The Summer Montgomery Farmers Market Now Open on Saturdays with New Vendors, Location, and Hours

The Princeton & Hopewell farmers markets are also open. See vendors and hours below.

By Lea Florentine | Posted June 5, 2024 (Updated on June 6, 2024)

The Montgomery summer farmers market is now open on Saturdays at its new home at the Montgomery Municipal Center – 10 am to 1 pm.

Sarah Roberts of Montgomery's Environmental Commission will be at the Montgomery Friends of Open Space (MFOS) Farmers market this Saturday (June 8) to answer questions about native and invasive plants.

With several new vendors too, the MFOS Market Manager Lorette Pruden says, “This year is even more exciting!”

Regarding the market’s new home, Pruden said, “It’s a new beginning for the market! We are pleased to be collaborating with the township and the [Somerset County] Library to bring more activities and more customers to the new municipal complex on Saturday mornings.”

The market also will have children’s and nature education activities for this season.

A bouquet from Jardineira Garden Company — a vendor at the Montgomery summer farmers market.

Farmer Spotlight

Jardineira Garden Company

Andrea DeRiancho of Jardineira Garden Company is returning to the market for her second year. She grows and arranges flowers at her East Amwell home.

Gardening has been a passion in her family for generations. She says, “My grandparents were vegetable farmers in central Portugal. They also grew flowers for their home, wheat for baking their own bread, and raised chickens, sheep, goats, pigs, and a donkey! Riding that donkey is still a core memory for me.”

Although DeRiancho’s father left his homeland for the Ironbound section of Newark, he brought the love of gardening he learned from his father with him and passed it on to his daughter.

“I spent my early childhood growing up in an urban area, but my dad always had veggies and flowers growing in the backyard,” she says. “He even made his own wine from grapes he grew in that same backyard.”

The family moved to Somerset County when she was a teenager.

DeRiancho’s father planted a definite passion for flowers in her. “I’ve loved flowers all my life. I have many vivid childhood memories of my sweet dad bringing home beautiful paper wrapped gladiolus bouquets for my mom — another flower lover — from the flower shop in Newark where I grew up,” she says.

As a tribute to her father, DeRiancho wraps her bouquets in brown paper.

For her day job, DeRiancho works remotely as data analyst for an insurance company. She says, “I have the kind of brain that is hungry for data.”

For floriculture and floral design expertise, she says, “Everything I know I learned from my dad, the Internet, books, and trial and error.”

During the pandemic, DeRiancho bought her house in East Amwell. “I wanted more space for my family, more pets, and less traffic. It was love at first sight. I was smitten, and that feeling hasn’t faded one bit four years later.”

Two years later, DeRiancho starting growing specialty flowers. She says, “My flowers are a reflection of my fascination with the beauty of nature and the science of growing. I love to research the perfect harvest time for each variety as well as experiment with different methods of keeping cut flowers looking as fresh as possible as long as possible. I believe this shows in the quality of my product.”

Job Hazards for a Farmer

Growing flowers isn’t always a bed of roses for DeRiancho.

“Mosquitoes love me,” she says. “I don’t use heavy machinery; everything is done by these two hands. It can be frustrating not having the upper body strength to do some of the more physical parts of the work. The most challenging part is finding balance as a full-time working mom.”

The rewards of gardening outweigh the difficulties for DeRiancho. “I love watching things grow from a weird little seed, bulb, corm, or tuber into something beautiful. I love the feeling of satisfaction after a long day in the dirt doing manual labor and not thinking about spreadsheets. I love learning everything I can about regenerative agriculture, soil health and biodiversity. As a grower, you just never run out of things to learn and that lights me up inside.”

DeRiancho also finds joy from floral design. “I really love how happy flowers make people. No one has ever not smiled when I handed them a bouquet.”

DeRiancho says she is grateful for her customers. “I truly, from the bottom of my heart, appreciate the support I’ve received from the local community. When you buy my flowers, you’re supporting a one woman-owned and operated local business, reducing the carbon footprint of imported flowers and contributing to the local flower movement in the United States towards sustainably grown, locally sourced and seasonal flowers.”

Jardineira offers Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscriptions, which entitle subscribers to a fresh bouquet every two weeks. CSA shares are available for three periods: Spring (April and May); Early Summer (June and July); and Late Summer/Fall (August and September). Each season’s subscription is $100 if picked up in East Amwell or $120 if delivered to East Amwell, Ringoes, Flemington, Three Bridges, or the Montgomery Farmer’s Market in Skillman.

Other farmers who offer CSA shares are Peterson Farm, Orchard Farm Organics, and Zell’s Farms.

The Montgomery Farmers Market

There will be 20 farmers and vendors at the market on Saturdays at the Montgomery Municipal Center off Orchard Road, 10 am to 1 pm. Eleven of the vendors are new.

New Vendors at theMontgomery Market

● Blake’s Chocolates of Hillsborough, by Blake Kruze, including chocolate covered strawberries;

● Caribbean Classics jerk seasonings and spices by Omar Francis;

● Carlito’s Taquitos by Carlos Garcia of Paramus;

● Coniglio’s Old Fashioned Bakery of Morristown, by Shealyn Brand, offering bread made with unbleached, unbromated flour and wild yeast, sourdough pastries, coffee and lemonade;

● Flavors and Aromas sweets and mouth fresheners by Parag Gulwani;

● Goana Delights by Shiv Narayan, offering jerky made from Sushi grade wild caught New Jersey Ahi tuna;

● The Greenhouse Gardener exotic tropical houseplants, by Carson Beck of Skillman;

● Jersey Pickles (and olives) by Roy Morales;

● Bassam Njeim and Louisa Ajami of Little Star Foods of Princeton, with Middle Eastern dips, spreads and freshly baked pita chips;

● Paolo’s Kitchen of New Providence, offering frozen Italian dinners;

● Salad Basket by Martha Dreswick of Flemington.

