Farmer’s Markets and Food Trucks A Driving Force in the Northwest Arkansas Local Movement f Farmer’s Markets are all the rage these days, and ideally enough, so are food trucks. Walking through the Bentonville Farmer’s Market is an experience to remember. Farmers and makers from across Benton County and surrounding counties set up tents to display their produce and product. Live music sits on every corner and a local yoga instructor offers classes in the middle of the square. Bentonville Farmer’s Market, a member of Arkansas Grown and Arkansas Made, is operated by Downtown Bentonville Inc, a nonprofit funded by donations, sponsorships and grants. The company focus is on coordinating downtown events that bring the community together. Bentonville Farmer’s Market is set up every Saturday from April to October on the Bentonville Square. Bentonville is a historic town and the farmer’s market has done a great job of breathing a modern, exciting twist into the vintage atmosphere. “We want to make the market an interactive experience, more than just shopping,” said Dylan Taylor, the farmer’s market manager. The farmer’s market currently supports 75 vendors of all kind and is growing. “We are continuously promoting local vendors and recruiting new vendors to our market,” said Taylor. “We only allow vendors within the five contiguous counties surrounding Bentonville to ensure that all products offered at the market are as local as possible, while keeping a variety of products.” “We want to make the market an interactive experience, more than just shopping.” –Dylan Taylor This past year, the first ever “Under the Vine” market was launched, offering a Wednesday market on 8th Street to provide options to purchase fresh produce in the middle of the week. Eleven vendors are currently serving this market from June to October. However, the most unique piece to this farmer’s market is the Brightwater Food Truck. Bentonville Farmer’s Market has capitalized on the local movement in a very unique way – a partnership with a local culinary school’s food truck. Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food was conceived to be more than a typical cooking school. As an academic division of Northwest Arkansas Community College, Brightwater offers academic and career training in the areas of culinary nutrition, artisanal food, ARKANSAS GROWN 33
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