What We Believe
We believe food is beautiful and we aim to express this beauty in everything we do at the Merchant's Garden.
Our Mission
Make fresh food accessible and affordable to everyone using the science of aquaponics and hydroponics.
Our Vision
Create revolutionary and sustainable ways to feed the world with local produce.
Our Employees
We believe that service and care for our employees are paramount to the success we achieve as a business.
Mike Wallis
Owner
After 27 years of engineering, marketing and leadership roles with Caterpillar, I returned to my roots and opted for the greener pastures of self-employment. Owning and operating an aquaponics / hydroponics business is very different than farming/ranching in SW Kansas or working within a global corporate team. Merchant’s Garden offers me the opportunity to exceed demanding customer expectations, work with a great team, engage with a very supportive community, continue my pursuit of lifelong learning, earn some money and give back to a community that I call home. I also have the honor of working with my wife Shawna in these pursuits. What’s not to love about Merchant’s Garden? Did I forget to mention we have the best leafy greens?
Shawna Wallis
Owner
Boring is not a word I would use to describe my life with Mike. We’ve lived in various countries and a handful of states, all whilst I was teaching at the community college level and raising active boys. Then we purchased Merchant’s Garden in early 2026 and literally put down roots in the Tucson community. I’m learning new skills like Instagram posts, website creation and all about growing various lettuce and herb products.
Tom Rauh
Employee Extraordinaire
Tom has been working at Merchant's Garden on and off since the beginning. The last three years Tom as been an invaluable employee. Tom loves meeting all our customers at the market and give him a few visits and he will know your name!