Sustainability Day

This Sunday, July 26, Market in the Valley turns its heart toward something we care about all year long: taking care of the place we call home. The Golden Valley Community Foundation is hosting its annual Sustainability Day, and you'll find a whole cluster of extra booths gathered in the grassy area just behind the Market information booth — each one sharing simple, hopeful ideas for living a little lighter on the planet.

Here's the lovely part: shopping at a farmers market is already one of the greenest choices you can make. Every basket of produce you carry home traveled just a few miles instead of a few thousand, and every dollar you spend stays right here in our community. So bring your reusable bags, come with your questions, and let's celebrate a Sunday that's good for you, your neighbors, and the earth we share.

Straight From Nearby Fields

Our growers are in the thick of peak season, and the tables will show it. Beck's, Svihel's, Lor Produce, Yang's Fresh Flowers and Vegetables, Bao Yang, 2JCK Produce, and The Farm of Minnesota are bringing sun-ripened tomatoes, sweet corn, crisp greens, berries, and armloads of fresh-cut flowers. This is local eating at its finest — low food miles, full flavor.

Sustainability Day, Right Behind the Info Booth

Stop by the Golden Valley Community Foundation's booths to learn easy ways to reduce waste, conserve water, and shop more thoughtfully. Many of our own vendors are proud of their sustainable practices, too — fair-trade sourcing, single-origin ingredients, water-quality-certified growing, and packaging you can reuse or compost. Ask them about it; they love to share.

Bakers, Roasters & Specialty Makers

Fresh-baked goodness is everywhere this week. Café Verte, BAKE! Gluten Free Goodies, Great Harvest Bread Company, The Nelson Loaf, and Cornerstone Wellness fill the aisles with the smell of just-baked bread and treats. Pair them with something from our specialty makers — Caribbean Heat, Yummytizers, Ms. Julia's Seasonings, Summer Lakes Beverages, and a fresh cup from TNT Coffee Lab.

The Sweet & Savory Pantry

Stock the shelves with local staples that last: golden jars from Bee Sweet Honey, Schyma's Pickles and Preserves, hearty selections from the Wisconsin Cheese Outlet, and pasture-raised goodness from the Veteran's Farming Initiative.

Handmade & Homegrown

Our makers turn craft into something you'll treasure. Browse Elena's Cute Creations, Miz Mollys Closet, Weaving & Turning, Your Craft and Collectible, Wonder Paper Art, Trinamimi Pottery, Jules Creation MN, Tropical Island Seashells, and Hand Heart Beads. For your skin and your self-care shelf, Loveage Root and Sarahgirl Soap offer beautifully made, feel-good essentials.

Hungry Now? Ready to Eat

Come with an appetite. Crepe & Cake, JM Bistro, Atacama Catering, Natasha's Pierogis, Midlife Coffee, and Lziza Mediterranean will keep you happily fed all morning long.

Meet Our Community Partners

Sustainability is a community effort, and our neighbors are here to help. Say hello to PRISM, the University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardeners (bring your gardening questions — they have answers!), the City of Golden Valley, and Renewal by Andersen.

Start Your Sunday Right

Roll out your mat for a free yoga session with Hand Heart Yoga at 9:30 am, then let live music carry you through the morning: Dale Hartman from 9:00 to 11:00, followed by Nuance, a duo featuring Dan Wascoe and Baibi Wegner, from 11:00 to 1:00.

See the full lineup of who's here this week on our This Week's Vendors page, and we'll see you Sunday, July 26, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at 7800 Golden Valley Road — under the Water Tower. Let's make it a green one.