Mill Avenue Farmer’s Market Makes its Fresh Debut in Tempe

By Kristi Trimmer, Guest Blogger, Foodies Like Us

Mill Avenue has a unique blend of urbanites and college students mingled in with some new mixed-use buildings. Nestled within this eclectic community is the 6th Street Park that hosts the new Mill Avenue Farmer’s Market every Sunday from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm.

This market showcases unique perishable and consumable goods and offers a friendly open-air market where growers, residents, and businesses come together.

Early shoppers are out and about.

James Neal is the brain child behind the Mill Avenue Farmer’s Market. He is also the owner of Chronic Tacos that is located in the same area, and he lives in the building adjacent to the 6th Street Park.

To say he has a vested interest in what happens on the avenue is an understatement. I was impressed when I learned he had a commercial agriculture background and what was currently growing in his garden. I actually found someone else who could talk for hours about vegetable gardening!

I asked James why he chose to hold the market on Sunday rather than the normal Saturday for Farmer’s Markets. He replied, “Sunday’s tend to bring out the culture in a community. In this specific Tempe area, Saturdays are more thought of as the area’s hot spot for some good night life. Tempe’s shops are a little sleepy on Sundays and needed an energy injection. At our farmer’s market, our patrons can shop for organic greens, listen to music, and even play croquet.”

Phil Malinowski, a patron of the Mill Avenue Farmer’s Market said, “This market is a real asset to the downtown atmosphere. I look forward to coming here every Sunday for my produce and am always curious to see what new vendors will have with them.”

Mr. Neal doesn’t allow carnie vendors, arts and crafts, or jewelry – he only wants consumable goods at this market. Spaces rent for $50/year with a 10% commission and the market is open from September through May. This market isn’t going anywhere either since they have signed a three-year lease with the City of Tempe.

As I was milling around (like the pun?) I stopped into Boxed Greens and was impressed with the freshness of their vegetables and was inspired to learn that they are a distributor for small, organic farms across the Southwest. Eating organic is a high priority for a lot of consumers and is sometimes a difficult search to find growers who instill the practice into their farming.

Bright and colorful produce from Boxed Greens

Boxed Greens’ citrus is locally grown in Arizona; the broccoli, celery, and lettuce hail from Yuma, and the honey-crisp apples are from Washington. Boxed Greens has a great program where they deliver organic groceries directly to your front door.

One of the most unique vendors there is Coffee Cartel Lab, where they serve coffee with a conscience. Did you know that each coffee bean comes from a coffee cherry that has two beans each inside? I didn’t either.

Their beans are hand-picked from 15 farms in Latin America including Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Bolivia. When asked why they only use these farms, I was told, “We deeply believe in Direct Trade with the local farmers and building relationships with them. This is different than Fair Trade, which has more to do with government regulations.”

Cartel Coffee Lab's commitment to beans is unparalleled.

This boutique coffee house started out roasting beans two years ago. I also learned that the beans come in green and are roasted for over 10 hours. Who knew?

I was very happy to see Bobbi’s Flowers of Tempe at the market. In my past life as a florist, I often worked with them on different projects. One of my favorite being cooperative delivery throughout Phoenix. At this farmer’s market, they carry Stargazer and Asiatic lilies, plus many other stunning blooms available per stem. They can also make a beautiful bouquet for you to take home to grace your dining table. Having fresh flowers available is a real asset to the market.

Take home fresh flowers for your organic dinner party.

Next I checked out Pork on a Fork ~ gotta love that name and anything that proudly puts meat in its name. They are USDA- approved and do not put any antibiotics or steroids in their meat. Even Guy Fieri found their meat to be outstanding! I loved the fact that they allow their little piggies free reign on their family farm in Nebraska and don’t box them into pens without a place to roam. I took home their thick cut bacon and pork chops. That bacon was out-of-this-world good and I can’t wait to pick up more to make bacon-wrapped meatloaf.

Sidney Miller who creatively bakes Sid’s Viciously Good Cookies needs to be given an award for those Scotchies. I had never tasted a butterscotch cookie before – well, let’s just say – I had to refrain from taking a dozen home with me and rolling around in them.

Sidney Miller's cookies are indeed viciously good!

Sid used to be a corporate recruiter and was tired of the rat race. I wondered why she left job security in these economic times and she told me, “I happily left, had a baby, and started baking an insane amount of cookies to keep my lights on. One dozen for a friend resulted in a great business opportunity.”

She made over 500 dozen cookies her first six weeks in business! Send these cookies to your favorite person anywhere in the world – they will thank you for them.

I tried my first raw White Cheddar Cheese from Willamette Valley Cheese Company. I was in total bliss tasting the rich, full-flavored cheese.

Raw cheese assortment

Have I ever mentioned my insatiable love of cheese? I just might have found my new cheese pusher. The other great thing about Willamette Valley Cheese is that their cheese is handmade on a farmstead in beautiful Salem, Oregon, where they take great care of their animals. They have happy cows.

Raging Raw Organics had flaxseed crackers that are gluten-free, all vegan, all raw, and made with Agave nectar. These crackers are high in fiber, protein, and Omega 3s. My vegan friends swear by these crackers and are regular customers of Raging Raw Organics.

Vegan Friendly!

The Health Foodie brings organic honeys from small bee farmers. The Mountain Wildflower honey is made from honeybees at 8,000 feet! The Black Sage honey had notes of anise, lavender, and green apple. Eating locally produced honey has had a great effect on reducing your allergies and bee pollen is a great topper on your organic salad greens.

Queen Creek Olive Mill also graces the Mill Avenue Farmer’s Market with their unique and full-bodied tasty olive oils and vinegar blends. They have a locally sustainable farm and produce some of the best tasting extra virgin oil olive infused with unique flavors. I enjoyed the White Truffle Olive Oil and the Fig Balsamic would taste fantastic on those pork chops from Pork on a Fork.

James Neal also owns the Mill Avenue Catering Company where he has Chef Ben make up a new yummy creation each Sunday.

This bright sunny day was enhanced by this very delicious prime rib sandwich with grilled onions on grilled bread. It was served with a three-bean chili with black, kidney, and pinto beans in a tomato base accented with onions, double-roasted Hatch chiles that have been roasted and smoked by Chef Ben himself. On other weekends, you can find anything from ribs, tacos, to curry clam chowder.

My delicious lunch!

Mill Avenue Farmer’s Market has a good mix of products and prices for every kind of Foodie. Check them out this Sunday from 9:00 – 2:00 and help support local businesses.

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