Celebrate Farmer Bill Maxwell’s Retirement At Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket

Bill Maxwell, one of the New York City Greenmarkets’ longest-standing vendors and a familiar face to shoppers at the Grand Army Plaza Greeenmarket on Saturdays, will be retiring at the end of this growing season, and both everyday home cooks and celebrated chefs are incredibly sad to see him go.

“Essentially everything that Bill grows is in our opinion the best,” Francine Stephens, an owner of Park Slope’s Franny’s, told the New York Times in a recent profile on Bill.

When neighbor Valerie Vadala learned over the weekend that his last day at GAP is coming up fast, she knew she wanted to do something to send him off well.

“As a weekly regular at Bill’s stand, I can say that while heartbroken might be too strong a word, I’m incredibly bummed about it,” Valerie wrote in an email. “Bill’s stand was the only one whose siren song led me to cheat on the Food Coop just about every Saturday.”

Bill is planning on having a small celebration around market close on Saturday, November 23, and Valerie is hoping that fellow regulars will join in a Maxwell Farm-based potluck — stop by his stand early on Saturday to shop for produce, then bring back a dish to share around closing time, which is at 4pm.

“There are so many great cooks in this neighborhood; I’ve always wondered what everyone else is doing with his veggies when they got home,” she said. “More importantly, I think it’s a great way to show Bill how much all his hard work meant to us.”

If you’re interested in taking part, please let Valerie know by emailing vvadala@gmail.com.

Photo via Maxwell’s Farm