SFC Wednesday Farmers’ Market at the Triangle

This might be heaven! So much fresh amazing stuff! And not just veg, there were meat venders, a cheese maker, and a kumbucha maker!
I went home with a bag full– beets, Dino kale, carrots, turnips, and an amazing cheddar, all local! The hubby got a piece of local grass raised goat that I bet he’ll never forget, he got all dreamy eyed when he ate it :)
I do wish this market wasn’t held on Wed night, that’s the one evening that’s usually hard for me to get there. But maybe I’ll leave early for my classes and keep a freezer in my car, it’s certainly worth it!

This farmers market ain’t too shabby. I’m a Saturday morning marketer, but it’s a nice little spot to pick up a couple extra things in the middle of the week. Pretty small selection of produce, but some decent food vendors. I’m a fan of Happy Vegan Bakery and Johnson’s Backyard Garden.
People are friendly and produce is good, but the selection is limited.

If I were the type of person to use labels… I’d say this is probably the yuppiest Farmer’s Market in Austin. But I say that in a loving way, because the families and dogs and children that frequent this farmer’s market are adorable. On a bright sunny day, it feels like an ad for Happy Austin Families, but you’re not going to find any hippies here. That being said, this is a slightly smaller market, but still a lot of great produce, meat, and prepared food vendors. (Not very many «crafty» vendors, but I don’t really care about that.) Parking is pretty easy and I love that they’re open after work hours (until 7pm in the fall.)

This farmers market is fine for my needs. I found a new favorite locally made honey and have already been back to purchase another bottle.
The veggies look fresh and it’s easy enough to navigate thanks to the small size and helpful security guard who ensures you cross the street safely.

It is a nice little farmers market, but I stress little. There is not a huge selection, but what is there is nice. They also have live music.

A small farmers market that nevertheless packs a surprisingly effective punch. Incidentally, I found this market to have a shocking martial arts theme, which I will explain.
This market is located in THE TRIANGLE (the N Lamar one, not the Bermuda one) which is one of those things that doesn’t make sense if you think about it but then does make sense if you REALLY think about it.
Pastured eggs from liberated chickens are plentiful. Seasonal and local plants («vegetables») are available. Sundries include local honey, homemade sauerkraut and hot sauces, and humanely-​raised sourdough.
Since it is of paramount importance to me to only buy ethical animal meats, I questioned one of the meat farmers quite rigorously on this point.
He said: «Well, our cows are pastured and never confined to a CAFO» (Side note: I’m assuming he meant a N Lamar CAFO and not a Bermuda CAFO but who knows.) «Also, every cow is entitled, at least once in its life, to hear a Bach fugue courtesy of a harpist in our employ and to see the Jean-​Claude Van Damme film Lionheart.»
That sounds good to me, except for the Van Damme which sounds cruel.
Interestingly, another farmer tried to sell me his green onion planter kits. He mentioned that, «these babies are HARD TO KILL…» You mean… like Jean-​Claude Van Damme???
Four and a half stars.

We like the market we don’t like the leash free dog park next to our food.

I was skeptical, after being a frequent customer of the Downtown Farmer’s Market for years. But with my recent move (rockin’ the 78 751– oh yeah!), it just made more sense to frequent the Wednesday Triangle Farmer’s Market.
I was pleasantly surprised. There are many of the same vendors and the vibe is good overall. Yes, there are lots of kiddies running through those fountains which can be a bit annoying, with the inevitable crying/​screaming that are bound to result. However I find the less chaotic atmosphere makes the vendors more prone to offering samples or suggesting products.
True– I wish some of the downtown standouts would migrate to include the Triangle (are you listening Dai Due? How about you Serious Sourdough?) But what is already there is a good start.

Go there! Get your local, in season fruits and veggies. I did not give it 4 stars because it is small but Smith & Smith Farms are there as well as Richardson so you can get all your eggs, pork, beef, lamb and chicken that you need. I made a rack of lamb last Thursday from Smith farms. It was amazing. Support local food, reduce your carbon footprint and eat healthy meat that has not been given hormones and corn.
Here’s to good cooking!

