The Gilbert Farmers Market is the ideal location for those who love to eat healthily, promote local farms, or simply enjoy discovering new foods.

When you enter the pavilion you are greeted by rows of smiling vendors, selling anything from fresh produce and homemade chocolate to handcrafted, natural toothpaste.  Everything sold is local, organic, and chemical-free; additionally, the market’s goal is to promote local sustainability, a friendly environment, and healthy food for a better life

Many of these vendors value fair trade, which helps fuel the growth of developing countries by paying fair prices to the producers in those locations. The primary goal of fair trade is to improve the economy and living conditions in developing countries that export products.

The farmers market is located in Downtown Gilbert, just past the iconic water tower, and is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.. Popular vendors include Bergies Coffee, Double Check Ranch, and Seize the Fork.

Bergies Coffee is a family-owned coffee shop just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the market; however, they also have a stand there, selling coffee, tea, and a handful of breakfast foods. Their coffee is fair trade and freshly brewed.

Seize the Fork is a vendor that sells specialty granola bars, biodegradable toothbrushes, and Drink to your {Health} powder additives, along with many other natural products. They also focus on fair trade, bettering the environment through recycling, and promoting a plant based diet by making only vegan products.  Seize the Fork uses 85% raw ingredients and avoids high fructose corn syrup, which is often used as a sweetener, and instead sweetens everything with honey.

A person can even buy meat at the farmers market, the most prominent vendor being Double Check Ranch.  They sell grass-fed, natural beef and raise their cows in Winkelman, Arizona. They find that it is important to grass feed their cattle because it helps restore the land, keep the cows healthy, and create a connection between the consumer, the producer, and the produce.

However, a farmers market cannot be complete without organic produce. The Farm at Agritopia is one of the many vendors that sells vegetables and fruit, including tomatoes, carrots, and tangerines, all GMO free.

Food on wheels? Yes, please! The farmers market features Waffle Crush, Luncha Libre, Uprooted Kitchen, and Mustache Pretzels, along with a variety of other food trucks, in order to appease a wide range of different cravings.

The most amazing part about this weekly event is how endearing the vendors are–eager to share their insight on their products, promoting a healthy life, and giving back to the earth.  Many of these vendors take pride in fair trade, natural ingredients, and local businesses.

Viktoria Koelling, a junior at Perry, felt that the farmers market is “cute and cozy”

she loves how “everything is local and organic, [which is] healthier and better for you.”

So come grab a coffee, a fresh muffin, and your organic groceries at the Gilbert Farmers Market.