Returning Montgomery Vendors

● Jimena & Mikl Hajek of Catalina Empanadas of Hopewell, all baked and vegetarian and vegan available;

● Advah Zinder of the Granola Bar of Princeton, selling handmade bars and loose granola, all made with organic oats;

● Andrea DeRiancho of Jardineira Garden Company of East Amwell with cut flowers and arrangements;

● Caroline and Bob Phinney of Montgomery’s Orchard Farm Organics, who have been at the market since its inception, with organic eggs, herbs and herbal teas, organic produce, flowers, jams, sauces, soups, and pesto;

● Jake Peterson of Peterson Farms in Flemington, with strawberries, corn, peaches, apples, pumpkins & vegetables;

● Amy Perpetua and Ed Zimmerman of Princeton Café with coffee cake, cookies and breakfast burritos;

● Jarad Roper of Roper’s Way Farm hand-crafted jams of Rocky Hill;

● Pankaj and Reema Gupta of Tript Foods of Skillman, selling Tiffin/Northern Indian style sauces and foods;

● Zell George of Zell’s Farm in Hillsborough, offering pastured chicken and duck eggs and a wide variety of mushrooms and Asian vegetables.

Montgomery Market Manager Lorette Pruden said the weekly market happens thanks to teamwork by many people and organizations. She named the Montgomery Friends of Open Space (MFOS) board and Montgomery Township Committee, the Economic Development Commission, and the township professional staff — all of whom invited the market to move from its former location at the Village Shoppes parking lot by Mooyah Burgers on Route 206 into the new Montgomery municipal complex.

The market also is pet-friendly. Pruden said, “Here’s our policy: Well-behaved, leashed pets are welcome!”

The Montgomery Farmers’ Market will be held Saturday mornings 10 am to 1 pm from June 1 until November 23 at Montgomery Municipal Building, 100 Community Drive, just off Route 206 in Skillman.

MFOS, a nonprofit volunteer organization, formed over 20 years ago. They strive to preserve remaining open land in Montgomery; to act as stewards for properties already preserved; and to support local agriculture through their farmers’ market. Find vendor links: www.montgomeryfriends.org.

MFOS welcomes new sponsors and volunteers. If interested, email farmmarketmanager@montgomeryfriends.org. ■

The Princeton Farmers Market

There will be about 20 farmers and vendors at The Princeton Farmers Market, anchored by Terhune Farms.

Thursdays, 10 am to 3 pm

Hinds Plaza, Witherspoon Street

Princeton Farmers Market Vendors:

Anita’s Home Baking of Lawrenceville; Barking Good Bakery of New Brunswick; Burek Mediterranean & Italian specialties by Zeni of Ewing; Catalina Empanadas; Cherry Grove Farm, cheese, meat, and eggs of Lawrenceville; Chickadee Creek Farm organic vegetables of Pennington; Davidson’s Exotic Mushrooms of Cherry Hill; Demi Olive Oil of Wayne; The Granola Bar; Hudson Grinding Company knife sharpening of Jersey City; Little Star Middle Eastern Foods; Lost Bread Company of Philadelphia; Mediterranean Delicacies of Philadelphia; Picklelicious of Teaneck; The Shepherd’s Pasture wool, cashmere, and pastured goat milk soap of Bordentown; The Soupeteer of Whitehouse Station; Terhune Orchards of Lawrence Township; Tript Foods of Skillman; and Whimsy Design of Plainsboro.

The Hopewell Farmers Market

There will be about 15 farmers and vendors at The Hopewell Farmers Market, anchored by Fairgrown Farms of Hopewell, which opened for season on May 15.

Sundays, 9 am to 1 pm

62 East Broad St.

Hopewell Farmers Market Vendors:

Absinthe & Alchemy Candles; of Flemington; Beechtree Farm of Hopewell, pasture raised beef, lamb, pork, eggs, homemade soaps, and greeting cards; Bread & Culture of Flemington, sour dough bread and pastries; Catalina Empanadas of Hopewell; Fairgrown Farm of Hopewell; Lee’s HoneyBees of Rocky Hill selling honey; One Up One Down Coffee of Trenton (every other week); Queen Mab’s Herbs of Furlong, PA; Roper’s Way Farm jams of Rocky Hill; Sourland Mountain Spirits of Hopewell; Sprouts Flowers of Princeton; Unionville Vineyards of Hopewell (first Sunday of each month); and Zell’s Farm of Hillsborough selling eggs, mushrooms, and Asian vegetables.

-------

Montgomery-grown produce and meats are also available at these farms:

Bridgepoint Run Farm

Farm stand at Bridgepoint and Dead Tree Run roads in Belle Mead. Regeneratively produced vegetables (especially sweet corn), melons, and grass-fed and finished beef. See their Facebook page.

John H. Drake Farm

Farm stand at 889 Route 518, Skillman. Offering produce, eggs, and flowers. See their Facebook page.

Pariso Farm

Farm stand at 404 Skillman Rd, Skillman. Offering vegetables, berries, fruits, and flowers. See their Facebook page. ■