Mill City Farmers Market Opens May 4, Welcomes 10 New Vendors for the 2024 Season

A treat in May - the scent of lilacs and lilies of the valley wafting from Goldfinch Flowers

Mill City Farmers Market (MCFM) returns to the Chicago Mall and historic Train Shed with fresh local produce, sustainable groceries and handmade goods on Saturday, May 4 from 8am to 1pm. 

This year, an additional 10 new vendors joined the MCFM roster for a total of 115 vendors. MCFM is a primary storefront for many of the farms and local businesses showcased each Saturday. Customers can find a wide variety of local businesses including fruit and vegetable farmers, food makers with staple pantry items, textile and ceramic artists, jewelers, bakers, skin and body care, ready-to-eat food and more.

What you can expect this season:

Thanks to the Market’s Charitable Fund (MCFM-CF), educational programming will be back at the Market, including live cooking lessons with Market Chefs, veggie sampling for kids, Storytime and more.

Alongside food education, the Market and its Charitable Fund will continue their mission to give everyone in our community access to fresh, nutritious food through their food access programming. SNAP and EBT users can get their purchase tripled up to $10 each Market day (spend $10, get $30). In addition, beginning in July, MCFM’s Greens for Good food rescue program will return in partnership with Augsburg University’s Campus Kitchen, purchasing excess produce from farmers and distributing it weekly to low-income seniors in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood.

MCFM welcomes 10 new vendors for the 2024 season, with initial appearances scheduled as following:

May 4:

• Mom’s Garden Hmong woman-owned farm using organic practices to grow fresh produce.
• Zeytoon Bread & Co. Woman-owned bakery crafting sourdough with Mediterranean flavors.
• Chocolate San Jose Latino woman-owned business providing ethically sourced chocolate.
• Menoush Bakery Family owned company making and selling home baked Middle Eastern desserts.

May 11:

• Feather Thief Fly Fishing Custom curated, one of a kind hand-tied flies for fly fishing.
• Janna’s Gluten Free Bakery Woman-owned bakery offering gluten-free baked goods.

May 25:

• Suki's Chateau Gems and bracelets (formerly with Mhonpaj's Garden).
• Dervish Mazza Middle Eastern flavors showcased in a variety of spreads and dips.

June 15:

• Stone Fruit Creative Handmade crochet granny-square totes and produce bags.

July 13:

• Mi Sota Essence Latino Woman-owned cannabis company (formerly part of Primitiva Collective).

MCFM runs every Saturday, May through October, from 8am to 1pm (October markets open at 9am).

MCFM has long been a champion for the local food movement and has put farmers first since its founding in 2006 by farm-to-table pioneer and James Beard nominated restauranteur Brenda Langton. All vendors meet a high standard for local sourcing and are committed to market’s sustainability statement, which ensures the use of farming practices aligned with building healthy soils, sustainable water use, humane treatment of livestock, honorable workplace practices, and rejects synthetic inputs, pesticides and GMO seed. MCFM vendors are not required to be USDA Certified Organic, as the time and costs associated with certification are a barrier to many BIPOC, immigrant and emerging farmers. Customers at the Mill City Farmers Market can feel confident they will find high-quality, naturally grown and made products no matter which vendor they support.