Local Friday - Mill Street Market

Happy Friday!  This week, I'd like to introduce a new feature, Local Friday!  You can still expect to see Fair Trade Friday posts, since I love sharing companies that positively impact people in every part of the globe.  But I don't want to overlook the amazing people and companies here in my own community, so you can expect to see Local Friday popping up from time to time!

This week, I'm sharing an online interview with Tiffany Selvey.  She is a Master Gardener extraordinaire, and also blogs about organic gardening over at Songbird Gardens. She is also the Manager of the soon-to-open Mill Street Market, a brand new Farmer's Market opening up in our area!

Okay, obvious question first: when and where is Mill Street Market going to happen?

Our opening day is April 30 this year and we will run our summer market from April 30 through October 16. We will be open Saturdays from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm, and beginning in June, we will have Tuesday evening markets from 5pm to 8pm.

For our market days, we will have Mill Street and a portion of Johnson Avenue closed. Parking is available at the city administration building, on the street on Johnson Avenue and Spring Street, and behind First Security Bank. 

We are no strangers to Farmer's Markets in the Northwest Arkansas area, so what inspired you to start a new market?

Northwest Arkansas has some amazing, dynamic markets, but for new makers and growers, it's hard to get into those existing big markets. I wanted to create a new opportunity for those folks in Springdale, while offering the community a place to come and connect every week. 

I've seen you comment that you wanted to make this market more accessible to everyone, so what steps did you take to make Mill Street Market more easily navigated by those in wheelchairs or pushing strollers?

Originally, I was laid out booths on grassy areas as well as on the paved street, but I had a few conversations with folks who shared their experience with limited mobility. It's vital to me to make sure that everyone has access to fresh, local food and handmade crafts without the frustration of trying to navigate over curbs and grass. Hopefully, our current vendor map allows all our vendors to be accessible to everyone. We are challenged in our first year with limited space, but we are doing the best we can!

Will dogs be welcome too?

Absolutely! In my family, we are big animal lovers, and have a specific love for rescue animals. Not only is the family pet welcome, but each week we will have a local non-profit there and most weeks they will bring adoptable animals. We also have a handmade dog treat vendor. 

I'm looking forward to all the fresh produce that will be available, but that's not all that a Farmer's Market entails.  What other amenities and vendors besides produce will be available?

Certainly fresh produce is a big part of the market, but we will also have other types of fresh food, such as locally-grown grass-fed beef and pork, responsibly raised lamb meat, and aged cow cheese. We have products that are canned at the University of Arkansas food lab, such as barbecue sauce and jellies. We will have brewed coffee and coffee beans, cakes and pies, bread, Craft items available at the market include jewelry, birdhouses, and amazing natural personal care products.

And, naturally, we can't have a market without fresh flowers, so Woodbine Mead will be their with their beautiful blooms. 

Okay, so the market opens at the end of April.  Besides all the awesome things you just listed, what in-season fresh fruits and veggies should be at the top of my shopping list?

As the growing season progresses, we will see increasing amounts of fresh produce, but early in the season (April and May) we will have greens, like lettuce, chard, kale, collards. We should also have other yummy, cool season crops, such as radishes, snow peas and cabbage. 

You can learn more, or apply to be a vendor, at the Mill Street Market website:  http://www.millstmarket.com/

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If you're a local business, and would like to be featured on Local Friday, you can contact me via e-mail at lexiandbutton@gmail.com