Too lazy to drive to Weis? Too poor to shop at Wegmans? Too stubborn to figure out exactly where to turn off Main Street to get to Price Chopper? Good news, Downtown Binghamtonians, there’s a small farmers’ market just one block down from State Street, that will take you to produce, protein, coffee and cake heaven.

Chock full of fresh kale, garlic, giant tomatoes, nectarines, leeks and so much more, you’ll never again have to buy bagged supermarket lettuce again. With ridiculously reduced prices – especially for the quality and quantity that’s being sold – the Binghamton Farmers’ Market serves you fresh, chemical-free, locally grown produce, poultry, coffee, baked goods and meat.

The market, located on Collier Street, is open on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and has been around for “as long as anyone can remember,” according to their website. When I asked the vendors for a real answer, they mostly just stared into the distance and, after a few seconds answered, “…it’s been here for a while.” So we’re dealing with some historical groceries, people.

Niechelle Wade, one of the vendors at the market, sells fresh produce and homemade jam and honey that are grown and masterfully created at her farm, Sunny Hill, in Whitney Point. Her stand is impressively colorful and eclectic, and she is exceptionally nice.

Another stand, cutely named “Closer to the Heart,” stands out for its fresh and organic meat and poultry. Adrian Biscontini, the affable and energetic vendor, runs Closer to the Heart by himself, and raises (and slaughters) his own cows and chickens about three miles from Binghamton. At a certain point, business is simply business, he said when I asked him how it felt to raise and then slaughter the animals. His beef is grass-fed, his products are chemical-free and he’s in his third successful season.

Another exciting secret Biscontini shared, is that he sells a lot of his products to Galaxy Brewing Company, a popular and delicious restaurant/brewery located on Court Street. So if you pig out on their menu, find solace knowing you’re sustaining a neighborhood farm.

I know what you’re thinking – what happens in about a week when it’s no longer sunny and beautiful? The Collier Street market runs only from mid-June through October (because of the unpredictable Binghamton climate, there’s no set ending date). But beginning in November and ending in March, there will be another market located in the Metro Center on Court Street every first and third Saturday of the month.

So when you’re roaming the aisles of big business supermarkets, you can skip the produce section and head right to the Totino’s Pizza Rolls. At the farmers’ market, stock up on fresh coffee, bread and arugula, taste a sample of fresh salsa (maybe even get the recipe) and support your local farms.