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Category: Farmers Market [Edit]
Neighborhood: DowntownSat. 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
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The Good:
:: it's a farmers' market. enough said!
:: portopotties for use, along with ways to wash your hands using locally made soap!
:: pet-friendly
:: lots of vegetable offerings that are in-season
:: they have a defined radius of 150 miles in order for a farm or grower to participate. this helps keep things as fresh and local as possible
:: they have free issues of Edible Austin for your reading pleasure
:: they have water stations...this is very important when it is 105 degrees out
:: lots of vendors have doggie water bowls
:: they have a vendor that comes here with fresh caught fish and shrimp. awesome!
:: awesome poultry and cow and bison offerings
:: fair prices. i can get some gigantic zucchini here for only a few bucks, for example.
:: herbs and plants and flowers for sale! awesome. you can get some tips too on plant care from these folks
:: live performances from 10-11:30. we saw a really awesome band play here recently called Wire Tree and i liked them so much i want to see them play at antone's now! it is a nice change from the normal folk music they play.
:: tables with shade for enjoying the music or people watching or eating a delicious portabello breakfast taco
:: beverages for sale, like coffee and lemonade
:: talk to the vendors. it's totally awesome to hear them speak about what they do and why they do it. love it!!!
:: they recently set up a table with samples of various fruits and veggies. i got to try some locally grown cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, melons, and more. mmm!
The Bad:
:: they could use some more poultry and cow and bison vendors
:: eggs sell out quickly so make sure you get there early or you are out of luck
:: parts of it are on asphalt. i wish it could be all on grass. i know that's hard, though...not sure where they could set up that is grass friendly but also economical for them.
The Ugly:
:: none.
Would I go back? Definitely...it is part of my Saturday regimen and I always find myself looking forward to it.
This place is IN.
Saturday morning after eating breakfast we decided to check out the Farmer's market. It's a fun place just to walk around. There are plenty of samples and everyone is so nice. It feels like a huge block party.
I was pleased to just happen upon this farmer's market while in town this past weekend.
Enjoyed the music, food and delicious hibiscus iced tea! We liked the selection of local goat cheese + dairy products, eggs, meats and produce.
It wasn't a huge farmer's market but big enough to cover all the basics.
Since we don't live there we only bought some granola to take home, doggie treats for my brother's dog and some lunch (tamales & some Indian food) as well as said tea and some lemonade.
Was hard to pass up the beautiful tomatoes, basil, beets, kale, shard, etc. Highly recommend for any locals or those staying at a place with a kitchen to cook/put together the fabulous fare.
It's not the biggest farmers market and it may not be the best farmers market, but it's a damn good way to spend a Saturday morning. This market is run by Sustainable Food Austin a group that works to strengthen community farms and to reduce the length of the supply chain from the source to your kitchen table.
Think of spending your Saturday morning here. Get a up of coffee from a local roaster at one booth, a scone or muffin (vegan in some cases) at another booth or fresh fruit at one and yogurt at another. You can even buy some fresh local eggs, spinach and some goat cheese right from the farmer and bring it on home to make an omelet.
You can pick up vegetables and meat for your dinner, and some frozen banana leaf tamales to steam up later in the week.
I don't always love the live music, but it makes up for it with the great local flavor.
I am writing this rave review for the fishmongers who are always at the Farmers Market, San Miguel Seafood. I have a difficult relationship with shrimp, mostly contentious. They are supposed to be tasty and wonderful, good for you, blah & Blah & so forth. Most of the time, even when I get supposedly fresh fresh shrimp at either Central Market or Whole Foods, there is always an air of... fishy shrimpiness to them. They beg for a ribald puttanesca sauce or just tons of spicy flavorings to mask the off flavor of the little bottom feeders. But the shrimp I have purchased from the amazing guys with San Miguel Seafood has been, well a revelation.
SMS operates out of a series of ice-filled coolers, quite close to the Oh-My-God-I'm-Dying-of-Chocolate-joy Kakawa folks. And they know their fish and their shrimp. And holy my god, people, their shrimp is SWEET. It is JUICY. It is Freaking GORGEOUS. It has made someone formerly ambivalent at best about the little bugs absolutely lousy with craving for them. You don't want anything besides maybe some butter or olive oil, green garlic, and parsley or chervil to come in between you and the pure yumminess that is the shrimp from SMS. Putting anything complicated with those beauties would be sad. And you don't want to see a pouting prawn. Mark my words.
Next Saturday, you must go to the Farmers Market. Take your bike, or brave the parking madness, and visit those nice men with the white coolers. And buy a bag of shrimp. Or, if you must have a perfect fillet of snapper or grouper or other Gulf Bay fish, avail yourself of their pristine, fresher than your dirty mouth (do you kiss your mother with that thing??) fish pieces. I love those guys. A deep-as-the-sea gourmand kinda love.
