Cedar Park Farms to Market

Oh, hallelujah! As much as I love downtown Austin, trekking there with two kids in tow is always a major event (even with hubby’s help) so I can’t tell you how excited that I am with the new Cedar Park Farms to Market. Though the Brushy Creek farmers market had been available to the northwest part of town, I just never felt like it had the variety and overall quality of the Austin Farmers Market. The Cedar Park Farms to Market still has a ways to go before it rivals the Austin one, but what we have seen there has been a good start.

Right away, I recognized some familiar vendors: Round Rock Honey, Kala’s Kuisine, Sweetish Hill, the folks who make that awesome avocado salsa that they sell in the refrigerated cases near the check out at Whole Foods (apologies that i can’t remember their name), Aunt Nita’s Homestyle dips and such to name but a few. Zhi tea was even there, which we first discovered Zhi through Greenling.

We got to the market a little bit before 9 am to make sure we were standing in line to get the first picks, and even with the threat of rain this past Saturday, the lines for the fresh veggies were really long by 9:20 am.  If you have the time, the wait is worth it.  For just under $60, we got our week’s worth of bread, summer zucchini and squash, onions, dips, salsas, fresh eggs, Oak Leaf and Bibb lettuce, and several other handmade goodies. It is still more costly than going to Wally World for veggies, but the taste is absolutely no comparison, which is a whole other post unto itself. Our new family favorite find is the Lemon Sunrise fresh cheese by Humble House Foods. Oh…drool…so good.

We were bummed to not see Mediterranean Chef who sells Grandma’s Hummus, but it turns out that we must have just walked past the stand.   With the hot summer months ahead, if Jim Jim’s ice water would come to this part of town too, I’d be all set, and maybe a Full English scone or two…

Hubby got hungry so he grabbed himself a breakfast taco from Taco Real’s tent. The kids plopped down at a table to enjoy their Sweetish Hill bread while listening to some live music, and we called that a morning. It was lovely. We are suckers for local farms, sustainable practices, and just the vibe of being able to take our kids through a market where they interact with the growers and food artisans who are more than happy to talk to our kids about their products.

Good job to the Cedar Park Farms to Market organizers! You’ve done a fantastic job picking vendors, and I can’t wait to see this market grow.  I’m coming with a cooler next time for fresh milk.

The Cedar Park Farms to Market opens each Saturday morning in the 1890 Ranch shopping center (corner of 183A and FM1431), behind the movie theater. Vendors begin selling at 9 am to 1 pm, rain or shine.   It is best to bring cash with you.

Here’s our complete listing of farmers markets around town.

Related posts:

1. Sunset Valley Farmers’ Market
2. Austin Farmers’ Market at Republic Square (downtown)
3. Rosemary Denny Park, remodeled (Cedar Park)
4. Anderson Mill West Park (Cedar Park)
5. The Park at Lakeline Oaks (Cedar Park)