5th August, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
Last weekend I checked out the Cedar Park Farmer’s Market. Located at the Lakeline Mall, it’s a great famer’s market for those of us who live in North Austin. I thought there were about 50 stands there, and there was a nice variety of fruits and vegetables as well as hot food stands and specialty stands. I bought some watermelon, okra, and organic hand soap. I got there at about 11:30, and there was still a great selection of produce. I definitely recommend checking it out if you live in the area!
16th July, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 4 Comments
A few months ago, Carsi and I tried to review several farmer’s markets in Austin – we were able to go to 3, but since then we’ve become aware of several that we’ve never been to (for example, one at the Barton Creek Mall, one in South Austin). One farmer’s market that I’ve never been to but would love to try out one of these weekends (since it’s probably the closest farmer’s market to my house) is the Cedar Park farmer’s market. Starting this Saturday, the Cedar Park farmer’s market is relocating from its former location to the Lakeline Mall, located at the intersection of 183 and 620.
Here’s some info about the market from its website:
“F2M’s Cedar Park Farms to Market is an outdoor market where you can not only
meet the farmers and producers; you have the opportunity to ask them how they grow
and produce this wonderfully fresh food. The relationship with the producers is quite
a bond,” said Carla Jenkins, Organizer and Founder of Cedar Park Farms to Market
Texas. “Lakeline Mall, with its accessibility to Central Texas and large space, is the
perfect setting to relocate Cedar Park Farms to Market.”
Approximately 45-60 vendors will be onsite including:
Amador Farms, Bush Farm, Cowan’s Farm, Fruitful Hill Farm, Green Valley
Farms, Hairston Creek Farm (organic), Hillside Farms, Manheim Market Gardens,
Orange Blossom Farm (organic), Schwegmann Orchard, Star Farmers Market, Tecolote
Farm (organic) and Two Happy Children Farm.
In addition to offering sustainably grown fruits and vegetables, the market also
features meat (pork, lamb, beef), poultry, eggs, dairy (goats and cow milk products),
seafood, many fabulous prepared foods to take home or eat there.
photo credit
19th March, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments
The HOPE (Helping Other People Everywhere) Farmer’s Market is a fairly new market on the eastside that opened in October. It’s every Sunday from 11-3 at Waller and 5th. I recently bought a Groupon that included vouchers to use there, some yoga classes, and a reuseable bag, so I stopped by for the first time the other day to use the vouchers and check the place out. I found the market to be full of interesting stuff, and I will definitely go back regularly. However, it’s a bit of a misnomer, since there was a limited amount of actual fresh produce. It’s more of a community market, with a little bit of farmers market thrown in. I only saw a couple stands that sold veggies, but the ones they did have were plentiful and very fresh. I bought some kale and collard greens from the Finca Pura Vida stand, and both have been very hardy and tasty. All the other stands had other items of interest, including prepared foods, tea, clothing, soap, recycled yarn, jewelry, candles, etc. They also have free yoga, provided by Empower Yoga at 12 and 1, which I will have to try out soon. I liked the variety of items, and the atmosphere and location were very fun. But if it’s a variety of produce and produce vendors you’re looking for, I think the Austin Farmer’s Market downtown is going to be your best bet.
18th March, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 2 Comments
I went with some friends a couple of weekends ago to the Downtown Farmer’s Market. I had never been before and thought it was a really fun experience, and had a great time. There were a ton of people there, causally shopping, eating delicious breakfast foods, and relaxing in the sun. I would say there were probably at least 40 different stands there, and the variety was really great. There were a lot of fresh vegetables, a lot of stands serving hot food, and a few stands with odds and ends, like composting equipment, plants for sale, and honey. There was so much I wanted to buy, but I ended up getting a basil plant, some local honey, and a few amazing tamales. Located at Republic Square Park, 422 W. Guadalupe at 4th and Guadalupe, it’s right in the middle of downtown and is a great place to enjoy a Saturday morning outside. I would highly recommend checking it out – it’s really nice that the Austin community has this. Here are some pictures from my visit, and remember to check back tomorrow for Carsi’s review of the HOPE Farmer’s Market
17th March, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 2 Comments
This is the first of 3 posts about farmer’s markets in Austin. (Check back tomorrow for our review of the Downtown Farmer’s Market!) Some general information about the benefits of buying from farmer’s markets can be found here, but juts a few of the environmental benefits are:
They help reduce the miles the food travels, thus reducing pollution.
They encourage using less packaging.
They encourage environmentally friendly production practices, such as organic and pesticide free.
Carsi and I went to the Farmer’s Market at the Triangle last December. The Triangle Farmer’s Market takes place each Wednesday. Neither of us had been before, and we wanted to check it out and eventually get to all 3 farmer’s markets in Austin and compare them. I ended up buying some green bell peppers and 2 tacos. There were probably about 10-15 stands, and there wasn’t much to choose from – it was a little disappointing. But the lack of stands was probably in large part due to the time of year and the low temperatures. I’d like to check it out again now that it’s warmer and see if it’s any bigger.
If it’s on the way home from work and you need some veggies and aren’t picky about needing something specific for dinner that night, it’s a nice way to support local farmers!
the row of stands
peppers!
