FOOD & LIFE

Scenes from Austin's farmers' markets

From Sunset Valley to the Triangle to downtown, the city's urban foragers reap a local harvest.

By Ian Dille
SPECIAL TO THE AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Wednesday, September 16, 2009

'I sell pork," says James Page, upon noticing my curious glance early one Saturday morning at Austin's downtown Farmers' Market. Page's tent, occupied only by a portable fridge, is noticeably bare compared with the produce-laden tables of the vendors surrounding him.

A sampling of the in-season offerings when I visit at the height of summer includes deep purple eggplant, a variety of colorful peppers, blood-red homegrown tomatoes and those famous Texas peaches, sold by the basket. As I chat with Page, I munch on a crisp Armenian cucumber from East Austin's Hands of the Earth Farm.

A laminated list delineates Page's pork prices: Inch-thick pork chops and hot Italian sausage run $6 per pound. A rack of spare ribs costs $4.65 a pound. Specialty items, such as a pound of pork liver or tongue, cost only $2.50. For man's best friend, Page sells a treat dubbed Puppy Pâté for $1.

Page, 58, has been selling pork since 2003, and lots of it. "What leads a person, in middle age, to start raising hogs?" I ask.

Page always wanted to live in the country, but the taxes seemed unreasonable without an agricultural exception, he says. Having raised animals as a kid and determined to make farming a profitable venture, Page settled on breeding premium Berkshire hogs. The pigs, known for their dark, delectable meat, ideally fit the space requirements of his 26-acre farm near Rosanky, roughly 18 miles south of Bastrop. Plus, Page says, "I can raise a hog into a pork chop in about 12 months, compared to 21/2 years for cattle."

My interaction with Page is typical of the many farmers' markets surrounding Austin, and a major part of what makes them so appealing. When you buy something, you are often buying it directly from the person responsible for growing it.

Want to know the size, location and age of an operation, or specifics like whether the farmer uses sustainable or organic growing practices?

Simply ask.

Their markets, their rules

There are three main farmers' markets in Austin: the Saturday market downtown at Republic Square Park and the Wednesday market at the Triangle development — both of which are operated by the Sustainable Food Center — as well as the Sunset Valley Farmers' Market on Saturday at Burger Center. Beyond the city limits, scores of farmers' markets occur throughout the week.

The Sustainable Food Center also hosts "neighborhood markets" on Wednesdays from May through July, often in correlation with information clinics on the state's Women, Infants and Children nutrition program. Many farmers' markets in Texas, including those in Austin, accept WIC and Lone Star Card food credits.

I meet a friend and his pooch on a Wednesday at the Triangle market, located at North Lamar Boulevard and Guadalupe Street. Vendor tents rim a grassy courtyard. Musicians prepare for a set beneath a shaded pavilion. My friend buys a couple of steaks from Thunder Heart Bison, which raises grass-fed, hormone-free buffalo in South Texas.

Because they run one of the few bison ranches in Texas, Thunder Heart is allowed an exception to the Austin Farmers' Market rules, which stipulate that, unless no local purveyor exists, vendors must come from within a 150-mile radius of Austin. A few other vendors are granted this exemption as well, including the Texas Olive Ranch, which produces extra virgin olive oil and, with 30,000 trees, boasts one of the nation's largest olive groves. But one rule no vendor can break — ever — is reselling.

"People are rabid about reselling, especially the farmers," says Sunset Valley market director Salila Travers about the practice of buying produce from a store or another farm and reselling it at the farmers' market. Travers frequently inspects Sunset Valley vendors' farms. "We do catch people, but it's rare. Typically people are growing what they're selling," she says.

The Austin Farmers' Market operates under similar guidelines. Vendors who violate the rules against reselling are subject to fines, and four have been expelled for the practice in the market's seven years.

A festival of food in Sunset Valley

The Huffington Post recently rated the Sunset Valley Farmers' Market one of the nation's 10 best farmers' markets, and when I attend one steamy morning, it's obvious why. While the Austin Farmers' Market focuses heavily on local growers, even stipulating that 51 percent of its vendors own and operate a farm, the Sunset Valley market exudes a festival-like atmosphere.

Kids frolic in a bouncy house and scamper up a climbing wall. Samples abound. While perusing the produce, I stuff my face with olive spread and hummus courtesy of Sgt. Pepper Sauces, inhale fresh quiche from Aunt Nita's Homestyle Foods and wash it all back with a strawberry-infused lemonade recommended by the kind folks at Nile Valley Tea.

At the center of the sprawling tent city, David Steinert, his wife, Kim Schenck, and their 3-year-old daughter, Emma, relax at a plastic table and munch on goodies — a slice of La Boca pizza for David and a PopSoCools icy treat for Emma. Steinert and Schenck have attended the Sunset Valley market regularly since it moved to Burger Center about five years ago.

"We see a lot of the same people here week after week," says Steinert of the communal vibe. "It's also really kid-friendly as long as you keep an eye on them."

"It's gotten to the point where Emma will only eat tomatoes from the farmers' market," Schenck says. "But she likes the popsicles best."

Strumming on an acoustic guitar in the background, Bob Slaughter takes a moment between songs to address the casual crowd.

"Who here has seen 'Food Inc.'?" he asks, referring to the recent documentary that chronicles the chaos of the food system.

A number of shoppers raise their hands.

"If you don't eat completely organic already, it will make you change the way you eat," Slaughter says. "It's worth spending an extra dollar for organic food."

The 'Food Inc.' ethos — to eat locally grown, organic food — relies heavily on the success of farmers' market such as Sunset Valley, where 75 percent of the produce sold is grown using organic or sustainable methods.

Moving toward organic growing

"The farmers' market is part of a leisurely Saturday morning routine for me," says Valerie Broussard, food purchaser for the Barr Mansion, a historic Northeast Austin home and events center. Because the Barr Mansion uses only organic and primarily locally grown food in its catering service, Broussard knows many of the local farmers by name.

At the farmers' market, Broussard socializes with local chefs, restaurant owners and food professionals. But, she says, "The farmers themselves are often the best sources for recipes."

Though many local growers use organic growing methods, not all carry the official "organic" designation. Broussard says organic certification can be a controversial subject among many small farmers, who often view the designation as unnecessary red tape. But she says organic certification can help consumers avoid "greenwashing" — a practice in which retailers use environmental rhetoric without backing it up.

"The official certification adds a level of accountability and represents a commitment to growing organically," she says. "However, we should still ask questions about biodiversity and the scale of the farm. In the case of animals, how they are treated? Where does the feed come from? Are they pastured versus cooped-up or sent to a feedlot?"

Broussard says she always tries to bring a friend or relative along on her farmers' market trips. "I especially love it when my nephew comes," says Broussard. "I think it's good for kids to see how food looks in its raw form, without any packaging or processing.

"The food at the farmer's market is the closest to how it came out of the earth that you can buy," she says.