This is the smaller of the three Austin farmer’s markets, but the time (Wednesday’s 4pm) is so much more convenient for me than the saturday a. m ones.
If you think the reduced size diminishes the quality of what they have to offer, you’re mistaken. Of course the standard fruits and veges are there — but also some great stands such as a fantastic tamale stand (no lard, very good), a plant stand, artisan breads, honey, tea, meats, eggs and more.
Bring your cash, your bag and your appetite so you can sample some of the local fares. And it wont take up your whole day because of the size.

Small midweek, midtown farmer’s market. Live music, dogs and kids welcome (well, I don’t know about your kids… jk).
Like the downtown and Sunset Valley farmer’s market, this is run through the Sustainable Food Center. In addition to supporting local farmers and eating local and in season, which is infinitely healthier, this is also a compost collection place!
Definitely a bit pricier than HEB, but it’s real food grown by real people and, consumed on a regular basis, can make you real healthy. Not just fruits and veggies, though, this place has fresh hummus, bread, meat, tacos, tamales, stuffed grape leaves, jams, pickles, sometimes cheese. Though there aren’t too many vendors, there is still a good selection. Email
to get the weekly email of what’s available at the weekly farmer’s markets.

Open Wednesday afternoon. Need I say more?
Lets be honest, it is unlikely that I will be up early to get the good deals and prime produce on Saturday or Sunday when most farmers markets run. I love the convenience of this farmers market. I arrived at the beginning of the market hours (4pm) and noticed that more and more stands were popping up as time went by. As far as the produce goes, I was very pleased. I got some delicious figs, green beans, and zebra tomatoes. Each of the farmers jumped at the opportunity to provide a sample of their fruit and produce. I never would have bought the tomatoes had I not eaten one right there at the market. Also, there are a few ranchers that provide range chickens and grass fed beef. I took advantage of their meats but found the chicken to be a bit pricey. Nonetheless, I felt great about supporting the local farmers and ranchers.
There are also tons of vendors to keep you fed and hydrated while shopping. I found an organic tamale vendor that had FABULOUS pork and tomatillo tamales. Mmm. The vendors are fun and really allow you to get a taste of the local homemade, homegrown products.

OK, so confession time: I didn’t ACTUALLY make it into the farmer’s market. I made it to a few booths on the edge (that looked pretty good!) before getting freaked out at the sheer number of children running around (and into me). I’m not some awful child-​hating monster, but when easily 60% of the human bodies in a crowded area (and yes, it was super crowded) are under the age of 7, it starts to get to me. I had to go hide in a cocktail at the Flying Saucer before I regained my strength to the point where I could get to the grocery store for some plain-​jane no-​frills not-​organic tomatoes… sorry farmers, I’ll just have to keep visiting you guys on Saturday downtown.

Tiny market with a smattering of vendors in a great location. Great stage for music and a huge hilly kids-​run-​around play area, with a water-​play area. The market is mini, with 2 honey merchants and 2 fresh herb merchants. 1 tamale person, 1 lemonade guy, 2 greens, 1 carrots, 1 coffee, 1 bread vendor. That seemed to be about all. A nice community event, but shopping is limited. The collegiate honey people were kind of pushy.

Yeah, yeah, 3 stars. I know. All you 5-​star guys are going to be hating on me like with Odd Duck.
Yes, this is a really neat farmer’s market and yes, they have some really awesome vendors and items for sale, and yes, I realize that it is Austin, Texas and it’s a million and five degrees all summer… BUT, if you’ve ever been to a true farmer’s market in Seattle or Portland, you will know that this doesn’t even belong in the same sentence. Where they might have 200+ vendors there, I’d guess that we’re lucky to have 25 maximum at this one. The selection is usually pretty limited by what can be grown here in central Texas. On a typical evening, you’ll find local honey/​jam/​jelly, free range meats and eggs, various greens, onions, tomatoes, misc veggies, and some prepared foods. Prices are relatively high, but you have to remember you are buying local and supporting people with jobs that are way better than those of us who work at offices.
Definitely recommended, but don’t set your expectations too high. Stop by the Flying Saucer for a couple beers after. Bring your dog too!

