Barton Creek Farmers Market: Things You Should Know
Discover > Farm to Table Eating in Texas > Barton Creek Farmers Market: Things You Should Know
Texas is home to numerous farmers markets to choose from. These provide a great and important service since they are a steady source of healthy and ecologically grown. It’s important for a family that cares about how they get their food to learn about the farms in their area. Barton Creek Farmers Market is one of such farms and if you live in the area, you should take the time to learn about it, visit it, and possibly set up a longer relationship with the vendors.
A Bit of History
Barton Creek Farmers Market is the oldest farmers market in Austin. It’s been running steadily since 1987 when it was basically just a few stands on the park lot of Whole Foods. A lot has changed since then and the market has been recognized for its foods and its role in the community overall.
It has been voted to be within 10 best farmers markets in the state a few times. It was also voted to be in the top 10 farmers markets in the whole country once. Over 90 percent of the vendors sell the produce they grow themselves.
The Standards
There are highly set stands for the quality of the produce you could get at the market. The standards cover the way the produce is being grown and how the process impacts the environment overall. The farmers markets offer fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts (how long do nuts last?), plants, flowers, herbs and artisan cheese makers.
Their ranchers bring antibiotic and hormone free chicken, beef, lamb, goat, pork, bison (What wine goes well with bison?) and fresh fish to the market and meats are grass fed and grass finished, unlike the grocery store meats that may be labeled grass-fed but usually is fattened up on grains, thus not grass finished.
Seasonal Food
Barton Creek farmers market is open for business throughout the year which means it has seasonal foods. This is important since it provides diversity in your diet and it gives you a chance to support local farmers throughout the year. The market also has a list of the produce it offers by season allowing you to prepare in terms of cuisine.
Spring
Fragrant flowers, fresh spinach, asparagus, carrots, garlic, onions, greens, green beans, squashes, strawberries, blackberries, and new potatoes.
Summer
Tomatoes, squashes, potatoes, okra, black eyed peas, eggplant (how long does eggplant last?), cucumbers, garlic, peppers, peaches, figs, musk melons, cantaloupes (how long does cantaloupe last?), watermelon, blueberries, and grapes.
Fall
Tomatoes, squashes, okra, peppers, peas, cucumbers, turnips, carrots, greens, lettuce, beets, cabbage,
apples, pears, figs, and pumpkins.
Winter
Broccoli, cauliflower, celery, turnips, spinach, carrots, beets, kale, chard, mustard (how long does mustard last?), collards, arugula,
oranges, grapefruits, winter squashes, sweet potatoes, strawberries, and lemons.
All Year Round
Fresh lettuce, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, pecans (how long do pecans last?), lamb, bison, chicken, beef, pork, goat, shrimp, fish,
pastries, bread, gluten-free baked goods, cheeses, pestos, jams, jellies, honey, chocolates, plants and more.
It’s best to come around and meet the vendors yourself. That way you can see which of the vendors you can buy from all the year round and when you’ll need to make the change as the season changes.
A Concert Every Saturday
Besides the produce, the market also provides other fun activities and events, such as workshops and weekly concerts. These are held every Sunday and they offer a chance for local bends to get a bit of recognitions and for farmers and guests to wind down.
Barton Creek Farmers Market is also opened on every Saturday from 9 AM to 1 PM. It’s closed on only o Christmas Sunday. The address is 2901 S Capital of Texas Hwy Austin, Texas 78746 and you can contact them via email or phone found on their website.
Spread The Word
One of the most effective ways you get to help the farmers markets you find to be useful including this one is to spread the word about them. In the world of social media there’s not that difficult to do and you can reach a rather wide group of people just by using your personal social media.
It’s best if you share your personal experience in regards to shopping at the market and working with a particular vendor since that’s the best way to present the market to those who want to check it out.
Conclusion
Barton Creek Farmers Market is the oldest farmers market in the city and it’s still worth checking out as much as it was when it was first founded over 30 years ago. The market works on Sundays (except on Christmas) from 9AM to 1PM and it offers fresh produce, meat and cooked meals (how long do cooked meals last?) throughout the year.
This is especially important since you know you’ll get seasonal produce. That allows you to help the farmers during the whole year and it gives you a chance to change up your diet every couple of months and make it interesting.
Want to become a farmers market vendor? Here are some tips.
