Market Mornings in Mount Vernon Triangle

The entrance to the Mount Vernon Triangle market on March 21, 2026. (Sydney Goitia-Doran/101 Mag)

Every Saturday, Mount Vernon Triangle, located in central Washington, D.C., comes alive with the scent of freshly baked goods, a rainbow of produce and samples of locally sourced products thanks to The “FRESHFARM” Mount Vernon Triangle Market.

The nonprofit market is next to Milian Park, not far from the Metro’s Green Line. While some of the several “FRESHFARM” markets throughout D.C. are seasonal, the Mount Vernon market is open rain or shine, and was one of the only farmers’ markets open throughout the ice and snow storms earlier this year. 

Shoppers can make purchases with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance programs (SNAP) and EBT benefits. Through donations from nonprofits, they can double the value of their funds and receive coupons to use at the market. Regulars are rewarded through their loyalty program, where they earn credit that can be redeemed for cash prizes and coupons, according to Margaret Belford, a “FRESHFARM” worker. 

“Especially in the summer season, we’ll have a lot of traffic for produce plus, which is an incentive program that gives people eligible for SNAP or other benefits $40 in cash per month to spend on produce,” she said. 

March 21 was a sunny spring day, with a crowd full of families, pets and stragglers from a nearby marathon. Ritah Magera, who was walking by and decided to check out the farm stand, was excited to see organic eggs selling for eight dollars, which she said was cheaper than at places like Whole Foods.

“I feel like the big corporations are like ‘this is organic’ and they increase the prices,” Magera said. “It’s important to go and see the people that grow the food, and it’s usually cheaper, which is surprising and probably more organic because it’s not processed.”

A stroll through the different vendors revealed samples of kimchi, fresh fruit and bone broth. Dominique Lewis works at La Caldería, a freeze-dried bone broth stand that is organically sourced from animals roaming free at a regenerative farm in Virginia. The chickens and turkeys are not injected with hormones or antibiotics, and their natural excretion fertilizes the grass they eat.  

“Our motto is ‘we help people to become healthy with real bone broth.’ This is real bone broth from the source,” she said. “The first thing that you feel when you’re becoming is your gut lining. So our gut is like our second brain, so when our gut is healthy, the rest of our body is healthy.”

Lewis said they’ve received testimonies of people healing their bodies with the help of their bone broth, including those with arthritis reporting significant decreases in pain. As she spoke, regulars came up to say hello. She said La Caldería consistently sold in the market for almost a year and rotates across the DMV on Sundays.

Despite Magera’s experience with eggs and SNAP benefits, some farmers’ markets face criticism for being more expensive than grocery store alternatives. Lewis said the cost goes beyond money. 

“I think the cost is worth it, because when I did start investing more money in my foods, like greens or meats, it impacted my health heavily and helped me heal from pain and inflammation that could have been lifelong versus going to the doctor and paying for medication,” Lewis said. “So you either pay now for better food, or you pay later for medications and diagnosis.”

All the producers at the market were from within 200 miles of D.C. Lewis said the same can’t be said for some grocery stores, and shoppers run the risk of ingesting added ingredients that don’t give natural benefits or cause long-term inflammation. 

“Investing in your health is a lifelong investment, and it’s also a worthwhile investment,” Lewis said.

Beyond health benefits, attendees enjoyed a variety of cuisine from fresh tacos to jerk chicken bowls, with many listening to music and basking in the sun at the nearby bark before concluding their visit. 

The market is open every Saturday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. The vendors will double come April, but for now, community members are bundling up and taking advantage of the winter market.