eat make read

Every weekend when we go to the market at Grand Army Plaza, Maxwell Farms is one of the first tents we hit up. Not only is it overflowing with some of the best product the market has to offer, like fresh herbs, tomatillos (yum tomatillo salsa), peppers, corn, melons.. basically all sorts of goodness, but it also has some of the friendliest vendors you’ll ever meet. One such person is Allison Plumer, who also happens to love Maude and showers her with attention every time we visit. I recently interviewed Allison via email to see just what it takes to sell goods at the greenmarket every week.

eatmakeread:
How did you start working for Maxwell farm?
allison plummer:
I started working for maxwell’s 3 years ago when I came back from Italy and was flat broke. I am best friends with Alex, who is Bill the farmer’s son. He offered me a spot at the market and said it was hard work and the hours sucked but I may like it… and I totally do

emr:
How long have you been doing it?
ap:
I’ve been doing it for 3 summers, and I worked the winter as well this past year, but working for other greenmarket vendors who brave the cold, I have also worked for Rick’s Pick’s who is at the Saturday market, and I also work for the wheatgrass man and a small apple farm (Race Farm) in union square

emr:
What is your role on the farm?
ap:
I am embarrassed to say, I have never been to Maxwell’s farm, and Bill will never let me live it down! I am the urban farmer, I am the only employee that works all the markets. On Wednesdays we do a market by the U.N on 47th and 2nd and Bill doesnt come into that market, I run the operation.

emr:
What does your farm produce?

ap:
All the farm’s at the greenmarket range in size. Phillips, for example, runs a massive operation, they have hundreds of acres they work with. Maxwell’s is pushing 65 acres. Bill calls the farm “controlled chaos”, he has things planted everywhere.
One thing that amazes me is he does so many varieties with so little space, for example he grows 6 different types of eggplant! He does everything from asparagus to zebra stripe tomatoes. In the heart of the summer its hard for us to find a spot for everything at the market!

emr:
You work at the greenmarket each Saturday, can you tell us what that day is like? For example, do you have to get up really early and pack the truck?
ap:
Saturday is the hardest market of the week for us, we are bombarded with customers all day, and despite the number of workers we have, the line still wraps around the stand.
Since I’m coming from Queens, I leave my house 4:45, Bill leaves the farm at 4:30. The boys on the farm pack the truck the night before so its ready to go for him in the morning. As soon as we all arrive, its like the gears just start moving, we all have our own little jobs which we automatically do. I take care of the herb displays, hot peppers, tomatoes and I always keep my eye on the corn. Bill organizes things as we move them off the truck, 2 guys are always on the back handing things out to us, I can’t do that job because I can’t reach the heavy things on top, but Alex and I are in charge of loading the truck up at the end of the day.

emr:
What do you think about movements like organic and/or locavore?
ap:
The organic movement drives me crazy! Lol, Don’t get me wrong I am a huge advocate of organics, but I work for a conventional local farm and there are so many people out there who are misinformed about organics and assume anything not raised in organic soil is poison. Its a frustrating to deal with a customer who comes up with armfulls of produce and then asks, “Are you guys organic?” - No, we aren’t, we are a small conventional farm, we don’t spray everything, and things that are sprayed are done so in a very thoughtful manner and only when necessary. Bill is very honest about answering this question and 9 times out of 10 the person will drop the stuff on the table and say thank you anyway. We often deal with people who assume everyone at the market is organic. Last week I was answering this question for someone and an elderly customer of ours looked at the lady and said, I’ve been eating their food for 23 years and I’m doing just fine. The lady ended up taking the veggies.

emr:
Do you cook? If yes, what’s your favorite thing to cook?
ap:
I went to school for photography, and after working the market for a few years I have trasitioned into the culinary world. Its hard not to cook when constantly surrounded by food! Half of the market job is talking to the customers. I teach people how to cook things all day, and in turn I learn a lot from my customers. Despite the fact the Bill grows all these great things, he never has time to cook and doesn’t know what to tell people half the time. We have a lot of celebrity chefs who are faithful customers and I am also picking their brains. I started cooking by taking home the veggies I was unfamiliar with and looking up recipies and experimenting. Right now i’m on a total corn kick until the season goes out. Spicy corn soup, corn fritters, rice and corn with black beans and cilantro…

emr:
Do you have other interests or hobbies?
ap:
Food has become my favorite hobby, however I also silkscreen. Maxwells know sells reuseable shopping bags that Alex and I printed on and we are currently making t-shirts! Hit me up on saturday and I’ll give you guys one. I have my own line of t-shirts called Lady Killer designs.

emr:
Lastly, is there anything about working on a farm that you think would surprise people?
ap:
The hours are long, its impossible to call out sick, but half the time I don’t feel like I’m working and I never have to answer a phone and I get all of the best food out there for pennies because I know everyone at the market. Bill tells people all the time that he farms because it beats working for a living.

Thank you to Allison and everyone at Maxwell farms for working hard to bring tasty vegetables into the city.