A couple weekends ago I spent the morning at the farmer's market, and it was lovely. Breakfast consisted of a yummy feta and spinach quiche and amazing iced coffee. I don't normally eat quiche because I find it to be heavy and greasy, but this was perfect! I also shared the best chocolate chip scone I've ever had. I was soo good I think it had crack in it....
I relaxed for a bit in the little seating area, and then walked around and tried samples of EVERYTHING. Seriously, jam, cheese....and it was all good!
My only complaint about this place is that I wish it was bigger. There just isn't a whole lot here. I'm glad what is there is high quality, but really they need more vendors. The farmers markets in Portland are three or four times this size. Austin has such a cool community, can't they make this bigger? It would probably bring more people out. My complaints aside, it is a lovely way to spend a Saturday morning. I'll be back.
I've started getting up earlier on Saturday mornings just so I can buy fresh eggs before the vendors sell out! I go to the Farmer's Market every week to buy bread, eggs, cheese, pasta, desserts, and whatever fruits and vegetables are in season and grown locally. I can no longer buy tomatoes in the grocery stores, because I have become used to buying tomatoes that smell and taste like REAL tomatoes from the Farmer's Market! I buy lettuce, chard, kale, green and red peppers, melons, squashes, peaches -- all kinds of fruits and vegetables are here and FRESH. Also, Round Rock Honey is better and sweeter even than the famed Tupelo honey, and it is sold by the owners in their AFM booth.
The only drawback is that you must pay with cash (and some vendors take checks), and no credit/debit cards are accepted. At the Info Booth you can get cash from your debit card for a fee. Just bring cash and you won't go away empty handed!
I love this FM. It's small enough to feel friendly, large enough to get what you need. It doesn't have too much of the prepared stuff I don't want/need (like Kettle Korn). Nice variety of musicians playing and a park-like setting rather than a parking lot setting (unlike Sunset Valley).
Favorite sellers...
Peach Creek Farm: pork products. Love their sausages and bacon. I usually get a shoulder to slow cook. Heavenly.
Brazos Valley Cheese: crazy good. Try the brie, the marinated feta, anything with chipotles in it. Generous with the samples. Pricey: he'll take a few bucks off if you get several. It's my slam-dunk hostess move for entertaining.
Texas French Bread: for the cheese of course.
Countryside Farm Products: chickens raised on pasture. Amazing chickens. He also sells eggs, duck, rabbit.
Sometimes I get Oaxacan Tamaleo for my boys and the HOT green salsa from Tacodeli (cash only) for my guy.
And whatever produce catches my eye, of course.
Go early for best selection and parking. Bring cash and a check book.
I was very disappointed when I went to the Austin Farmers Market last Saturday. I was expecting a huge amount of vendors selling fresh produce, meats, poultry, and seafood. I was wrong. I guess I was spoiled being raised with the Farmer's Markets in Hawaii. I was hoping to see more of a melting pot of ethnic food. I didn't see any Asian stuff... there was some Mediterranean, Latin, and Indian food but that was about it. I was glad to see that there was a assortment of fresh herb plants on sale. My husband was soo stoked to buy a big pot of growing strawberries. He couldn't help himself he picked all the ripe ones off and ate them all before we could get to our car in the parking lot.
I have been to a lot of Farmer's Markets, because I love them passionately. That being said, the Austin Farmer's Market at 4th & Guadalupe does not really compare to some of the others I have witnessed around the country in terms of scope, variety, and location, but it is a truly lovely experience.
I went on Saturday and came away with a dozen eggs, a bundle of flat-leaf parsley, a lovely cluster of fat delicious radishes, and a bouquet of wildflowers, for about eleven dollars.
All of the vendors and farmers are very open and friendly, and their wares are fresh and gorgeous. The adjoining park with gentle sloping lawns and gorgeous ancient live oaks would make for a lovely picnic lunching experience.
One word of advice: avoid the ATM on the corner - the surcharge is $3.95, just a nickel short of what I paid for those glorious eggs. And ride your bike! I didn't locate an actual rack (just locked up to signpost), but I'm sure there's one around - if you can brave putting a carton of eggs in your back pack, everything's kosher.
I love farmer's markets. There's very few things that connect you back to thousands of years of commerce like paying for homegrown goods at a stand, in cash. Also, I have mastered the art of walking around holding a coffee, some type of breakfast food and bunch of little bags, while still having a free hand to point and pick up stuff.
This is defnitely a small-ish market, you can see everything in under 20 minutes. But there's always something good to be found. Last time, I left with some natrual blackberry jam, brazillian empanadas, chutney salsa (not bad with roti), and some type of pastry.
Texas isn't known for its awesomely fresh produce, so the veg department here isn't all that.... Lots of normal stuff like spring onions, chard, potatoes, etc....
