East Lake Farmers Market

Metro Atlanta is home to dozens of Saturday morning farmers markets, but with only a certain number of local farmers to go around, some of the smaller markets struggle to consistently attract reliable, high-quality vendors. Such was the case with East Lake Farmers (ELF) Market, which last year saw a dramatic drop in both vendors and shoppers. But this scrappy, high-energy little market, founded by concerned neighbors to reclaim a blighted corner, found a new way to grow and thrive: It changed its hours of operation to Tuesday afternoon, when far fewer markets are in operation. The nonprofit market works in tandem with a community garden and raised-bed urban farm operating on the same corner. With a new market manager and a new farmer-in-residence, the Tuesday hours bring even more potential to this urban charmer.