Farm shops and Sunday shopping

I know this sounds like a bizarre combination of topics, but bear with me!

Buying direct from farmers is a both fun and tasty but this isn’t unique to Frankfurt or Germany. In fact, there are also many options in and around Frankfurt, from the weekly farmers markets that open in various locations around the city (the best known being the twice weekly farmers market at Konstablerwache) or the many farms that open their shop occasionally each week (blink and you’ll miss them). To find the many options, just type ‘Bauernhofladen‘ into google maps and you’ll find your closest outlet.

There are also the vending machines (or Automat) that are stationed either outside the farm or occasionally dotted around the city. These are a little trickier to find and get to. Sometimes access by car involves driving along a narrow farm access path and dodging angry cyclists. There is also the lack of predictability. Its fine to spontaneously purchase some nice meat or eggs while you are out for a walk, but imagine running out of milk on a Sunday and going to a vending machine in middle of nowhere to find they only have sausages that day…

Which brings us to Sunday shopping. Now, I am sure that you have popped into the local petrol station for urgent items on a Sunday. There is also the small store inside the main train station which doesn’t do much better than a petrol station. I will acknowledge that there is the little known Rewe at the airport which is open 7 days a week until 11pm. Be careful not to go to the Rewe at Gateway Gardens though, one stop earlier. It is shut on Sundays.

But the last fun option is for a small number of farm shops that actually open 7 days a week. The first is An’nette’s in Oberursel, a genuine little self-service shop open until 7pm everday of the week. Some items are trust-based (fruit and veg), others (pasta products) are in a vending machine. But there’s usually a good selection of everything fresh that you might need short notice.

A second is Illig’s Farmshop near Frankfurter Berg. Vending machines available 24/7 specifically for eggs and potatoes, but other farm produce is available.

The third is specifically for milk – Brühlhof Milchautomat – a dairy farm just on the outskirts of Bad Soden offering fresh milk 24/7 from a vending machine. Make sure you take your own bottle though!