Farm To Tally
Explore fresh flavors, meet passionate producers, and support local agriculture at the Tallahassee Farmers Market
Braised short ribs on a bed of smoky polenta and a side baby kale salad. Sautéed mushrooms on sourdough toast with a perfectly fried pasture-raised egg. Shaved fennel salad with satsuma wedges and honey-balsamic vinaigrette topped with fresh chives. Is your mouth watering? Good. You may be surprised to know that all those meals were fully prepared with items found at the local Northeast Tallahassee farmers market.
Just off Thomasville Road, nestled in a large lot in front of Cornerstone Church, lies the Tallahassee Farmers Market. The setting is ideal: It is surrounded by tall trees—in true Tally fashion—but is right next to Northampton Shopping Center, so parking is abundant. On a typical Saturday, this parking lot is bustling with parents picking up their kids from dance class at Tallahassee Ballet, couples traipsing into Ology Northside for a drink, and college students heading into Red Elephant for a slice.
The market traces its roots to the 1930s when it was known as the Tallahassee Curb Market on Gaines Street. It became what is now known as the Tallahassee Farmers Market back in 1978 when it moved to the pavilion at Market Square. It has been at its current home since 2019.
The market is open year-round and takes place every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon, rain or shine. It is entirely volunteer run, with its own purveyors sitting on the board. They often host cooking demos, a children’s story time, and other special events. The vibe is friendly, and the sellers take pride in their products and enjoy talking about their processes.
“We have about 32 vendors, though some may not be here at the same time, depending on the season,” says Scott McAnally of Lucky Dog Farm, who serves as the market’s board president. “There’s nothing of scale here—it’s mostly family farms. This is as local as it gets.”
The market offers regional produce, grass-fed beef, pasture-raised chicken and eggs, local honey, specialty jams, regional citrus, locally produced pork, sourdough, kombucha, and even fresh oysters. With such variety, you can truly get everything on your grocery list. There are also some pre-made items available, if you feel like phoning in a dinner while still benefiting from fresh, local products.
McAnally endorses the first week in May and the first week in November as the best times to be at the market, as they coincide with the first crop of the spring and fall growing seasons, respectively. The market capitalizes on the peak crops by hosting family-friendly spring and fall festivals.
You can find a full list of vendors as well as info about upcoming events through the Tallahassee Farmers Market website (tallahasseefarmersmarket.com). You can also follow them on social media (@tallahasseefarmersmarket) and find participating vendors on their websites as well as on social. Give them a follow and see where your food comes from.
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Paradise Found Farms is owned by Kelly and Chris Cogswell. What started as a half-acre backyard homestead has become a thriving farm on more than eight acres. They sell chicken and turkey as well as pasture-raised eggs. Chris touts the eggs as their bestseller, with whole chicken as their second. Their egg sales are all done through preorders on their website. They get their day-old chicks from a hatchery in Valdosta. From there, the chickens live a happy life where they graze on fresh grass and eat non-GMO feed. All their chickens are then processed and packaged by hand to ensure humane treatment from beginning to end. They believe their practices make for happy birds and the most nutritious food.
Rocky Soil Family Farm is a market farm located in Monticello selling fresh produce as well as home-baked sourdough and their very own grits, cornmeal, polenta, and corn flour. They began milling their own products from 100 percent heirloom corn in 2024, but Kiona and Chris Wagner have owned their farm since 2019. Kiona reports that their top sellers are their fresh sourdough and carrots. Along with the farmers market, you can find Rocky Soil products at the Community Co-op Market, online through Red Hills Online Market, and at local restaurants.
Play of Sunlight Mushrooms was started back in 2016 by FSU College of Music grad Josh Saul. He joined forces with Kyle Jackson during the pandemic and expanded the company to what is now one of the largest specialty mushroom farms in the Southeast. They produce black pearl, blue, gold, and phoenix oyster mushrooms, as well as chestnut, coral tooth, lion’s mane, and Pioppino out of their indoor mushroom farm here in Tallahassee. They also make mushroom powders and seasonings. They recommend storing mushrooms in the fridge in a paper bag versus a Ziploc to avoid trapping too much moisture.
Tally Kombucha owner Michaela Teasley began brewing kombucha in her home as a way to combat her gastritis, asthma, and brain fog. After seeing the benefits firsthand, she founded Tally Kombucha in 2016. Along with kombucha, which changes seasonally, she also makes “bucha rollups” (an alternative to processed sugary fruit snacks made with fresh fruit and kombucha) and vegan elderberry syrup, which is one of her bestsellers. You can find Tally Kombucha at various specialty stores around Tallahassee. There is also a tasting room off Apalachee Parkway that is open to the community on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.
