Flint Farmer's Market: A Hidden Jewel in the Middle of Flint, Michigan

Often overlooked and forgotten, the Flint Farmer's Market has been operating at the same location in Flint, Michigan since 1940. It moved around a bit before that, but has always been committed to offering residents of Flint and the surrounding areas the best locally grown items. The market not only offers meat, baked goods, produce, and dairy. They also offer a cafe on the second floor with prepared food items for when you can't until you get back home to eat.

Let's start with the meat. Knob Hill Meats offers the finest beef and pork as well as Kogel meat products. The butchers are fast and friendly. If you're there often enough, they get to know you and what you like and make suggestions for new items to try. They also offer boxes of multiple items in conjunction with Coykendall Produce that range from a summer cook out basket with grilling meats and summer fruit and veggie favorites, to grocery packages with enough food to feed a large family for a week. Make sure to give their Salisbury Steak seasoned meat a try when you're out.

Great Harvest Bread Company offers breads, pastries, and other baked goods. You can have your bread sliced there, or take your loaf home whole. Their stuffed croissants are not only delicious, but also quite large. They come in sweet varieties like Apple and Strawberry Rhubarb as well as savory flavors such as Ham and Swiss or Turkey and Swiss. They also have a cooler with a selection of bottled beverages to keep your thirst down while you shop.

Coykendall Produce and Penzien Produce both offer great fruit and vegetable selections. If you can't find something at one vendor, you can usually walk a little ways and find it at the other. Potatoes, tomatoes and and the usual fare can be found year round and during the fall there are a multitude of Michigan squash to choose from. Both vendors are friendly and knowledgeable and I often find myself having to split my purchases between them in order to give both my business. It's too hard for me to choose a favorite between the two.

D'Vine wines not only offers the finest beer and wine featuring local selections as well as imports, but they also carry products from Calder Dairy. I love getting all of my dairy products here and a huge favorite at my house is the chocolate milk. It's so thick and creamy that if cooled in the freezer, it could probably be considered a milk shake. The fresh churned butter is also amazing. As far as the wines go, I'm a huge fan of anything from the Leelanau Peninsula and they have enough that I can find something new pretty much every week. Their selection of wines from Michigan wineries is the best that I've come across so far. They also have herbed oils for bread dipping and some seasoning items to go help round out your meal.

I've saved my two favorite vendors for last. It's too hard to choose which one I like better so make sure to stop and both when you go to the Farmer's Market. The trip is not complete without a purchase from each of these places.

My first favorite is Edna's Herbs and Fine Cured Meat. If you need some meat for a sandwich of epic proportions, this is the place to go. Amazing Pastrami, Black Forest Ham, and Prosciutto is all at your finger tips as well as at least a dozen other choices. They also have an extensive selection of dried herbs and spices, as well as several amazing varieties of salt. Thanks to them, my spice cabinet is stocked to the point of overflowing with amazing herbs and spices. A few of the must-try items are the Bolivian Rose salt, the Awesome Cinnamon, and the Black Lava salt. Last but certainly not least, they also carry a delicious variety of dried fruits, nuts, and different snack mixes.

Right across the aisle from Edna's Herbs and Fine Cured Meat is my other favorite vendor, Hills Home Cured Cheese. This place has not only the best variety of cheese in the Flint area, it is also the tastiest variety. There are blues, Cheddars, soft cheeses, and many many more. Some of the highlights are the Buffalo Wing cheese (hot and spicy), Five Counties (five varieties of English cheese in one amazing block), and the many flavors of Havarti. They have freshly grated Parmesan for your Italian cooking needs and they will slice any of the sandwich cheeses for you right there. I can never leave with just one cheese.

So if you're looking for a great place to find local produce and other items in the Flint, Michigan area, make sure to give the Flint Farmer's Market a try. It's located off I-475, exit 8A at 420 E. Boulevard Drive. They will be happy to help you find everything that you're looking for plus a little extra. During the summer there are extra vendors on your way in, so don't forget to check out the seasonal items in addition to the vendors who are open year round. This is definitely a hidden jewel of the city.

A history of the Farmer's Market can be found at http://www.geneseefun.com/org/detail/153.

Also don't forget to check out the Market's website at http://www.flintfarmersmarket.com/.