Review of Houston Farmer's Markets

Soon after I made the transition to raw veganism, I came to a number of conclusions. 1) This is kind of expensive. 2) Produce sure doesn't last very long. 3) I go to the grocery store an awful lot. I thought it was simply a part of being a mostly raw vegan and buying organic in the city. I suppose I just assumed that Houston (my city, the #1 fat city of America according to the documentary Supersize Me) would not have farmer's markets, and that the lucky hippies in Austin were hogging all the farmers. But I was wrong, Houston does have a number of farmer's markets, and co-ops as well!

For those who are unfamiliar with farmer's markets, these are organized markets held usually once a week by community associations. Local farmers gather to sell their produce directly, which means that their fruits and vegetables are a lot fresher than what you would get at a store. The middleman is eliminated (sorry, Whole Wallet and Central Pocket... ahem, I mean Whole Foods and Central Market) so the produce is often cheaper as well. And because fresh produce lasts longer, you can buy more of it in a single run without fear of it spoiling before you can eat it. While still not as good as growing your own food, farmer's markets do a lot to offset the common shopping problems faced by the raw vegan. Here are a few of the farmer's markets that come to Houston weekly. Check them out, and bring cash, because most of them don't accept credit cards.

Urban Harvest Farmer's Market (formerly Bayou City Farmer's Market)
This one is my favorite because of the selection and the convenience of the location, at least for me. Urban Harvest Farmer's Market is located on Richmond Street between Eastside and Kirby. They have pretty much everything (or close enough), from produce to meats and seafood, to honey and flowers and even some healthy prepared foods. They are behind 3000 Richmond, and they are open on Saturdays from 8:00am to 12:00pm.

Houston Farmer's Market
This one is located on University and Greenbriar, and they are open Saturdays from 9:00am to 1:00pm. It is very close to Rice University, so you college students, unhand the Ramen and head over to the farmer's market for some real food! I have not been to this one because it overlaps with the Urban Harvest market, but that overlap might mean that the vendors are completely different at the Houston Farmer's Market, which means more variety.

Midtown Farmer's Market
Midtown Farmer's Market also takes place on Saturdays from 8:00am to 12:00pm. It is located on 3701 Travis Street, at T'afia restaurant. From what I understand, it's smaller than the other two, but very much a community effort.

Central City Green Market
Meeting on Sundays between 12:00pm to 4:00pm, this farmer's market is run by the same organization that handles the Central City Co-Op. It takes place at Discovery Green Park, which makes for a nice family attraction. Get your shopping done, bring the kids and let them play in the playground! Central City Green Market uses a currency called Market Bucks, which you can buy via credit card in case you don't have any cash.

Shopping at a farmer's market is another way you can aid the economy crisis. Small local farmers are much more deserving of your money than the giants of the food industry, so you're helping them out as well as helping yourself. One last thing to note: should you decide to start your own backyard garden, don't be afraid to plant too much produce because you can always sell the excess at a farmer's market!