This is a nice little mid-​week market, and while there is not a huge array of vendors, it does have a couple things going for it:
1. Location — does it get any more central? I think not, my friends. Plus, if you can’t find everything you need for dinner tonight AT the market, it’s just a couple blocks to Central Market. Or Mandola’s. Or Phonenicia.
2. Timing — we spoiled brats from the city have no respect for the life of the farmers. For them, it’s up early and early to bed, but we city folk like to stay up all night drinking our cosmos and dancing to music with words that no one understands. Gaga??? Anyway, bless these farmers for realizing that their yuppie work-​from-​home contingency likes to get their market on later in the afternoon, and their yuppie at-​the-​office contingency can’t make it til after work. AND, bless the farmers for realizing that a mid-​week option might be nice, too.
The times I’ve gone, I’ve seen a couple vendors selling eggs, a few selling meat (bison, pork, beef, chicken), and a healthy amount of vendors peddling fruits and veggies; there are of course the various prepared-​food vendors, as well. The convenience cannot be beat (free parking, what whaaat?), and the small but worthwhile selection will tide you over until (at least) Saturday. Hooray!

I like this farmer’s market because of the location and I really love buying local, organic produce and interacting with the farmers. That being said, I used to live in Chicago and this farmer’s market will never compare to the ones that I got accustomed to living there. I’d recommend hitting this market up near the middle of the time– early enough to get the best produce but late enough to give all the vendors a chance to show up. I always get a variety of fresh vegetables, grandma’s hummus (the best!), and sometimes some eggs or other goodies. I’d love to see these kinds of markets continue to grow.

What a great way to spend a lovely evening! It’s sure in line with my schedule as it’s hard for me to get up early enough on Saturdays to drive from Cedar Park to downtown or Sunset Valley. Plus, Wednesdays is usually date nite with my bff and we love coming here for ingredients for a healthy dinner. Strolling along, buying fresh produce, maybe some scrumptious marinated feta cheese, maybe a fresh roasted, farm-​raised chicken, maybe some hibiscus tea. Watching the cute kiddos playing in the fountain. Lookin at the different kinds of dogs. Sometimes even hearing some live music. Definitely an Austin thang!

Hopefully, this Market will grow in the coming months/​years. I would love to see more vendors and a greater variety of produce and products available here. As of now, things are just starting out and are a bit limited.
As a concept, however, it’s fantastic and worthy of local support. Buying local produce has so many benefits… I would love to see this take off. And, contrary to popular misconception, buying locally grown produce is not always more expensive. For example, we found fresh herbs like basil and mint for cheaper than HEB or Central Market.
Oh, one last thing… on a hot Wednesday afternoon, the fact that there’s a Jim-Jim’s Water-​Ice vendor at the Market is a huge plus!

This is the closest farmers’ market to me, so I try to support it because I like a farmers’ market that I can bicycle to. They seem to be growing in terms of the number of attendees, which is a good thing. I have had good experiences from:
Some of their random Produce Farmers are great, I dont think you can go wrong.
I dig the Bison stand, the jerky is good and the grass-​fed, happy-​grazing meat is fantastic and very reasonably priced.
The guy that sells the cheese is a great salesman and makes some good product.
The fresh pasta place on Kerbey Lane comes here, and as close as it is to me, it took this farmer’s market to discover it.
The rotisserie chicken truck guy sells some of the best-​seasoned, moistest rotisserie chicken I have ever had (good when after you have been here you are too hungry to cook anymore)
Overall, it is totally worth checking it out if you are in the area. I will keep going regularly as I would like to see it grow.
Unfortunately the area is still under construction and some of the traffic routing makes no sense. Also, people around here seem to drive like idiots because it is not an immediately obvious road system. Hopefully this will fix itself once this place is finished, but judging by the size of the development, that will be a few years.

The Good:
: it’s in central austin, so it’s very accessible for students and hyde park residents
: ample parking
: good vendors for salmon, in-​season fruits and vegetables, bison, honey, tea, coffee, and more
: samples for everyone! especially eastside café
: water fountain area where kids and pets can run through to cool off
: big grassy area that is in front of the area where bands play, so you can have a picnic and listen to happy music
: friendly vendors
The Bad:
: they could use more vendors. i need more people to give my money to
: they don’t sell alcohol. i’m not a boozer but i would like to buy a glass of wine with my picnic food! oh well.
The Ugly:
: none.
Would I go back? Definitely. It’s part of my weekly schedule. I love to get my fresh squash, zucchini, red onions, cucumbers, and ground bison from here. I recommend looking at all the vendors and comparing prices, because some vendors have cheaper offerings for the same stuff than others (e.g., zucchini by basket for a flat $ 2 instead of $ 2 – 3 a lb).
This place is IN.