Shoppers Talk

By / Photography By | July 15, 2016
Share to printerest
Share to fb
Share to twitter
Share to mail
Share to print

Urban Harvest’s farmers markets represents different things to different people. We asked market-goers at the Eastside Market to tell us what they love about it.

Denise
I come every Saturday morning to eat seasonably, support local farms, [find] freshness [and] inspiration, connect with friends we meet up with weekly and build a relationship for my family with their food. It also is a great weekly way to be a part of something meaningful. We have food allergies and cook mostly from scratch. I know exactly what we are eating. Coming here plays an important role in nourishing myself and my family. I even buy gifts here. After we lost everything when our house flooded, coming back to the market felt like everything felt okay again. Chris from Lavande replaced my mosquito spray and Wendy from BeeWilde handed me a jar of honey.
Favorite vendors: I don’t have a favorite vendor. I visit all of them. A huge shout-out to Oddball for my weekly falafel craving taken care of. And another huge shout-out to Guudbelly. They have a separate cutting board for my allergic child along with a list of which foods he can and cannot eat. It’s nice to get a break from food allergy stress with something fresh, local and organic.

Cindy Zerke, 68, And Fred Zerke, 71
We started coming here in 2007 or 2008. Our daughter lived in New York and got into organic and pushed us to get more local. The market has changed a lot. There used to be a lot more variety of local vegetables, but we come for the coffee and the honey.
Favorite vendors: Bee Wilde Honey and Java Pura Coffee. There’s no roaster like them in town. They’re just fabulous.

Patrick Dowlin, 34
It’s our first time here and it’s really fantastic.
It’s a great way to spend a Saturday morning. You can get some shopping done and the back side of the market is all prepared foods.
Favorite discovery: All We Need Farm goat gelato pops.

Kristin Hilpirt, 31 And John Finn, 30
We moved from Indiana and live in Sugar Land. They have a farmers market in Sugar Land but this farmers market has a much wider selection. It’s very well put together and very enjoyable to come to.
Favorite vendors: Canopy; the horchata coffee at Grizzaffi is amazing. Animal Farm and Hatterman [Poultry Farm] for eggs.

Keith Tennell, 61
It’s convenient and everything is market-fresh. I come every other week this time of year. Mostly I come for the peaches and the tomatoes.
Favorite vendors: Lightsey Farms.

Sarah Padlock, 24
This is my first time. I’m new to Houston and wanted to support local farmers. This market seems to be the best. It’s not super-affordable—I’m a grad student—but I like to support local food.

Karen Pol, 58
You can buy food from local farms so it’s fresher than what you buy at the grocery store. Also, some of the farmers I buy from, I know how they farm. There’s a good selection here. You get produce, meats, chicken, eggs. Today I’m trying the Kobe beef and bison.
Favorite vendors: Plant It Forward is one of my number ones. Also Gundermann Acres, Laughing Frog Farm and Blue Heron Farm.