also sell vegan cranberry orange muffins! Priced at $2 each, they're a great compliment to my morning cup of Earl Grey tea.

Pickles, $1.50 each. You'll find everything from jelly to spearmint basil iced tea, which the vendor says is very lightly sweetened with honey. Why is honey off limits to vegans? Here's why. Check out agave instead.

Ratatouille! Tempting at $4, but I opted for something different: a chilled beet soup, $4. So simple: diced beets, cucumber, cider vinegar, water, dill, sugar and salt. A refreshing end-of-summer soup.


Find a farmers market by you.