Farmers Market News
One of Dallas' buzziest farmers markets returns to Lakewood for summer 2020
After a successful launch in 2019, a Dallas neighborhood farmers market is recommitting to a second season, at one of the busiest intersections in Lakewood.
The Lakewood Village Farmers Market returns to 6434 E. Mockingbird Ln., at the southeast corner of Mockingbird Lane and Abrams Road, better known as "the corner where Albertsons used to be."
The market will debut on February 9. For February and March, it will be bi-monthly, running February 23, then March 8 and March 22. Beginning on April 5, it'll gear up to a weekly presence, running every Sunday until the end of August.
Director Casey Cutler says they're committed to bringing fresh farm goods to the neighborhood. As a matter of fact, the feedback she received from the first year was that customers wanted even more produce than what was being offered.
It's a bit of an education process, no thanks to the original Dallas Farmers Market, which for many years hosted vendors who were not growers and who sold produce from around the country. An obvious example: Pineapples do not grow in Texas.
But many Dallas customers remain confused about what a true farmers market is.
"Our markets are producer only, which means that we don't sell fruits and produce that is not in season," Cutler says.
"At Lakewood, we got a lot of 'where's the produce?' feedback last year," she says. "People have expectations of tomatoes year round or even wanting mangos at the market. So we want to continue our presence and education about what actually grows in North Texas and the hard work that small farmers endure."
That includes meat. "Ranchers are farmers too!" Cutler says. "We have great all local meat options."
The Lakewood market is part of Good Local Markets, which was founded in 2009 to support local farmers, ranchers, and artisans. They started out as "White Rock Local Market," then changed their name in 2015 to accommodate a bigger scope that could encompass more neighborhoods.
Over the years, they've relocated to meet customers' needs and improve logistics such as parking. Since 2015, their primary beachhead has been located at Lakeside Baptist Church, at 9150 Garland Rd.
They showcase produce, meats, eggs, bread, pastries, pickles, jams, and specialty foods; plus artisans who make things like clothes and soap.
Every Good Local Markets vendor grows or makes what they sell with no distributors, offering produce, artisanal foods, and handcrafted goods, vegan and non-vegan all produced within 150 miles of Dallas. Good Local staff visit each farm and ranch to ensure that what is being sold at market is grown locally.
This weekend, the market will offer local farm goods such as:
- Tree Folk Farm, who will have fresh-picked carrots, winter greens, and specialty chestnut mushrooms
- Highway 19 farm, with spinach and handmade jams and pickled products
- Fruth Farms, with grass fed beef and eggs
- Chandler Farm, with pork products
- Winter produce, mostly greens
There will also be artisan goods perfect as Valentine’s gifts.
As for the White Rock Farmers Market, it will premiere on March 14 and run through December 19.