A one-stop shop for everything from heirloom vegetables to heritage meats to baked goods, the Farmers Market of the Ozarks welcomes producers and makers from southwest Missouri – or within a 150-mile radius of Springfield, to be exact. These five vendors provide a taste of the Ozarks year-round. Stop by on Tuesdays or Saturdays to experience the unique flavors they have to offer.
Farmers Market of the Ozarks, loveyourfarmer.com
Gardener’s Orchard & Bakery
Road-trippers traveling between Springfield and Kansas City might be familiar with the billboards for Gardener’s Orchard & Bakery that line Highway 13. The family-owned and -operated farm grows 14 varieties of apples, each with a distinct flavor and texture. Gala apples, for instance, are candy-sweet, juicy and have a great crunch, while Jonathan apples have a tart, crisp flavor that lends itself well to apple pie and caramel apples. When visiting the market stall in October, expect late-season apple varieties, apple cider and from-scratch baked goods such as apple turnovers and apple cider donuts.
Hemlock Hills Elk Ranch
After moving from Wisconsin to the Ozarks in 2019, Hemlock Hills Elk Ranch joined the slew of vendors at the farmers’ market in 2020. It specializes in elk meat products, including teriyaki-flavored elk jerky, hickory-smoked elk summer sausage, bacon-wrapped elk strip loin medallions and elk shoulder steak. For your furry friends, pick up antler dog chews. First-time customers often assume elk tastes like white-tailed deer, but owner Rick Ewert says his products are more like lean, low-fat, high-quality beef products.
Providence Farms
Rosé veal, heritage chicken, free-range guineafowl – uncommon meats abound at the Providence Farm booth. From October to mid-November and then again from April to early May, it also sells fresh pastured duck, which is available frozen year-round. If everything goes as planned, you will soon be able to get a heaping plate of freshly ground cornmeal and grits, plus fingerling potatoes, as well.
MO' Mushrooms
At first glance, MO’ Mushrooms’ blue, white and black pearl oyster mushrooms look like flowers instead of fungi, and each presents an intense umami flavor. Typically, lion’s mane mushrooms also make an appearance in the fall, offering a delicate seafood flavor. When cooked, lion’s mane mushrooms can pass for crab or lobster meat without tasting fishy. Besides fresh mushrooms, this small start-up sells dried mushrooms, mushroom powder and mushroom jerky in flavors such as black pepper-garlic and honey-ginger.
Sisters Fried Pies
Fried pies have deep roots in Ozarks cuisine, and Sisters Fried Pies does justice to the tradition. A family affair, the bakery makes pies such as blueberry, cherry, peach and strawberry-rhubarb with frozen whole fruits. Year-round favorites include chocolate pie and coconut cream pie, but fall is a particularly special time: pecan pie season.