Freedom Farmers Market at the Carter Center

Freedom Farmers Market at the Carter Center pairs a Saturday market run with food-access work through Wholesome Wave Georgia, whose Georgia Fresh 4 Less partnership lets shoppers double the SNAP dollars they spend here. The setting adds another clear anchor: the market is hosted at the Carter Center and sits steps from the Freedom Park Trail, giving it an in-town feel tied to a specific Atlanta corridor. Open year-round on Saturday mornings, it brings together Georgia produce growers, orchard fruit, pasture-raised meats, cheeses, breads, coffee, preserves, and seafood in one stop.

Why it matters locally

Freedom Farmers Market began in 2014 as a vendor-run market with one market manager, and its volunteer base grew from more than 15 volunteers in that first year to more than 400 volunteers from 2014 through 2020. That history matters because the market ties weekly shopping to a larger Atlanta network of collaborators. It partners with Wholesome Wave Georgia on Georgia Fresh 4 Less to double SNAP spending at the market. It also names Georgia Organics, Slow Food Atlanta, CompostNow, and Second Helpings among the organizations that help serve the market and its shoppers. The result is a market shaped by both farm vendors and local food partners, rather than a stand-alone Saturday stop.

What you'll find there

The mix here leans hard into Georgia growers and food makers, with a noticeable concentration of certified organic and Certified Naturally Grown farms alongside prepared foods and pantry staples. Expect a market where peaches, mushrooms, duck eggs, goat cheese, bagels, shrimp, and hibiscus products can all share the same morning.

• -Browse Bee Wild Honey for small seasonal batches of varietal honey from a three-generation family apiary.
• -Pick up mushrooms from Bella Vita Mushrooms, a family-owned farm serving communities in northwest Georgia.
• -Find berries from Buffalo Creek Berry Farm, grown without synthetic pesticides and herbicides and sold as Certified Naturally Grown.
• -Taste Decimal Place Farms farmstead artisanal cheeses made from Saanan goats.
• -Look for peaches from Dicky Farms.
• -Add satsuma mandarins and Sweet Georgia Kisses from Franklin Citrus.
• -Choose pasture-raised chicken, eggs, and certified organic production from Grateful Pastures.
• -Bring home vegetables, herbs, flowers, tea blends, and farm-fresh skin care from GROW WHERE YOU ARE.
• -Stock up on local vegetables from LITTLE FOX FARM, a Certified Naturally Grown farm.
• -Slice into apples, peaches, and vegetables from Beech Creek Orchards in Tallapoosa.
• -Shop Berkshire pork and grass-fed beef from RIVERVIEW Farms, raised on certified organic pastures.
• -Find duck, stew hens, duck eggs, and chicken eggs from Smyly Farm.
• -Grab specialty produce and garlic from Ups + Downs Farm.
• -Pick up USDA organic peaches from Watsonia Farms.
• -Add certified organic vegetables, fruit, and cut flowers from Woodland Gardens.
• -Start with coffee from 1000 Faces Coffee.
• -Pick up wood-fired bagels, pastries, soups, salads, and sandwiches from B Side Bakery.
• -Bring home baked goods from Little Tart Bakeshop or fresh breads from Star Provisions.
• -Cook with cold-pressed sunflower, pecan, peanut, sesame, walnut, or pumpkin oils from Oliver Farm.
• -Add preserves, jam, mustard, pickles, vinegar, and shrubs from Piedmont Provisions.
• -Find handmade artisan meats including salami, bacon, sausage, pancetta, and coppa from Pine Street Market.
• -Take home sustainably caught Georgia shrimp from Capt Don’s Seafood or wild Alaska salmon from Doug’s Wild Alaska Salmon.

Seasonal programming also appears in the calendar, including Corn Days with El Ponce in the restaurant pop-up tent and Chef Julia LeRoy making fresh corn tortillas, plus fall arts and craft vendors and Trees Atlanta’s annual tree sale on a smaller scale.

Know before you go

No dogs is the clearest rule to plan around. The market also states that restrooms are not available, another detail that can shape a Saturday stop, especially for families or anyone pairing the market with time on the Freedom Park Trail. On access, the market says accessibility is an important goal and notes that neighbors can arrive by walking or biking, riding MARTA, or driving. The location is 453 Freedom Pkwy NE at the Carter Center, steps from the trail, so it fits easily into an intown Atlanta morning route. For market operations, Holly Hollingsworth is listed as market director.

Payments & SNAP

SNAP/EBT is accepted here, and the market’s partnership with Wholesome Wave Georgia through Georgia Fresh 4 Less allows shoppers to double the SNAP dollars they spend at the market. The market also indicates that payment methods are clearly communicated, which helps when you are planning purchases across produce, meat, bakery, and prepared-food vendors.