36 Hours in NYC: Farm2Me Things to Do and Eat

I remember when we started in 2010....

Okinomi in New York City would be the 1st seafood restaurant I would visit - known for its seasonal pole caught seafood, ramen, and wild sushi and its in the heart of Brooklyn, near Queens, where sustainable makers and creative hubs thrive. They’re lucky to be steps away from Brooklyn Grange in the Navy Yard, an urban rooftop farm that inspires our own focus on community and sustainability. For coffee, we’re frequent visitors to Parlor Coffee in Dumbo, a small-batch roaster that shares our ethos of thoughtful sourcing and collaboration. Lunch meetings often lead us to Greedi Vegan in Bed-Stuy for plant-based comfort food or Café Mogador in Williamsburg for its locally sourced Mediterranean dishes — get the Shakshuka. If you’re feeling more seafood, checkout the seafood shack and restaurant Greenpoint Fish and Lobster. If you want to go deeper into Brooklyn try Leland’s in Prospect Heights and try to snag an outdoor seat to people watch, then take a walk to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens in Prospect Park or just walk through the Park.

When we’re hunting down emerging makers, we’re likely sourcing ingredients for new ideas at one of the city’s many year-round farmers markets and locally sourced grocers. Eating seasonally means breakfast, lunch, and dinner — which requires to cook (or at least blanch and toss in our favorite sauces). The Union Square Greenmarket is a classic, but we also love the McCarren Park Greenmarket in Williamsburg and the smaller Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket in Park Slope, not to be confused with the Down To Earth Park Slope Farmers Market (Which is our #1 Farmers Market in NYC) — both Down To Earth Markets and Grow NYC both have great markets lists. You can also use our Farmers Market Guide Map of 10,000+ farmers markets all over the NYC and Suburbs (depending on where you’re trekking while visiting). If you need local produce or dairy when a market is closed, like after work, try our local tiny grocer guide for 1,000s of grocers and growing, or trek up to the UWS to try the new Millport Dairy shop on the 90s & Broadway, it will not disappoint and will inspire what is possible in NYC… and you’ll be one of the first 500 people to visit, so enjoy and spread the word. For special projects, we sometimes hop on the ferry to the Smorgasburg (inspired by Farm2Me in 2012) in Brooklyn to discover new small-batch brands and creative artisans.

Craft beverage lovers are spoiled in NYC, where you can find some “popup makers” serving food inside a nook in the brewery / distillery, and we often find ourselves in the Gowanus neighborhood, where breweries and distilleries are redefining sustainability. Strong Rope Brewery is a standout, exclusively using New York State-grown ingredients for its beers. Right around the corner is Van Brunt Stillhouse, a craft distillery that sources grains locally to create small-batch whiskey, rum, and gin. If you’re looking for something a little more rare, check out Hana Makgeolli, they distill rice wine and rice liquor in Brooklyn. Ore Bar is another favorite, check out their Instagram for their popup chef schedule. A short walk brings us to Malai Ice Cream, where the ice cream is not only delicious but also made with locally sourced dairy and ingredients, and inspired by their North Indian spice roots. Or you can go to Ridgewood to explore the Gen Z scene at Cassette Bar, that sources local craft as well as supports popup chef concepts like Matsuzaka Ramen

For dinner and drinks, it’s hard to beat the Lower East Side’s eclectic mix of sustainable restaurants and shops — the neighborhoods we sent you to above have all the options — and you can simply explore our Coffee Roaster Guide Map for breakfast, check out the below 2 paragraphs, or ask the above craft bars or farmers where they recommend for sustainable options, or sell their produce to. That’ll get you deep into the sustainable food & bev space in NYC. Wildair is a favorite for its natural wine list and small plates made with seasonal ingredients. Nearby, Zero Waste Daniel offers clothing made entirely from fabric scraps, a testament to NYC’s growing commitment to circular fashion (if you’re into the whole Upcycled thing).

On a quieter day, we might wander through Industry City in Sunset Park, where sustainability meets creativity. The space is home to artisans like Colson Patisserie, which crafts pastries with locally sourced ingredients, and Japan Village, where small-batch Japanese goods are celebrated. For a deeper dive into sustainable shopping, Package Free in Williamsburg is a must—offering everything from reusable containers to eco-friendly toiletries.

When it’s time to unwind, Rooftop Reds in the Brooklyn Navy Yard is our go-to. It’s the world’s first rooftop vineyard and an amazing spot to sip wine while taking in the skyline. For dinner, Olmsted in Prospect Heights never disappoints, with a hyper-seasonal menu that highlights ingredients grown in their backyard garden, as well as Loring Place in Manhattan’s West Village..

