New farmers markets sprout across North Austin From the cover
The big picture
1 Arboretum Food and Artisan Market • Saturdays 10 a.m.-2 p.m. • Year-round • Rain or shine • 10000 Research Blvd., Bldg. C, Austin Local farmers markets
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AMY DONOVAN PLAZA
When Texas Farmers’ Market rst opened in Cedar Park in 2010, one of the only other farmers markets was located in downtown Austin, said Liz Shafer, TFM at Lakeline’s director of operations. “There was nothing north of Austin,” Shafer said. “ ... We had about 20 vendors who started with us at that farmers market, but it quickly became apparent that we had outgrown that space.” TFM moved from its Cedar Park location to Lakeline Mall in the summer of 2010, providing Northwest Austin residents with a closer option. Now, four other markets have since moved to or opened in the Northwest Austin area in under a year: Lone Star Farmers Market; The Domain Farmers Market; Gateway Market Days; and Arboretum Food and Artisan Market. “At the time, there weren’t any other markets around [MoPac and Parmer Lane],” Romero said of relocating from Bee Cave in 2023. “I felt like we were lling a void that existed in that area.”
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2 Gateway Market Days • Sundays 10 a.m.-2 p.m. • Twice a month June-Aug. • Weather permitting
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• 9503 Research Blvd., Austin 3 Lone Star Farmers Market • Sundays 10 a.m.-2 p.m. • Year-round • Rain or shine • 12709 N Mopac Expy, Austin 4 Texas Farmers’ Market at Lakeline • Saturdays 10 a.m.-2 p.m. • Year-round • Rain or shine • 11200 Lakeline Mall Drive, Austin 5 The Domain Farmers Market • Saturdays 11 a.m.-3 p.m. • Year-round • Rain or shine • 3213 1/2 Amy Donovan Plaza, Austin
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February 2024: Gateway Market Days and Arboretum Food and Artisan Market open
July 2023: Lone Star Farmers Market relocates to Garbo’s Lobster from Bee Cave
March 2010: TFM opens at 1890 Ranch, relocates in summer to Lakeline Mall
November 2023: The Domain Farmers Market opens
SOURCES: JENNIFER KLOSS, SELIMA HARBISON, RICHIE ROMERO, LIZ SHAFER, EMYLEE BOONE COMMUNITY IMPACT
A closer look
a North Austin native who has been a farmer for 10 years, the decision was a personal one. “You’re not going to have farms in Austin. You’re going to have to get farms around the outskirts of Austin, like Georgetown, Marble Falls. … You have to make it worth [farmers’] while to drive in, and treat them right,” Harbison said. “I do this so I can keep Texas farming and ranching alive because we almost lost it a couple years ago.”
new business owners,” Boone said. Along with community interest, the residential and development growth in North Austin was a major influence for market managers such as Romero with Lone Star Farmers Market. “It’s been a huge positive not only for people that live in that area, but also as a destination market for people that are coming to visit,” Romero said. For Gateway Market Days owner Selima Harbison,
Emylee Boone, CEO of The Domain Farmers Mar- ket, said her team identified a desire for a farmers market through research with local North Austin residents and businesses, adding that the challenges some vendors face when attempting to enter an existing market was a motivation. “Many reputable markets have waiting lists extending over two years, which showed a need for a new opportunity for both established farmers and
Artisan/ apothecary vendors
Prepared food/ baked good vendors
Other vendors (drinks, honey, jam, nuts, salsa, etc.)
Number of vendors*
Meat/dairy/egg vendors
Market
Produce vendors
Texas Farmers' Market at Lakeline
90+
9.3%
16.9%
11.9%
26.3%
35.6%
The Domain Farmers Market
45+
6.5%
15.2%
8.7%
23.9%
45.7%
Scan the QR code for more information on North Austin farmers markets.
Lone Star Farmers Market
40+
16.3%
10.2%
8.2%
24.5%
40.8%
Gateway Market Days
35+
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*BASED ON FEBRUARY MARKETS, VENDOR NUMBERS AND TYPES VARY
SOURCES: JENNIFER KLOSS, SELIMA HARBISON, RICHIE ROMERO, LIZ SHAFER, EMYLEE BOONE/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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