The Morningside Heights Greenmarket, sponsored by Columbia University and Barnard College in collaboration with the New York City Greenmarket program, is the city's first university-sponsored farmer's market. It is open every Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Nov. 15. It is located at 116th St. between Broadway and Claremont Avenues. As many as eight local farmers, some certified organic, bring freshly picked greens, seasonal vegetables, herbs, flowers and even freshly-baked breads every week. The market gives area residents a taste of country living through both the food and the more personal attention than is typically found at a large city supermarket. Farmers provide preparation tips and nutrition information and share favorite recipes.

Buying produce and other foods at the market supports Project Renewal, a Manhattan-based community project that helps the urban homeless transition back into the workforce in the fresh air of the country. Columbia's Advisory Committee on the Environment, which includes a number of University departments and students from the Columbia-Barnard Student Earth Coalition, has advocated bringing organic and pesticide-free produce to Morningside Heights to provide better access to healthy food alternatives. The University has worked over the past few months with the Greenmarket program to bring a farmer's market into the neighborhood. Greenmarket has organized and managed open-air farmers markets in New York City since 1976.

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