Exploring a destination through its food is a key ingredient to understanding the local culture. Farmers markets are a great place to start. You can chat with the growers, taste artisanal products, and discover uniquely regional ingredients likely to show up on restaurant menus around town. 

“Food is everything we are,” said Anthony Bourdain. “It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma.”

In Sedona, much of the fresh food is grown in the surrounding Verde Valley, one of the most fertile agricultural regions in the Southwest. A 2000-year heritage of farming and ranching continues with family-run farms, orchards, dairies, vineyards, small ranches and fishing along the Verde River.  It’s the source for most of the products you’ll see at three farmers markets in the area: The Sedona Community Farmers Market, Verde Valley Farmers Market in Camp Verde, and Windmill Park Farmers Market in Cornville. 

If you’re visiting Sedona, go to an outdoor farmers market for a taste of the local culture, mingle with the local community, and discover regional botanicals, edible cacti, agave and more. Check seasonal schedules to reconfirm hours before visiting.

The Sedona Community Farmers Market

This Sedona farmers market is right in town, just a five-minute drive down the road from Ambiente, a landscape hotel. The Sedona Community Farmers Market is held weekly on Sundays (8am-noon in the summer season, and 11am-3pm during the winter season) in the Wells Fargo Bank parking lot, 2201 W State Road 89A.

The market supports local agriculture and sustainable growing practices by carefully choosing small-scale, independent growers, farmers, and producers who align with their philosophy. You’ll find organic produce, artisan products, 100% grass-fed beef, and ready-to-eat foods presented with a background of live music and glimpses of Sedona’s red rocks. 

Begin by tasting a local culinary tradition with freshly prepared tamales or a breakfast burrito for breakfast. Sip a horchata, an agua fresca, non-dairy cold beverage made from rice and flavored with cinnamon and sugar.

As you wander through the tented stalls, notice seasonal fruits and vegetables from the valley like tomatoes, greens, microgreens, mung beans, fennel, cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, leeks, radishes, squash, melons, rhubarb, and herbs. 

Check out the locally-made hot sauces, salsas, pesto, raw chocolate, pickled prickly pear, organic Medjool dates, golden pecans (some flavored with cinnamon or Cajun flavors), organic cold-pressed juices, and kombucha. There’s also naturally-fermented whole grain breads from Wingfield Bread Company including organic sourdough, scones, and baguettes. These and other items would make tasty additions to a picnic or snacks for a hike (many of the vendors offer tastings).

You can also taste a bit of the local terroir in locally-harvested raw honeys with flavors like mesquite, cat claw, and wildflower. Other ready-made foods include Mortimer Farms’ homemade chicken or pork pot pies, deep-dish fruit pies, pecan pies, and pickled preserves. Some of the more distinctive items you may come across at the market include quail eggs, prized for their rich flavor and nutritional benefits, multiple varieties of garlic, mushrooms, and locally-made healing products.

Garlic lovers will want to purchase some of the local varieties like Korean Mountain (a mildly spicy taste), German Extra Hardy (a higher than average sugar content makes these great for roasting with easy-to-peel cloves), Svea (a nutty, buttery texture when roasted), and garlic scapes which look like long green beans but are actually the mild-tasting young shoots from the garlic bulb.

The Arizona Mushroom Company offers varieties for both cooking and medicinal purposes in fresh and sun-dried form, plus mushroom powder which packs a lot of flavor in a pinch. Look for lion’s mane and shitake, with explanations of health benefits.

You’ll also find Sedona healing products like homeopathic tinctures, locally-distilled essential oils, emu dietary supplements, and goat milk products like soaps, body butters, and shampoo for natural skin and body care options.  

If you can’t make the Sunday market in Sedona, two nearby communities host seasonal farmers markets.

Verde Valley Farmers Market in Camp Verde

This local market operates on Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., typically from the second Saturday in May to the first Saturday in October, at 75 E Hollamon Street at Main Street.

Camp Verde sits at the entrance of the Verde Valley and theirs is one of Arizona’s oldest farmers markets. You’ll find “real food from real farmers” including locally-grown produce, seasonings and goat’s milk soap from Hoppy Goat Farm, raw honey from the second-generation family business Cowboy Honey Company, flowers, and dog treats.

Windmill Park Farmers Market in Cornville

Held every Thursday from 2 p.m. until dusk, from March through December, 9995 E. Cornville Road. Cornville is about a half-hour drive from Ambiente on the Verde Valley Wine trail, so the farmers market would be an ideal place to stop along the way.

This small market takes place in a beautiful grassy park with shady cottonwood trees alongside Oak Creek. Arizona-grown products include organic fruits, vegetables, microgreens, beef, lamb, honey, herbs, nuts, seasonings, and eggs (duck, chicken, goose and others).

There’s also floral preserves, chocolates, and baked goods from Vortex Pantry; vegan cheese; gluten-free and keto-friendly baked goods; locally-roasted coffee beans; and meals-to-go. View artwork by local artisans, handmade candles, and locally-made skincare products during a relaxed afternoon with local musicians performing.

Strolling through markets in Sedona is just one more way to discover the bounty of Sedona’s rich Verde Valley. Gather where the locals go, discover regional products, and come away with a greater appreciation for the farmers who cultivate healthy food in the most sustainable way possible.