All in all, It was cool. I'll be back every now and again.
It has been my belief for years that any downtown farmer's market is the pulse of how well or poorly a) the local agriculture industry and artisan's are thriving; and b) the community is supporting said groups.
There is no doubt in my mind that Austin embraces its local agriculture and artisan's. It is much of what has drawn us to this community. I won't even pretend to know how well the city supports local agriculture. Hopefully it is well supported.
Having lived on a farm for over 10 years (since our kids were little) and among farmers (both organic and non-organic) who farmed fruits, vegetables, orchards, vineyards, cattle, dairies, fiber, and so on, I have a deep respect and admiration for the industry. So, because of that, I have edited my review drastically. I hold tight to the two stars, but I did change all of my comments because I was concerned they did not reflect my respect for the farmers. I can draw from my experiences at amazing farmers markets (again: Mount Vernon, WA; Seattle, WA and the best being San Francisco, CA) to know that it would take a lot to give a farmer's market 5 stars. Two stars it is for the Austin Downtown Farmer's Market.
I recommend anyone who can, frequent the Austin Downtown farmer's market because it is such an important aspect of the downtown. It truely should connect the city with its first need: for food.
It is my feeling that reviews should be authentic, yet thoughtful. I hope this one is both.
One of my New Year's Resolutions is to try and make 50% of my diet locally grown/produced, local being defined as 100 miles around Austin. The Austin Farmer's Market makes this a no brainer.
I love getting up early on Saturday mornings and heading up to the market with a cup of coffee and my ecologically-friendly-reusable shopping bag. I've tried taking my one of my dogs, but he just pees on everything so I decided I wouldn't do that again.
Since I like to cook, it's fun to walk through the market looking at all of the goodies and trying to decide what I can cook that week with what's available. It's also great that there are local vendors with meat, like Peach Creek Farms who raise amazing Berkshire pigs but won't sell me any pork belly because they use it all to make bacon. Mmmmm, bacon. Speaking of which, try their jowl bacon. Yum!
I've found that you should do a lap around the market and check out everyone's goods before you buy. Once you've made your lap, go back and buy what you thought looked best. You need to get there early because the good stuff goes fast.
And the greatest thing about the Farmer's Market? If you are overserved on Friday and find that you just can't get your hungover ass out of bed early enough for your trip to be worthwhile, you can always head up to the Triangle on Wednesday evening to pick up your goods. You lazy ass.
Three stars for the hummus seller alone. Absolutely DELICIOUS.
I rarely am up before 1 p.m. on a Saturday, so minus one for closing down early.
Plus one for being by the pretty Republic Square Park. I love public squares and wish we got more use out of them in general.
Yeah, yeah, the veggies are great too, but the hummus rocks my little world.
If you're free this Saturday morning, go to the AFM. This place is a ball of excitement in itself for those of us food junkie's out there. I was a little skeptical at first glance--there didn't seem to be enough vendors for my taste. But after spending about 2 hours from walking around and eating, I was quite impressed.
Of course, there are some stands that you pass by and not give another glance, but there were many that I kept coming back for. And what's great about farmers markets are the samples! Try it before you buy it (for most things at least)! You can also get a good breakfast/lunch while you're there for a decent price and go home with a bunch of fresh goodies!
I agree with Jaime M. The hummus is delicious. That vendor also sells tabbouleh and baba ghanoush, but the hummus is what I go for. There's also organic lamb, goat, fresh eggs, in season veggies, honey, bread, pastries and tons more from the AFM--dog food/treats, shirts, arts, etc. The best deal last time was delicious watermelons from a vendor (2 for $5)--such a good deal, compared to grocery stores that charge you $5+ for a watermelon!
Check out AFM if you're free on Saturday. And if you think it's "too hot" to go, don't worry, JimJim's WaterIce stand is there to cool you down ;-)
Great effort by the Sustainable Food Center to provide a place for us Austinites to purchase fresh and locally harvested produce, seafood, bison, cheese, and more! Unlike other markets, this one is only for producers within a 150-mile radius of Austin. Fortunately, that includes San Miguel Seafood, which usually has great gulf shrimp and even fresh tuna from the gulf! The other day I purchased feral hog, which I was happy to see, as those little buggers can create havoc for people in rural areas and, hey - it was an interesting meal.
My wish for the future is a more permanent location that is either shaded by large trees or has an indoor component to mediate the extremely hot temperatures in the summer.
The farmer's market is great - fresh produce and fruit (no salmonella tomatoes here!), great coffee, goat cheese, flowers, cool people, live music, cooking demonstrations. This is a great way to spend a Saturday morning..... it gives you a warm fuzzy feeling to see families and kids and dogs and happy people everywhere.
Regarding some comments about the AFM not being as large and impressive as others around the country, that might be true. But from what I know about the farmer's market, it is only growing and will surely get more and more impressive with time.
