Fresh Picks: A Market to Transform How You Source Your Food
Set yourself up for a Summer filled with lucious local produce, farm fresh eggs, meat, dairy, and intentionally made local food products. Eating locally isn't just about reducing your climate footprint. It's a way of living in connection with the seasons, your local environment, and your community. Join us for an evening designed to help you find an approach that actually fits your life, to make eating locally sustainable for you.
Fresh Picks is a curated marketplace and panel bringing together the local food makers and distributors who are building a more sustainable, accessible, and delightful food system in New York.
This is an evening designed for anyone curious about eating more locally and sustainably in New York — whether you're a longtime CSA member or someone who's been meaning to start shopping their neighborhood farmer’s market. No prior knowledge required. Come ready to explore, ask questions, sign up for the services that resonate for you, and leave with a plan for eating more sustainably.
What to Expect
You'll spend the evening learning about NYC's most innovative local food sources, connecting local farmer-grown and maker-produced goods to everyday New Yorkers, and making the local food ecosystem more sustainable in the process. Talk directly to the founders and organizers. Ask the questions you never get to ask at the market. Find your fit.
We'll bring the folks behind the brands on stage for a candid conversation about what local eating really looks like in New York today, how their organizations are transforming the conversation and the marketplace, and how New Yorkers can create sustainable eating habits that work for them. Featured speakers will include:
Anina von Haeften, Co-founder of Farm to People
John Lancione, Founder of Seasonal
Wen-Jay Ying, Founder of Local Roots NYC
Vivian Lin, Founder of Groundcycle
Stay tuned -- more panelists and participating organizations will be announced soon!
Every registered guest will receive a market tote packed with seasonal produce and locally made products from the organizations in the room – ready to take you through Memorial Day Weekend!
Agenda
6:00 – 6:30: Gather + Mingle
Meet the makers, and sample what's in season. Drinks and light bites will be provided.
6:30 – 7:30: Panel Talk
Founders and organizers from across NYC's local food ecosystem in conversation about what sustainable eating actually looks like here — and how to make it work for real life.
7:30 – 8:00: Open Marketplace + Market Bag Pickup
Sign up, subscribe, or learn where to shop the markets that resonated with you. Find the people in the room whose work and passions connect with yours. Grab your tote on the way out — packed with seasonal produce and locally made products.
Meet The Panelists
Anina von Haeften, Farm to People
Anina is Co-Founder and Creative Director of Farm to People. Farm to People delivers the farmer’s market straight to your doorstep in NYC. Their mission is to make it easier to eat well at home by curating farm shares and a marketplace with the best seasonal, local produce, sustainable meat and fish, and ethical grocery staples. Experience Farm to People by signing up for their newsletter and placing your order from their website.
John Lancione, Seasonal
John Lancione is the founder and CEO of Seasonal, a company modernizing community-supported agriculture to make it easier for eaters everywhere to eat like they have a farm of their own. A former restaurant and healthcare professional with a decade of hospitality experience, he holds a BA from Yale and is completing graduate studies at Columbia focused on food systems, climate change, and public health.
Meet Your Hosts
Letters from the Table
Letters from the Table is a project exploring the ways food connects us with people, places, memories, and the present moment. It is a series of love letters and a platform for creating connection through storytelling and intentional gatherings. Our mission is to highlight the stories of people who express themselves through food, and connect emerging food brands with an audience that is deeply interested in their work.
Sign up for the newsletter to receive periodic letters, recipes, invitations to gatherings, and atmospheric content.
Joni Goldbach
Joni, the creator of Letters from the Table, is a fractional Product leader supporting founders, business leaders, and teams in reaching their goals and creating meaningful experiences for their customers.
Fabrik
Fabrik is a home for communities where everyone has a place to belong. With spaces designed to feel more like your living room than your office, Fabrik’s third spaces are vibrant hubs where people can come together in real life, explore interests, forge meaningful connections, and build a sense of community.
If you'd like to come to Fabrik early to work for the day, day passes are available for $29 here.
Community Week NYC
This event is part of Community Week NYC (May 9-17, 2026... and throughout May) - a citywide celebration of social connection. Explore events and find your people at www.communityweek.nyc.
FAQ
Where can I find more events like this?
Follow Letters from the Table via our event calendar, on substack, and on Instagram to be the first to know about our future events. Our events include Cookbook Club community evenings, Mise en Table food entrepreneur & creatives mutual support gatherings, talks, workshops, and other gatherings built to create connection with community, history, culture, and yourself through food.
Keep an eye on the Fabrik calendar for upcoming gatherings in Tribeca and Dumbo. There are many aimed at supporting builders and creators.
Can I receive a refund for my ticket?
We use RSVPs to plan for the number of attendees and ticket pricing to cover our costs in hosting and working with our partners to purchase items for the market bags for attendees. Unfortunately, we cannot grant refunds, but you are welcome to pass your ticket on to someone else. Please reach out to us at least 24 hours before the event with any questions or to transfer your ticket to a friend.
Is there an age restriction?
Our events are 21+. We occasionally have a selection of non-alcoholic and potentially lightly alcoholic beverages (think wine and beer) on hand alongside non-alcoholic drink options to enhance the experience. The goal is social lubrication, not inebriation. We aim to provide a safe and comfortable space where folks can connect. We will check IDs as needed, and folks who are displaying unwelcome behavior will be asked to leave.
Please note: By signing up for this event you agree to receive email communication from Letters from the Table, Fabrik, and our partner organizations related to this gathering and future offerings. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Photos and videos will be taken during the event for promotional purposes. By attending, you consent to your image being used in future marketing materials. If you have any concerns, please let us know.