Teeming with the freshest locally grown goods you can get your hands on, farmers’ markets all the way from New Orleans to Shreveport allow you to meet the hardworking growers of your favorite fruits and vegetables, learn more about what you’re buying and its journey from farm to you, and, of course, snag a sack full of your favorite produce ready to devour. The Bayou State’s hot and humid summer climate makes it a haven for many types of produce—think juicy peaches, watermelons, and tomatoes—and that’s exactly what you’ll find.
In New Orleans, Market Umbrella is the nonprofit organization operating Crescent City Farmers Market and its weekly locations at Uptown Square, Lafitte Greenway Plaza, and Tad Gormley Stadium. Since 1995, Market Umbrella has united shoppers and local producers, promoting health, social ties, and economic sustainability. Through training and support, Market Umbrella aids small food businesses, boosting both supply and demand for local produce.
Collaborations with regional organizations enhance opportunities for producers. Market Umbrella’s programs, like Market Match, enable families to access healthy foods, supported by initiatives like Greaux the Good, extending the value of SNAP benefits. While broadening beyond New Orleans, its core mission remains fostering sustainable development and healthy eating.
“We are so much more than just a market,” says Market Umbrella Executive Director Angelina Harrison. “We also run eight or nine incentive programs, like Market Match where we double all SNAP dollars that are spent in our markets. We also partner with other organizations in the city to allow them to be able to do the same thing.”
Running its markets and incentive programs is no small feat, and it all starts with vendor support. Market Umbrella’s director of markets and vendor support organizes any and all assistance to its army of vendors. The organization is also a founding member of Louisiana Small Scale Agriculture Coalition, focusing on assisting growers who operate on fewer than 100 acres of land.
“We run additional technical assistance through programs like that and are about to launch grantmaking capabilities to small-scale agricultural producers,” Angelina says. “This might not be something that everyone is aware of, but there aren’t a lot of small-scale specialty crop—that’s the USDA term for fruits and vegetables—farmers that are direct to consumer out there, so it’s an essential component of our market operations, which, I think, distinguishes us from a lot of the other area farmers’ markets.”
Local farmers aren’t the only vendors populating the markets and receiving assistance. Many up-and-coming artisans and chefs sell their creations alongside the regional growers and receive a boost in business and brand recognition thanks to their partnership with Crescent City Farmers Market. Chef Michael Costantini of Costantini Pasta and Robert Harrison of Pearl River Pastures are just two examples.
“I’d always used the market to buy stuff for home and for restaurants,” Michael says. “I was pretty familiar with them and noticed that there was no one selling pasta there. I thought it’d be a good opportunity since a friend of mine was already selling with them. Through my friend, I saw that it was a viable business model, and now, I sell my homemade pasta at all the markets.”
New Orleans isn’t the only place for delicious farmers’ market finds. In Shreveport and Bossier, their vibrant markets are where you can find local produce and meats, jellies, baked goods, fresh-cut flowers, handmade crafts, and much more. Both have several seasonal marketplaces in the summer and fall, with the largest being Shreveport Farmers’ Market and Bossier City Farmers Market.
Starting in early June and closing in late August, Shreveport Farmers’ Market is open every Saturday morning under the pavilion in Festival Plaza. Bossier City Farmers Market operates a bit longer every year, every Saturday morning from April to November in the Pierre Bossier Mall Parking Lot. A beautiful sunset over Pearl Rivers Pastures; Below: a busy day at Shreveport Farmers’ Market.
Shreveport is home to market success stories of its own as well. Before opening his brick-and-mortar location of the local favorite El Cabo Verde, Chef Gabriel Balderas and his team set up at the farmers’ market for about a year, aiming to connect with potential customers face-to-face. The market was used to promote their concept and build a customer base. The decision to start at farmers’ markets was part of their initial outreach strategy. They utilized these markets not only to promote their upcoming concept but also to source ingredients and establish relationships with local vendors.
“It was how we could let people come by and try the food and find out what we’re about,” Gabriel says. “Now, we’ve been open for eight years, and people still come in and tell us that they remember us from the farmers’ market. In this area, we have quite a few restaurants that have come out of the farmers’ markets because it really seems work to start up this kind of business.”
In central Louisiana, the Alexandria Farmers Market fosters community connections by bringing together residents and local farmers, ranchers, and artisans from in and around the immediate region. Located across from the First United Methodist Church, the market is open on Tuesday afternoons year-round and looks to connect customers with the hands that grow and raise their food. Through its partnership with Market Umbrella and the Greaux the Good program, it also matches SNAP benefits so customers can do even more shopping at the market.
The bounty of Louisiana’s summer produce beckons visitors to the vibrant farmers’ markets scattered across the state. These markets serve as more than just places to shop; they’re community hubs fostering connections between residents and local growers. New Orleans, Shreveport-Bossier, and Alexandria stand as testaments to that ethos, promoting health, sustainability, and economic empowerment.
