Fresh Oklahoma-Grown Produce

If you are a person who gives great consideration to what you are putting into your body, you will want to visit Broken Arrow Farmers Market in ­downtown Broken Arrow.

Noel Krebs has enjoyed ­participating in the Broken Arrow Farmers Market for the past several years.

Do you ever stroll through the produce section of your local supermarket and wonder exactly where those vegetables and fruits came from? Do you turn your car around and pull off the road at the sight of a fruit stand that promises fresh, locally-grown produce? Do you look for the word “organic” when perusing the grocery store shelves?

If you are a person who gives great consideration to what you are putting into your body, you will want to visit Broken Arrow Farmers Market in ­downtown Broken Arrow.

Open from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, this market ­displays some of the finest and freshest foods and products from the area.

“Whatever you purchase at the market had probably been picked within just a few hours, rather than being shipped from some faraway location like Brazil,” says David Blue, City of Broken Arrow Events Coordinator. “You are really helping to minimize your carbon footprint by buying ­locally-grown foods.”

Many local organic farms are represented at the market this year, including Mom’s Menagerie, which offers Goat’s Milk Soap and delicious veggies. Many other farms display tasty, fresh vegetables as well, such as Catoosa Homegrown Produce, owned by the Yang family, Shanks Farms from Leonard, and Mona’s Gardens of Inola. This is the fourth year Randall Gibson of Gibson Gardens has participated in the Broken Arrow Farmers Market, and his philosophy on gardening is ­representative of the other farms that display their goods all around him: naturally grown with no pesticides.

David Blue points out that meeting the farmer at the market is one of the best things about the farmers market. “The same person you are paying for your vegetables has planted, nurtured, watered, picked, packed and transported the product you are buying,” he says. “You are ­meeting one on one with your food source.”

In addition to fresh ­cooked and crafted products at the ­market. You might want to ­sample Greek food from Kosta’s Kuzina or taste wine from Summerside Vineyards in Vinita. Get acquainted with Cheeky Munkey Soap Company, a Haskell based company that makes natural and organic body and skincare products. And be sure to stop by and try Mr. Brown’s Barbeque Sauce, made by Broken Arrow native Mike Brown. This is Mike’s second season at the market, as he just began bottling his sauce last year after his friends and family raved over its tasty flavor. He sold almost 2,000 bottles his first year.

One stop you will not want to miss at the market is Catherine’s Garden, owned by Catherine Peters. Her booth showcases everything from houseplants to crocheted ­dishcloths to heirloom ­vegetables. Catherine also sells free range pork and is famous for her Bear Bait Dog Biscuits, a whole-wheat treat for pets. The product was named after Bear, her Great Pyrenees. “Bear has been a fixture at the market for three years,” says Catherine as she points toward the gentle giant lying nearby, patient amidst the children who run to pet him. “Bear is a registered therapy dog and court dog – the kids refer to this as Bear’s Market.”

The Broken Arrow Farmers Market was part of the Vision 2025 Project, and like many ­other farmers markets that have begun to pop up across the ­country, it has helped to invigorate the downtown area. “This is an Oklahoma-grown, ­

Oklahoma-made market,” says David. “A farmers market is always a good catalyst to bring people back downtown.”

The market is located at 418 S. Main St. in the ­downtown shopping district and runs through October. 

For more information, contact

Broken Arrow Farmers Market

(918) 259-7000 x.5430