A Touch of the Countryside in Union Square

Organic herb and vegetable grower, Tina Pilonero, sources plants for her international customers and now grows 300 varieties of tomatoes amongst other things. (Shar Adams/The Epoch Times)

NEW YORK—When gardener, Trina Pilonero, brings her organic herbs and vegetables to the Union Square Greenmarket she makes sure she keeps her wolf spiders at home.

“We pluck them off,” she says “We need them—they are voracious bug eaters’.

Pilonero has been growing organic herbs and vegetables since 1992 and started to bring her produce to Union Square around eight years ago.

She refuses to use any pesticides, including the approved ones, because the sprays kill both the bad bugs and the good ones—like the wolf spider.

It is also a matter of trust with her customers. “They would not buy from me if I was using spray,” she says.

Pilonero’s customers are the reason she makes the trip from her Silver Heights Farm in Sullivan County to the ‘big smoke’ to sell her produce.

“I don’t like cities,” she said. “I don’t like noise and I don’t like traffic but I am very happy I am here.”

Pilonero has established customers that she has educated and nourished (as she does) into planting their own small gardens and has long-lasting friendships with many of them.

“I treasure seeing them,” she said.

Although Pilonero does grow vegetables for eating, she is primarily focused on growing plants for their seeds, and sells plants so people can propagate their own herb and vegetable selections.

They share with her their stories, their failures, and their successes, and she in turn listens and gives advice.

“She is an encyclopedia for helping people,” said Pilonero’s assistant from behind the towering tomato plants.

A Farm-fresh Selection

Pilonero is one of 120 producers within a 250-mile radius of New York City that bring their fresh produce to the tri-weekly Greenmarket at Union Square.

The Union Square markets have been held since 1976 and remain the largest, most popular markets in the region. People sell everything from meat, poultry and dairy products to flowers, vegetables, chutneys, and jams.


Everything is seasonal and locally grown, so buyers can be assured of fresh produce and can talk directly with the grower.

Pilonero said she grows a variety of different plants, including 300 varieties of tomatoes, but she is always interested in new ones. “I have vegetables from all over the world” she says proudly.

One of the things she loves about Union Square is that her customers come from all corners of the globe and often educate her about the plants and herbs they require for their cuisine.

“If I can source it, I am happy to grow it—as long as it is legal,” she said with a grin.

Pilonero said interest in fresh food produce has increased and she is now finding it hard to predict how much she needs to plant.

“I produce a lot of basil,” she said. “Each year I have a 20 percent increase, but I sold out [the latest crop] long ago.”

Annie Sanchez, a volunteer who works at the Union Square Greenmarket once a week, said Greenmarket is one of three non-profit programs set up by the Council on the Environment of New York City (CENYC) to improve the environment.

Open Space Greening and Environmental Education are the other two.

Greenmarket now has over 46 markets around New York City, with more to come. It provides workshops, educational tours and tools for schools, displays, and cooking classes.

Sanchez says apart from the community service there are “hundreds and hundreds” of locals from New York that shop at Union Square.

“It has been her for 30 years,” she said. “There are some that won’t shop anywhere else.”