For the second consecutive year, the West Palm Beach GreenMarket has been named the nation’s best farmers market.
The special recognition was awarded to the market by voters of the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice poll in the “Best Farmers Market” category. Voters had four weeks to cast their daily ballots, and after a tight race, the West Palm Beach GreenMarket came out on top.
“It is exciting that the West Palm Beach GreenMarket has been recognized as ‘Best Farmers Market’ in the nation for the second year in a row,” said West Palm Beach Mayor Keith A. James. “We are thankful to USA TODAY 10Best for this wonderful distinction. We are especially thankful to our very loyal GreenMarket supporters, both here in West Palm Beach and nationwide, who overwhelmingly voted for the West Palm Beach GreenMarket to let everyone know that the GreenMarket is truly one-of-a-kind!”
USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice awards highlight the best of the best in categories such as destinations, dining, hotels, and entertainment. For all USA TODAY 10Best competitions, a panel of food and travel experts determines their top 20. It is then up to voters to decide the top 10 and, ultimately, No. 1. The West Palm Beach GreenMarket was the only Florida market included in the top 20. The top 10 are:
- West Palm Beach GreenMarket (West Palm Beach, FL)
- St. Paul Farmers Market (St. Paul, MN)
- Palisade Farmers Market (Palisade, CO)
- Missoula Farmers Market (Missoula, MT)
- Pearl Farmers Market (San Antonio, TX)
- Santa Fe Farmers’ Market (Santa Fe, NM)
- Kaka’ako Farmer’s Market (Honolulu, HI)
- Green Dragon Farmer’s Market (Ephrata, PA)
- Coastal Alabama Farmers & Fishermen’s Market (Foley, AL)
- Santa Monica Farmers Market (Santa Monica, CA)
“It is such an honor to be recognized again as the ‘Best Farmers Market’ in the U.S.,” said Mary Pinak, community events manager for the City of West Palm Beach. “Our motto this year has been that we are ‘pasta-tively’ the best, and we’ll continue to keep that momentum up going into next season.”
The West Palm Beach GreenMarket takes place weekly from October to mid-April, except for the week of the Palm Beach International Boat Show (the last week of March). Its mission is to provide the community with seasonal access to locally-grown fresh fruits and vegetables, plants, and agricultural products. The market supports the southeast Florida agricultural community and stimulates agricultural development, particularly in Palm Beach County, by providing an outlet for locally-grown crops and specialty products.
The GreenMarket has also been featured in The Boston Globe and named the No. 1 green market in Florida by Cooking Light magazine. Most recently, the GreenMarket was recognized by VISIT FLORIDA with a silver Flagler Award at the tourism marketing cooperative’s annual Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism.
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West Palm Beach GreenMarket: “Best Farmers Market” two years in a row