Farmer Diaries
Lakewood lands new farmers market in prized spot on hot Dallas corner
Lakewood gets a new farmers market starting May 19, when the Lakewood Village Farmers Market makes its debut at Mockingbird Lane and Abrams Road in the parking lot of the old Albertsons.
The market is part of the Good Local Markets family, which also hosts the White Rock Farmers Market at 9150 Garland Rd. on Saturdays from 8 am to 1 pm.
Director Casey Cutler says that this not only brings fresh farm goods to a new neighborhood, it also adds a new day of the week.
"We currently do Saturdays at our market on Garland Road, so this adds Sunday," she says. "Farmers benefit from having another day to sell. And this fills a need for people who work on Saturdays or are busy with things like soccer games. It gives them another option to shop local."
Snagging the new location was a real coup, Cutler says.
"I've been eyeing this parking lot for a long time," she says. "It's perfect for what you need for a farmers market. The corner of Mockingbird and Abrams is a visible location, there's a lot of traffic passing by. And it's a residential area, so there are many people who live right in the area who could walk there."
"You also have the people who are shopping at that intersection, having brunch at Dream Café, getting beer at Lakewood Growler, or dropping off donations at the Goodwill truck," she says.
The old Albertsons is going to be a gymnastics place, but they won't be open on Sundays, so the market won't infringe on anyone's parking needs. The tricky part about that parking lot is the fact that it has three property owners, but they were able to come together and give it the green light.
Good Local Markets features vendors who grow or make what they sell, all produced within 150 miles of Dallas. Their markets are so desirable that they get deluged with requests from vendors. But they put a limit on how many stands can set up so they don't get saturated with duplicate goods.
Vendors include Caliper Farm to Market, Chandler Family Farm, Demases Farms, Drop Dead Delicious Pickling Company, Empire Baking Co., Five Mile Chocolate, Full Circle Bakery, Fruth Farms Southwest, Highway 19 Produce and Berries, Texas Honey Bee Guild, Urban Chicken, and Yims Foods.
In addition to food, they also feature arts and crafts vendors, such as pottery, soaps, oils, jewelry, textiles, and T-shirts.
There's seasonal produce, such as spinach and berries; meat and eggs; and bottled goods such as salsas and olive oil. One vendor does breakfast tacos. Another does quick breads, granola, artisan crisps, pound cake, seasonal pies, and biscuits.
"The Lakewood market will be a mix of the farmers we have at White Rock, but also, some new farms, such as Treefolk in Denton, they're a family farm that will bring seasonal produce and mushrooms," Cutler says.
The Lakewood Village market will run Sundays from 9 am to 2 pm through October 27.
"Our other market runs through December, but at the Lakewood location, we need to be out to make room for the annual Christmas tree vendor who comes in early November," Cutler says.
Good Local Market was founded in 2009 to support local farmers, ranchers, and artisans. Cutler began as a volunteer before taking over as director.
"We have such loyal customers who come rain or shine," she says. "And it's great to see the new wave of younger customers, millennials who've moved to East Dallas and are looking at local food from an environmental standpoint."
"We're on our 11th season — that's pretty good for a small, grassroots farmers market," she says.