Shopping Sustainably At the Farmers Market
Heirloom Farmers Markets is on a mission to make shopping at the farmers market a more sustainable act. There are many ways to live more sustainably and make a conscious effort to reduce our waste and take care of our planet everyday. Check out our list of simple sustainable farmers market tips:
- Bring your own bags and baskets for carrying your market bounty. We also have beautiful and sturdy HeirloomFM canvas tote bags for purchase at the Market Information Booth. You can also decline a bag.
- Bring glass storage containers and cloth produce bags and ask that your items be packaged in these more sustainable options.
- Bring your own reusable napkins, utensils, bottles and straws. You can also decline these items if they aren’t needed.
- Ask vendors if they can reuse containers, as many will. Otherwise repurpose the container at home.
- Buy vegetable starts and native plants for your home gardens.
- Bike or walk whenever you can.
- Take home your recyclables if recycle bins are not available.
- Shop local and support farmers. Many farmers use regenerative farming practices which leave the earth in better shape than when they began. Get your produce from the farmers market for a healthier earth and more vibrant food system.
- Join one of our farmer’s CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture). A CSA is a weekly produce subscription, which is both a direct way to support farmers and have guaranteed seasonal produce each week. Famers who offer a CSA pick-up at the farmers market:
Show your support to these vendors who are working hard to make their small businesses more sustainable. We appreciate their efforts!
- 5th Dimension Foods – Uses biodegradable containers
- Alpine Goat Girl – Uses biodegradable packaging for soap
- Aravaipa Creekside Growers – Bring your own container or bring back containers for reuse
- Arid Adaptations Nursery – Bring back plant pots for reuse & uses compostable bags
- AZ Soap Co. – Will refill all plastic containers, bring back glass containers for recycling and a discount on next purchase, and shrink wrap is home compostable
- Better Than Provisions – Uses digital printing on packaging
- Big Skye Bakers – Uses compostable bowls
- Careless Coyote – Bring back egg cartons and glass jars for reuse
- Del Cielo Tamales – Bring back glass jars and get a discount on your next purchase
- Desert Alchemist – Bring back tincture bottles to be refilled
- Desert Pearl Mushrooms – Uses compostable bags and takes back plastic containers for recycling
- Diamond Z Farm – Takes back egg cartons for reuse
- Elysium Botanicals – Bring back tincture bottles to be refilled
- Green Heart Bakery – Bring your own container, or bring back all plastic containers for reuse
- Heartquist Hollow Family Farm – Bring back jars and egg cartons for reuse
- High Energy Agriculture – Bring back glass jars for reuse
- Larry’s Veggies – Bring back egg cartons for reuse
- Living Immunity – Uses biodegradable packaging
- Local Southwest – Bring back clean oil and vinegar bottles without label or glue for reuse
- Mustang Mountain Eggs – Bring back egg cartons for reuse
- My Rawsome Foods – Takes back old containers for reuse and recycling
- Prickly Paradise Elderberry – Bring back lemonade jars for reuse
- Queen Ceviche – Reusable cups for purchase, compostable paper straws
- Rejuvenation Farm – Encourages shoppers to bring their own bags, will take egg cartons and plastic produce bags for reuse
- Robbs Family Farm – Bring your own container to be filled
- Southwinds Farm – Uses compostable bags, encourages shoppers to bring their own bags, and buys back jars for $1
- Togetherness Fire Cider – Will buy back all glass containers for $1 & sells reuseable mugs
- We B Jamin Farm – Will buy back jam jars for 50 cents/jar
- Wild Child Gardens – Encourages the use of your own bags, will refill tea containers, and glass jars
If your favorite vendors aren’t on this list, you can ask them how they can help make your shopping trip a more sustainable act. They may just learn something from you! Small changes can add up to make a big difference!