The best places to find local flavours in Camp Verde, Arizona

Here’s why you should camp out at Camp Verde

Camp Verde, Arizona, is an hour’s drive north of Phoenix. The city prides itself on its temperate year-round climate and plethora of indoor and outdoor activities. What makes this “camp” a knockout, however, is its wide array of local flavours. Here are a few of our favourites.

The gathering places

The Verde Valley Farmers Market is the place to find fresh produce grown locally in Camp Verde. Some of the usual items for sale include corn, potatoes, carrots, lettuce, herbs, honey, eggs, nuts, fruit, jelly, breads, beef, flowers and more! Crafts and music always make an appearance as well.

The annual Spring Heritage Pecan and Wine festival, usually the third weekend in March, is a two-day festival celebrating everything tasty and local in the Verde Valley. It is a celebration of local history, local flavours and the local river that flows all year long (the only one to do that in the entire state of Arizona). Vendors sell pecan-themed wares and goodies, and local growers will be sharing fresh pecans and pecan treats. There will be pecan pie-baking contests, in addition to the largest wine-tasting event in all of Arizona’s wine country.

The flavour factories

Summer Place Pecan Farm grows and sells the best pecans for its patrons while being mindful of the environment. This local flavour has won multiple awards from local festivals and brings in crowds from all over Arizona. Visit its “nut house” to buy fresh pecans, or order online to have them ship some to you.

Verde Brewing Company, started in 2013, offers a “farm-to-mug” brewing experience. The company’s focus is to use local ingredients and resources in every batch of its brew. The owner of Verde Brewing grows its hops. Cowboy Honey, a local beekeeper with over 200 hives, supplies the company with honey for the pale ales and blondes, and another local farmer, originally from North Dakota, supplies the brewery with carrots, onions, greens and kale for the meals and appetizers.

Wingfield Bread Company handmakes the most authentic Old-World bread in Arizona. Staff mill their own whole wheat and make everything as nutritious as possible. Their mission is to make “food as it should be.” Their selection, all baked daily, includes doughnuts, cinnamon buns, cookies and breads of all kinds. Each is served fresh and can be found at their bakery or at the local farmers markets.

Summertime and early fall is when Hauser and Hauser Farm brings out the big guns, or rather, the big ears (of corn). You can visit the farm directly, or visit their sweet corn stand that’s open from July until the middle of September.

For more information about the flavours of Camp Verde, visit the city’s main tourism page.