This barely scratches the surface of NYC’s sustainable and small-batch community. If you’re looking for recommendations or curious about our favorite spots, we’d love to hear from you!

New Products

Newly Launched Farm2Me

  • Mezcla Bars – GF Quinoa Bars, New York, United States (Link)

  • Jamie’s Farm Granola – GF Granola Cereal, Local Ingredients, New York, United States (Link)


    Avec Non-Alcoholic Drinks – Fresh 100% Juice, Whole Ingredient Mixers, Brooklyn, United States (Link)

  • Three Sisters Charcuterie – Sustainable Pork Spanish Dry-Cured Chorizo, Richmond, Ca, United States (Link)

Grocers

1,000+ Tiny Grocers near NYC

Farm2Me Map of Independent Grocers is not just a map – it’s a vibrant, living community celebrating the hardworking shops and shopkeepers you pass by every day.

Get lost in the intricate stories of shop owners. Discover their journeys, the products they love, and the reasons behind what they do.

Take advantage of the map when you’re visiting a new neighborhood, when you’re traveling around the country / world, or just looking for something special in your neighborhood.

We’ve spent 14 years building this, so enjoy!

Sponsor

Money

Following a bold 50 basis point rate cut by the US Federal Reserve, spot gold reached a peak of 2,687 per troy ounce. Experts predict that this bullish trend for the precious yellow metal may continue, so it may be smart to get in now before prices keep climbing.*

Disclaimer: The information provided in this email is for educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice.

Non-GMO

Non GMO Project

Non-GMO products do not allow GMO genetically modified organism - a plant, animal, microorganism or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified in a laboratory using genetic engineering or transgenic technology. GMO creates combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and virus genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.  Make sure  you see the  Non-GMO label!

Genetic modification affects many of the products we consume on a daily basis. As the number of GMOs available for commercial use grows every year, the Non-GMO Project works diligently to provide the most accurate, up-to-date standards for non-GMO verification.

In order for a product to be Non-GMO Project Verified, its inputs must be evaluated for compliance with our standard, which categorizes inputs into four risk levels.

Partner

Masterworks

How has the art investing platform Masterworks been able to realize an individual profit for investors with each of its 23 exits to date? 

Here’s an example: an exited Banksy was offered to investors at $1.039 million and internally appraised at the same value after acquisition. As Banksy’s market took off, Masterworks received an offer of $1.5 million from a private collector, resulting in 32% net annualized return for investors in the offering.

Every artwork performs differently — but with 3 illustrative sales (that were held for 1+ year), Masterworks investors realized net annualized returns of 17.6%, 17.8%, and 21.5%.

Masterworks takes care of the heavy lifting: from buying the paintings, to storing them, to selling them for you (no art experience required). 

Disclaimer: The content is not intended to provide legal, tax, or investment advice. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Investing involves risk.

Non-Alcohol

600+ Non-Alcoholic Shops

Farm2Me Map of Non-Alc Grocers is not just a map – it’s a vibrant, living community celebrating the hardworking shops and shopkeepers you pass by every day.

Get lost in the intricate stories of shop owners. Discover their journeys, the products they love, and the reasons behind what they do.

Take advantage of the map when you’re visiting a new neighborhood, when you’re traveling around the country / world, or just looking for something special in your neighborhood.

We’ve spent 14 years building this, so enjoy!

Sponsor

Money

Following a bold 50 basis point rate cut by the US Federal Reserve, spot gold reached a peak of 2,687 per troy ounce. Experts predict that this bullish trend for the precious yellow metal may continue, so it may be smart to get in now before prices keep climbing.*

Disclaimer: The information provided in this email is for educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice.

News!

Seaweed Gets $2.5M

Triodos’ investment into the Faroese seaweed farming industry - the group’s first investment into the sustainable aquaculture industry - raises the total capital raised by Ocean Rainforest to € 2.5 million. Other notable shareholders include Katapult Ocean, Twynam, and WWF.

Founded in 2007, Ocean Rainforest was ahead of the curve, seemingly anticipating the massive boom in global seaweed production that was to come in the following years. Driven by the idea that growing seaweed in the ocean would take up CO2 and mitigate climate change, cultivation began in 2013 after years of research and trials. Today the company employs 25 people and expects to produce 400 tonnes of seaweed biomass by the end of 2024, making it the largest cultivated seaweed producer in Europe.

“Ocean Rainforest addresses three impact pillars: from an environmental perspective, cultivating seaweed at scale is associated with significant enhancement of marine biodiversity and water quality. Seaweed-based fertilisers and animal feed also contribute to the sustainable agriculture transition. From a consumer perspective, consumption of seaweed-based products improves the digestive system and brings anti-inflammatory and other benefits,” said Adam Kybird, fund manager at Triodos, in a press release.

