Every Saturday morning, the Bentonville Farmers Market unites the community by creating a space for local businesses to shine. As seasons change and the weather cools, the market moves indoors to cherish the cozy winter months and continue recognizing small businesses year-round. Locals appreciate the concentration of NWA makers, farmers, and entrepreneurs who convene each week to present quality handmade goods you don’t typically find at the grocery store. Whether selling craft goods, locally grown produce, or artisanal foods, Bentonville’s Farmers Market vendors never fail to amaze their community.
On April 11, the market will return to the square for its outdoor season. Even as the indoor period comes to a close, the abundance of warmth and excitement from the Record Downtown venue reminds me how important it is to invest in the community by supporting local businesses. In a fast-paced world, it is easy to overlook all the details involved in getting food on our tables, but vendors like State Flair and Ozark Natural Breads demonstrate the teamwork, dedication, and creativity necessary to do so.
State Flair’s handcrafted honey turns a kitchen staple into a unique blend of flavors to spice up any dish – sometimes literally. With an apiary in Springfield, Missouri, and a home base in Bentonville, Arkansas, owner Christina Hesse explains that State Flair’s locally sourced honey combines flavors of the Ozarks, bringing a taste of the region to customers’ homes. Their honey blends include delightfully subtle flavors like lemon and lavender in their popular –and my personal favorite – Purple Hays, as well as novel infusions like blood orange extract and smoked ghost peppers in the cheekily-named, Devil’s in Beetails. When she sells at markets outside of Northwest Arkansas, Hesse mentioned that she tries to create a small batch of honeys specially inspired by that area, incorporating regional flavors just as she does for her regular Ozark honeys. State Flair’s unique spicy and savory flavors open up new ways to incorporate honey into meals.
When I asked Hesse about the importance of buying locally, she said, “There’s so much in the world that we can’t change on our own. We’ve got to start in our backyards and support one another.” This is a motto State Flair exemplifies every day. With honeys featuring natural flavors of the Ozarks, Northwest Arkansas, and Southwest Missouri truly are State Flair’s own backyard. Their products reveal a care for our unique region that is scarcely replicated by larger businesses. Hesse’s excitement and passion for her products radiated from her stand the minute I entered the Farmers Market. She welcomes customers to try free samples of each of her products, and I loved sampling some amazing honey while learning about State Flair’s mission.
Despite its Arkansas roots dating back to 1987, this is the first year Ozark Natural Breads has participated as a vendor at the Bentonville Farmers Market. Owners Bryan Brandon and Alexandria Freeze dove into the world of baking as children; Brandon grew up alongside the family business, and Freeze fell in love with baking early on. Now, they both bring culinary experience from France to the company, and the quest for new techniques and flavors is everlasting. Booth managers Dakota Duncan and Brooke Gunter explained that the bakery prioritizes customer health by using natural ingredients, incorporating mix-ins that could be found at the Farmers Market. Duncan also introduced one of their newest loaves, Arkansake Sourdough. He watched this bread come to life after several rounds of experimentation; now, it is successfully made with fermented rice grown right here in Arkansas.
“Why is it important to buy foods from local businesses?” I asked them. “Aside from it being healthier?” Duncan chuckled. “You’re supporting small businesses who need their community to grow,” Gunter added. Even though Ozark Natural Breads has made a name for itself in Northwest Arkansas, it is still a tight-knit family business in many ways that demonstrates a deep appreciation for both the local community and the world beyond NWA. Their artisanal products are made by hand with careful exploration of techniques and add-ins. In addition to the classic Ozark Country sourdough, their New York-inspired Everything Bagel Bearclaw, French baguette and brioche rolls, as well as their Italian focaccia and schiacciata, are just a few of their many products that celebrate styles of bread making from around the world, inviting customers to explore a variety of culinary experiences.
The Farmers Market creates a space for makers to shine, but true community investment comes from locals. Just as Hesse said, positive change begins with supporting the people and places closest to us. The strongest communities are those that encourage creativity from individuals willing to follow their dreams, and Bentonville’s Farmers Market vendors exemplify those qualities. Their outstanding products and passions urge buyers to notice local contributions and consider the question: How can we find ways to invest in our community?
"Positive change begins with supporting the people and places closest to us."
“There’s so much in the world that we can’t change on our own. We’ve got to start in our backyards and support one another.”