Apple Valley: A Family Friendly Farmer's Market

Source: Minnesota Zoo

Home of the Minnesota Zoo, Apple Valley was my primary destination in my hunt for a farmer’s market.  Overall, the Apple Valley farmer’s market was relatively easy to find.  It was near the major shopping centers of the city and in the parking lot of the municipal center.  As an outsider, it appeared to be located in the center of the action.  It was not difficult to locate with the nearby signage.

What initially drew me to the Apple Valley farmer’s market was the fact that the vendors were there until 1:00 PM.  As someone who likes to sleep in on a Saturday, it was easier for me to get to this farmer’s market without being rushed or deprived of my valuable sleep.  However, for those that might be going to the Minnesota Zoo, this could be an added stop if you like your fresh vegetables and the other things I discuss below.  If you are hesitant to bring your children along, they may enjoy one of the many balloon animals sold at one of the booths.

I was initially disappointed upon my arrival because of the apparent lack of vendors.  After looking around, however, I was pleased by the uniqueness of the few vendors that were there.  As someone who loves breakfast food such as pancakes and French toast, I was first drawn to a booth that sold maple syrup.  The business operating this booth was Three River’s Farm —they specialize in producing 100% pure maple syrup (please visit their website for additional information).  The woman at the booth was very kind and friendly.  She knew the product well and offered me an abundance of samples to try.  I tried the cinnamon maple syrup, vanilla, and the traditional flavor.  All of them were absolutely delightful—I decided to buy a bottle of the traditional maple syrup for myself.  She also explained to me the many things that their syrup could be used with (fresh fruits, oatmeal, yogurt, snow, milk shakes, sweet potatoes, maple butter, ham, etc.).  This booth was marked well and probably had the most impressive display of all the booths there.  On top of that, they also had fliers available with suggestions of what to use your syrup on, which also had their contact information.

The next booth I visited was for the Great Harvest Bread Company.  I thought it was strange that such a large business would have a booth at a farmer’s market, but having a fairly large anchor at a farmer’s market may attract more people and serve as a benefit to the farmer’s market as a whole.  Overall, the salesperson again did a great job discussing the various breads she had for sale.  Like Three Rivers Farm, this booth also had some samples.  I tried some apple crisp bread and it was again amazing.  There was a very large variety of breads at this booth.  You could get anything from sour dough bread to a hamburger bun.  Given my love for pepperoni pizza, I ultimately decided on the pepperoni roll—and it made for a great lunch upon my return home.

I then continued through the rest of the farmer’s market to see what was out there.  At this time, the local farmers did not have much more than snap peas, fresh onions, potatoes, pea pods, and lettuce.  However, these will likely change as fall approaches.  Nonetheless, there were an abundance of these fresh vegetables.  Generally, the booths for the local farmers had good signage for their prices.  My only disappointment with these booths was the fact that some of them were packing up near noon rather than one o’clock.

Something else I noticed at this farmer’s market was a booth or two that sold fresh strawberries.  I really enjoy fresh berries, but they tend to be a bit on the expensive side in the grocery stores.  Although they were still a little pricey at the farmer’s market, I would rather spend the money at a farmer’s market with assurances that my fruit is fresh.  As a plus, the strawberries I purchased came in a wood-like box rather than the cheap plastic ones you find in the store.  Additionally, if you are feeling adventurous, most of the booths selling berries had opportunities for customers to go pick the berries themselves.  If you had the extra time, berry picking could prove to be a good morning or afternoon activity for the family.

Overall, my visit to the farmer’s market in Apple Valley was a pleasant experience.  Given the proximity to the Minnesota Zoo, this is a great place to stop with the family.  As fall approaches, I imagine more vendors will arrive with a greater variety of fruits and vegetables.  If you have any questions or comments regarding this post or any future posts, please leave some feedback or email us .

~Ryan