Any opportunity to purchase delicious, locally-grown produce and to support this fabulous community should be taken advantage of by all of us! I commend the SFC for maintaining and growing the AFM to make sure we all have access to the wonderful fruits that Austin area farms have to offer.
There's few places that make me feel good by just being there, but the Downtown Farmer's Market is one of them. Any free Saturday morning, I am there. I can be in the grumpiest sleepy mood, but when I see all the stands waiting (seemingly just to greet me!), I am lifted out of my funk.
I often go with nothing in mind (albeit with an anticipatory bag in tow) and leave with my bag bulging of fresh produce, pesto, pastries, hearty bread and cheese. I love the surprise aspect of buying food here-- you get what's in season, so there might be an abundance of radishes and swiss chard one week, shallots and squash the next. This is the way we were meant to eat. The subsequent trip home and inventing ways to cook everything is one of my favorite parts about my trips to the market. I nerd out about things like that.
There's so much more here than an average farmer's market-- there's granola, dog biscuits, music, the best caramelized onion and gorgonzola quiche i've ever had (i have to close my eyes for a second upon first bite), soap, eggs, crafts, prepared foods, cheese, chocolate... it's a great way to spend a Saturday morning.
So I don't know if you knew this, but the vendors here put love in their food. You feel it when you interact with everybody there, you can see it in the product; you taste it when you get home.
I'm sure the merchants try hard but when I go to a farmers market, I judge it based on how many people show up and how many booths are available. The few times I've sauntered over to the market, I was clearly not impressed by either of the numbers. The farmer's market in Madison, Wisconsin? That blew my socks off. The farmer's market here in Austin, makes me wish I was in Madison.
The Austin Farmers's Market is another of those little perks that make this town so enjoyable to live in. This is great local flavor left and right. I would to join the ranks of Sample Lovers Not So Anonymous (SLNSA). I think we should have all SLNSA meetings here, and then take a field trip to Whole Foods. After a sample go-round, I will tend to get a pastry of some sort and coffee so as to think correctly around all of the temptation to be had.
The farmers and farm stand workers are most often extremely friendly. They take pride in what they do, and will talk about it at length. If you plan to buy produce, get there a little earlier. They can be be somewhat sold out of the usual suspects as afternoon rolls around.
There is always music at the AFM. I haven't been knocked out by any of the bands, but it adds some lively flavor to the experience, anyway. The market goers are pretty diverse. There are sandal wearing hippies, Bjorn bearing baby holders, young professionals, and lots of other sub-groups representing.
Due to the construction downtown, the location of the market has been been changed temporarily. The AFM website is very, very detailed about that and all other information about the market.
I love this market but this is mainly to review Brazos Valley Dairy's cheeses. They have this jarred marinated feta that I will eat with glass. That's a true story. Came here one Sat morn and bought a jar (which is liquid gold--$12). I put it in my canvas bag with all my new fresh veggies and walked over to Taverna for brunch with my grrl. On the way back (uh, too many mimosas?) I dropped the bag on the sidewalk. It never even crossed my mind to throw the whole thing out. It was a greasy disaster. Their marinated feta is soaking in olive oil and big leaves of basil. And that morning it exploded into a glittering kaleidoscope of glass slivers. Yes, I picked out the big chunks right there on the side of Lavaca St, then I took that crack cheese home and ate the rest! Even fed it to my hubby. I would take a chunk out and rub it between my fingers and if I bled, I threw it out. The rest was too small to see but lent a certain gravelly texture to the cheese. Seriously good cheese people. I should join the circus or something.
Fresh Fresh and Fresher -- if you are tired of flavorless, picked to soon for shipping produce, leave that grocery store chain parking lot and head over to Austin farmers market. Yep they have sample tables, and sell all kinds of goody foods prepared right there, but thats not the best part ( ok it is a really good part). The market is set up to provide a place for local farmers to sell direct to the public. They can wait til just the right time to pick the crop and bring it to the buyers (me and you) without having to ship it to a processing plant, then a distributor, then another truck for shipping to a store across the country.
This means you get it at its' peak of flavor and taste. Sad for me, it's so far away I only get to stop in once or twice a year, but we got one local that's not as nice, but still good.
If you love good fresh flavor and taste, and want to support local growers (great way to help yourself and small family farms) treat yourself to the Austin farmers market.
P.S. If you go looking for it - The Sat Market has a temporary location at Cesar Chavez and Lavaca check their web site for times and events. ( local musicians, chef classes, other events) A big round of Appaluse for all that support this effort for local farmers -- a special round for Whole Foods.
Austin, TX
Category: Farmers Market
Neighborhood: East Austin
Category: Farmers Market
Austin, TX
Category: Farmers Market
Neighborhood: University of Texas
Category: Delis
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Coffee & Tea
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