When it comes to farming, Merchant’s Garden stands out in every way you can think of. You can conveniently access their top-notch sustainable produce conveniently, and especially important in today’s climate: safely.

The last time you were at a grocery store, you likely saw staff following the standard safety protocols. But you also likely saw some customers — masks not covering their noses — touching produce and putting it back on display. You can’t even guess how many hands have touched it in the past week.

That’s not an issue at Merchant’s Garden. Their produce goes directly from their farmers to you. You won’t even need to worry about any packer, wholesaler, broker, distributor, or retailer touching your food. Furthermore, you don’t have to leave the comfort of your car or even your home. Come to Merchant’s Garden for drive-in pickup, or have their farm team (wearing proper PPE) deliver the produce directly to you.

We’ve been longtime fans of the quality from Merchant’s Garden; their central location allows them to quickly distribute produce with unparalleled freshness. It wouldn’t be exaggeration to say that Tucsonans can enjoy their produce within an hour after it has been harvested. As you can imagine, the difference in flavor and texture is astoundingly improved when something was harvested an hour ago versus two weeks ago.

While the local aspect is already better for the environment, their aquaponic process uses less drastically less water than conventional farming. Furthermore, it doesn’t use any pesticides.

Many of Tucson’s top restaurants utilize their greens and herbs, and you now have the ability to enjoy it with your family at home as well.

Gallery of Food owner-chef Kristine Jensen invited us into her home to showcase a few ways she uses Merchant’s Garden greens, herbs, and tilapia.

For the salad, Jensen featured the signature butter lettuce with frisée, bok choy, red onion, and a sorrel goddess dressing. The lightness and simplicity excels at showcasing the freshness of the greens.

Jensen crusted the tilapia with pistachio, then served it with a Thai basil pesto and salted preserved lemon. Since the tilapia is has a mild flavor, it easily takes on the flavors and textures of the nuts and herbs.

Merchant’s Garden is located at 555 S. Tucson Blvd. Home delivery is available Monday – Wednesday. Drive-in is available 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Thursday – Friday, 8 a.m. – noon Saturday. For more information, visit merchantsgarden.com.

This article was created in partnership with Merchant’s Garden. Contact us to learn more about Tucson Foodie promotional opportunities.