Farmers Market on Grand Parkway Celebrates - Turns Two This Month
The Saturday-morning Farmers Market on Grand Parkway is hard to miss: flags fly, music plays, and signs beckon Katy folk to the Church of the Holy Apostles (COTHA.) It’s an offer of not just groceries, but also of a warm community that supports local food. This February, the market celebrates two years of bringing producers and local-food lovers together in this location which is so convenient for a fast-growing West Houston.
Through different names and venues, the market has been in existence for over 11 years. While its previous site at La Centerra had a trendy vibe, the growth of the shopping center made logistics too difficult for both vendors and customers. So, in February of 2014, The Farmers Market on Grand Parkway established itself anew at COTHA to take advantage of the church’s ample space and visibility. Vendor Cynthia Voskamp, aka The Egg Lady, finds that the new location makes the market more kid-friendly, dog-friendly, and just more accessible for everyone “because you can park right next to it.”
Dustin Hoeinghaus, whose free range eggs have Katy folks lining up each week well before the market opens, has been with the market through all its relocations. He believes the new site has helped them keep a steadier vendor base over the past two years. That consistency then builds relationships and develops regular customers, which these small producers depend on. Likewise, the growth of The Farmers’ Market on Grand Parkway has allowed it to become a dependable part of many Katy residents’ weekly grocery shopping. Arriving early affords the best selection of just-harvested fruits and vegetables, fresh eggs, grass-fed meats, and baked goods, as well as specialty honey, olive oil, tea, salsa, and soaps.
Manager John Carey proudly calls it a “producer’s market,” a place where you can meet the individuals who raise the animals, gather the eggs, bake the bread, or directly represent the person who did. “The whole thing is creating a relationship,” he says. For advertising, The Farmers’ Market on Grand Parkway relies primarily on its conspicuous location and endorsements from current customers to attract new patrons. “The market is growing organically,” Carey says, chuckling at his joke. “People are telling their friends, ‘I was at this market. It’s small, but you can get everything you need there.’”
It may not be big yet, but it has all the right ingredients to become so. Approachability, consistency, visibility, and variety all support the labor of love that makes The Farmers Market on Grand Parkway such a success.
Happy anniversary, and here’s to many more years of providing fresh, local products to Katy!
