Farmers Market News
Dallas' Oak Cliff bags perfect neighborhood Hometown Farmers Market
Hometown Farmers Market
A cool new farmers market has debuted in Dallas' Oak Cliff: Called Hometown Farmers Market, it's a spinoff of a similar concept founded in Waxahachie, newly opened at 700 W. Davis St. as a hub for farmers and small businesses selling produce, artisan crafts, and grass-fed meats.
The concept is from Felisha Jacques, who opened the first location in Waxahachie a mere six months ago. Her background is in real estate, and she’s bringing her expertise into a space where vendors can rent and feature their products.
"We are built around the goal of giving opportunity, giving back to the community," she says. “We aim to source the cleanest products we can find, and we try to keep it affordable as possible."
Produce comes from a farmer in Tyler. The pork is from Pederson Farms in Hamilton. Cakes are from Dana’s Cheesecake Delights in White Oak.
They also bring products from other states when it makes sense. Their pasta is from Chicago. Their chicken, quail, and duck is from Belle and Evans in Pennsylvania. Beef is from Capital Farms in Arizona. And they're looking to California for fruits given their strict regulation against pesticides, unlike Texas.
In addition to fresh items like eggs and cheese, there are bottled goods like pickled beets, honey, toasted pecan syrup, barbecue sauce, and candles.
As part of its community-minded spirit, the market runs weekly promotions: Last week, a $20 purchase got customers an extra $30 to buy produce. "We never want anything to go to waste," she says.
While Jacques and her family currently live in Waxahachie, she has a long history with Oak Cliff: Her parents owned Gold Mine on Jefferson Street, and her grandmother owned House of Gold off Hampton Road, both jewelry stores.
That's how she knew of the space on Davis Street. Built in 1930, it started out as a gas station, then a nursery, and most recently a real state office, though it had been empty for five. years. She spent months on appeals to rezone the space to retail.
"I had passed by this space many times, I had always wanted it," she says.
The market is currently open daily, from 10:30 am-6:30 pm and 12-5 pm Sundays. Her plan is to rent the outside space to food trucks and food vendors, and set up picnic tables under the charming gas station canopy, still intact.
"We want to be a centralized, true modern-day farmers market, open every day," she says.