“Finally, from a socio-economic perspective, the company creates positive impact for coastal communities, creating jobs and positioning the Faroe Islands at the forefront of sustainable seaweed cultivation,” he added.

Ocean Rainforest has also begun to expand its reach, cultivating giant kelp in Santa Barbara, California, as part of a research and development project. The company recently applied for permission to transition this to commercial cultivation.

“We see the investment by Triodos Food Transition Europe Fund as a confirmation of our business strategy and our purpose to improve people’s wellbeing and make a unique contribution to our blue planet. With the funding provided by Triodos we will be able to further scale our production and capitalise on the huge potential of this global growth market while contributing even more to our sustainability goals,” said Olavur Gregersen, Ocean Rainforest co-founder and chief executive.

Local Farms

Farmers Markets in NYC

Farm2Me Guide of Farmers Markets is not just a map – you can finally search by day, location, and see what’s open — it’s a vibrant, living community celebrating the hardworking farms and makers all over the country, every day.

Get lost in the intricate stories of the farms. Discover their journeys, the products they love, and the reasons behind what they do.

Take advantage of the map when you’re visiting a new neighborhood, when you’re traveling around the country / world, or just looking for something special in your neighborhood.

We’ve spent 14 years building this, so enjoy!

Coffee Roasters

Coffee Roasters Near Me

Farm2Me Map of Independent Grocers is not just a map – it’s a vibrant, living community celebrating the hardworking shops and shopkeepers you pass by every day.

Get lost in the intricate stories of shop owners. Discover their journeys, the products they love, and the reasons behind what they do.

Take advantage of the map when you’re visiting a new neighborhood, when you’re traveling around the country / world, or just looking for something special in your neighborhood.

We’ve spent 14 years building this, so enjoy!

Pro Tip #1

Visit a local Grocer or Coffee Shop, or explore a local Farmers Market. Shop direct from your favorite emerging brands!

Fine & Raw Chocolate was established in 2007 in a notorious Williamsburg, Brooklyn artist loft by Daniel Sklaar. Daniel launched into making small Fine & Raw Chocolate batches and sharing them with friends, Fine & Raw Chocolate wholesale then started delivering them on his bicycle to local purveyors of fine food. It was apparent that the chocolate flavor was so good it was borderline addictive. Fine & Raw Chocolate wholesale grew based on the premise of producing organic, unparalleled quality chocolate and a shear love of the chocolate making process.

The “raw” in Fine & Raw is something of a misnomer. Sklaar and Fine & Raw Chocolate company do roast some of their organic cacao beans under lower temperatures and for longer durations than common in standard high-heat processing. Says Sklaar, “Raw chocolate is an amazing source of antioxidants. We’re basically looking to maintain those while playing with the unique flavor profiles of raw chocolate.” Fine & Raw offers chocolates using both “raw” and combinations of “raw” and conventionally roasted beans.

Fine & Raw Chocolate wholesale manufactures the finest chocolate in the world. Fine & Raw Chocolate wholesale specialize in bean-to-bar, organic chocolate bars and truffles, spreads and well, anything our imaginations can think of it. Fine & Raw Chocolate start by sourcing the worlds finest cacao beans and specialize in clean ingredients lists. Their products are always organic, plant-based and next level.

Fine & Raw Chocolate's first point of sustainability is a radically-transparent cacao supply chain which is focused on quality and direct relationships with cacao farmer! Fine & Raw's cacao is sourced from the highest quality and most ethical suppliers in Ghana and Ecuador. "We ensure that our farmers are paid above fair trade wages, because we believe farmers should have the economic freedom and empowerment to farm organically and develop sustainable land management practices. It is currently estimated that less than 0.5% of cacao beans are organic. By cultivating long-lasting and ethical relationships with suppliers and farmers, we hope to continue providing economic support for the organic cacao industry."

Made in Brooklyn, NY

Founded by Daniel Sklaar in 2007

Partner

Masterworks

How has the art investing platform Masterworks been able to realize an individual profit for investors with each of its 23 exits to date? 

Here’s an example: an exited Banksy was offered to investors at $1.039 million and internally appraised at the same value after acquisition. As Banksy’s market took off, Masterworks received an offer of $1.5 million from a private collector, resulting in 32% net annualized return for investors in the offering.

Every artwork performs differently — but with 3 illustrative sales (that were held for 1+ year), Masterworks investors realized net annualized returns of 17.6%, 17.8%, and 21.5%.

Masterworks takes care of the heavy lifting: from buying the paintings, to storing them, to selling them for you (no art experience required). 

Disclaimer: The content is not intended to provide legal, tax, or investment advice. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Investing involves risk.

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THAT’S A WRAP

Stay Cute,
Garry & The Farm2Me Team 🌈

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