Our earlier post about the Redland flea market was devoted to its outdoor food court -- but the second big centerpiece of the place is its massive farmers market. No, this isn't the kind of pristine, cutesy "farmers market" that sells cupcakes and boasts signs with clever graphic design. This, instead, is for those who aren't particular about organics (though they do occasionally appear here) but are instead in search of serious bargains on produce.
And there is plenty to be had. If you need to pinch pennies and find yourself in South Miami-Dade, this should be a requisite stop. Nearly every typical supermarket produce item is found here, and then some. Not surprisingly, you can also find buy bulk amounts of Central American specialty items, from barrels full of dried beans, to bags of colorful chiles, to pallets of cactus. Just consider that on a recent visit, zucchini and regular tomatoes were $1 a pound or less.
Browsers can always grab a Mexican pastry or ready-to-eat fruit cup from any of the vendors around the market's perimeters. The fruit cups are the best walk-and-eat snack, costing about $2 and usually featuring the cool addition of cucumber to crisp, refreshing mixes of strawberry, pineapple, melon, and coconut.
Bargain Town is open on weekend days, and admission and parking are free. The official address is 24400 Packinghouse Rd., Homestead; that's the intersection of US-1 and SW 244th Street. Again, there's no web site, but you can call 305-257-4335.
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