Living in Sierra Vista offers some great perks—including the local agricultural scene that supports the Sierra Vista Farmers Market. This community market is not only a great place to promote your healthy living, but it can also provide you with an opportunity to mingle with friends and neighbors and learn about what’s going in in the area. If you’ve just relocated to Sierra Vista, or you simply haven’t yet had the time to check out the farmers market, keep reading for some important details you’ll want to know.
The market is open all year.
Because of the favorable year-round climate in Southern Arizona, the harvest season never truly ends—there’s always something fresh to discover. That means that you’ll find the farmers market open every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. all year long. The market is conveniently located in the Veterans’ Memorial Park at 3105 E Fry Blvd.
You can find tons of local food.
One of the best reasons to go to the Sierra Vista Farmers Market is that you will be able to connect with the people who grow your food—people who live and farm within miles of the community. This can shed some light on more sustainable living in general, and it can make you feel good knowing that you are supporting the local economy. In fact, eating locally and purchasing more products that are grown and produced closer to home can significantly reduce the waste of importing food from other states or countries, and it is often a more affordable choice.
You will also find that healthy choices abound, since many vendor booths feature locally grown produce. Everything is picked fresh and in season, so you won’t ever be disappointed by bland or flavorless veggies or mealy fruit. Along with a huge selection of fresh fruits, veggies, and flowers, you will find:
- Local, free-range eggs.
- Naturally raised meats from beef, chicken, and pork to exotic selections like emu, wild-caught salmon, grass-fed lamb, goat, yak, and more.
- Raw milk and cheese.
- Handmade chorizo and other sausages.
- Specialty baked goods, including old-fashioned sourdough, tortillas, cookies, scones, pies, and many more desserts.
The selection is also changing constantly based on availability and the season, so you may find something new to love every time you visit.
It’s a great place for lunch.
Because the farmers market takes place on a weekday afternoon, many locals will make it a stop during their lunch break. This is a particularly convenient choice, because there are food carts on site whipping up ready-to-eat meals, so you can grab a quick bite now and pick up ingredients for dinner later. You’ll also find some great snack options if you bring the kids along, such as Hawaiian shaved ice and freshly popped kettle corn.
There’s also lots more than food.
Not hungry? No problem! There are still tons of activities and goodies for you to enjoy at the market. If you’re looking for small gifts or something special to take home with you, check out booths offering locally roasted coffee, local honey and honey products, natural bodycare solutions, specialty natural pet food, dark chocolate, homemade preserves, and other goods that you won’t find in your average grocery store. These come from vendors like Bisbee Balms, Café Cultiva, Maggie’s Gourmet Dog Bark-ery, Fizzy Wonders, and Mayan Mills. There is also live music to enjoy as well as crafts on the first Thursday of the month.
If you want to work on your own green thumb at home, you might pick up a plant or native tree to add to your own garden from a local nursery, like Backyard Gardening & Growing, Borderlands Restoration, Ruth’s Garden, or Tawin’s Garden.
If you’ve picked up some fresh produce or a few cuts of meat, make sure you are ready to prepare them with knife sharpening services, which are available at the farmers market as well.
You can become a vendor, too.
The Sierra Vista Farmers Market is primarily intended to be a food market, so vendor priority is given to local food producers. However, there is space for crafts and gifts like those listed above, and you might reserve space to show off your kitchen and home crafts in a vendor booth. The market is always welcoming new vendors, and community organizations can set up booths for free once a month.
When you move into a custom home from Castle & Cooke, you will easily be able to explore everything Sierra Vista has to offer. To find out more about our homes, visit our website or call (520) 378-5110. Once you see the kitchen in your new home, you will not want to wait to take a trip to the farmers market to stock up your fridge!