Meet the Farmers

Taylor Farm, Cactus Lace, Gonesville and O'Shucks Tamales

J.C. Taylor, Taylor Farm (aka Garden of Eatin')

J.C. Taylor, 77 years young and going strong, is out at dawn and through the day in his seven acres near Lockhart. Besides growing vegetables of the garden variety--tomatoes, peppers, peas, cucumbers, squash, onions, greens, turnips, potatoes and more--Mr. Taylor also cultivates fruit, and plenty of it. Plums, peaches, pears, figs, and table grapes surround his vegetables in every space of his land as they progress through the seasons (all are done for now) in their bounty.

Deanna McConnell, Cactus Lace

Deanna came by her successful jam and salsa business as an accident. She was wondering what to make 'homemade' for Christmas gifts one year, then decided to make some jams. She researched old recipes from her grandmother Sally's cache and the rest is history. Her husband, Dale, is New Mexico born and Texas transplanted and decided to get in the act as well with salsas. All their products are hand cut, hand stirred and puttered over in their commercial kitchen in San Marcos. Taking suggestions from loyal customers to heart, Deanna has developed an extensive line of jam from the traditional fig jams to exotic tequila lime and beyond. She loves to get the extras from the fruit that the farmers bring to market to make Austin Farmers' Market jams that feature locally grown fruits. The name Cactus Lace? Where did it come from? Well, before Deanna made gifts of jam, she was practicing the extraction of pulp from the prickly pear cactus to reveal the veins (looks like lace) that make a delicate show of the cactus skeleton. She kept the name as a natural extension of her creative talents. www.cactuslace.com

Roger Jennings, Gonesville and O'Shucks Tamales

Roger took over the O'Sucks Tamales as it hit a plateau. With the introduction of the tamales at the Austin Farmers' Market, Roger struck upon a positive springboard for introducing the brand in a direct producer to consumer connection and he has gained hordes of loyal customers ever since. Roger makes the traditional style tamales in the corn husks, but he has also introduced new flavors based from customers' requests that have been all the rave. Come down to the market to see which is your favorite! The tamales are sold frozen in half dozen and dozen packages, but they have plenty of ready made samples for you to taste for your favorite. Maybe it's time NOW to order for Christmas! or, Thanksgiving!

posted September 30, 2003 | permanent link to this article

Arrow K Ranch, Daily Juice and Soy Creative

Allan and Susan Kinningham, Arrow K Ranch

Allan and Susan Kinningham come from Arrow K Ranch, a multi-generational family ranch located in Williamson and Milam counties of Central Texas, near Hutto. They, along with five daughters and willing advice and partnership from Allan's father, raise grass-fed Texas Longhorn cattle. They start with genetically lean healthy Texas Longhorn cattle and graze them in a healthy low-stress, quality native grass environment. You will not find any confinement feeding, hormone implants, antibiotics, or unnatural medications among these animals. No artificial fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides are applied to their pastures. They encourage a mix of woods, wild plants, and wildlife intermixed with the pastures. Because the Longhorns are raised this way, the cattle rarely get sick. Artificial antibiotics, medicines, and inorganic additives are not necessary (nor desirable). The family sells the beef direct to customers year-round as well as their booth at the Austin Farmers' Market. They offer individual cuts, quarter, half, or full beef while supplies last. To pre-order for an Austin Farmers' Market pickup, call 512-869-4948 or e-mail Allan at info@arrowkranch.com to let them know in advance which cuts you would like. For further information contact info@arrowkranch.com

Matt Shook, Daily JUice

Matt is a young entreprenuer who saw a chance to start his own business and spread a healthy message. Starting out with the retail operation, Daily Juice, on Barton Springs Road, Matt has a loyal following of customers who enjoy his fresh squeezed favorites such as watermelon juice and the electrolite-rich coconut juice that he hand prepares still in the shell. These, and many other innovative and tasty renditions of fresh juices, come to the market weekly. Grab some yummy Chinupa energy bars of Matt's along with a drink and you're set for a morning of shopping at the Market!

Kim Haley, Soy Creatives

Kim is a creative energetic person who loves 'illuminating' the senses. She creates a wide variety of soy candles that use only natural essential oils. She also has developed a new line of her own mix of aromatic incense sticks that last one hour. Beside the smelling senses, Kim also wants customers to employ the touch sense with her wonderfully comfy hand-knitted scarves and hats that use unusual yarns. Go by her booth and get enveloped in something great!

posted September 23, 2003 | permanent link to this article

Alexander Family Farm, Pure Luck Dairy Farm, Combs Garden and Texas Medicinals

Kim and Gloria Alexander, Alexander Family Farm

Just minutes away from downtown Austin east of the airport, Kim and Gloria Alexander, with tremendous help from their several children, make a living at farming. They maintain a ingenious moving chicken yard for their scores of layers that moves to grassy patches every three days along with a 'chicken mobile' that would rival any action figure's mode of transport and abode. Different family members also contribute their talents in using local resources within arm's reach. Isaac (16) makes the beautiful mesquite spoons, pie cutters, etc. that are also practical. There are beeswax candles, pressed wildflower candles and farmstead soaps by Gloria and handwoven baskets by their 15-year-old daughter Deborah. This, and the 80 or so dozens of farm eggs that Kim brings to market every week (during this hot time he is just coming every other week) to delight those customers who will most likely not turn back to store-bought eggs ever again! To find out about their pastured broilers and turkeys, call the Alexander Farm at 247-4455 and check their website at http://www.alexanderfamilyfarm.net

Denny and Sara Bolton, Gitana Sweethardt, and Gretchen Stolfo, Pure Luck Grade A Dairy and Certified Organic Farm

Pure Luck is a Grade A Goat Dairy and certified organic farm, located 20 miles West of Austin, in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. Their national award winning cheeses made weekly on the farm begin with milk from Alpine and Nubian dairy goats. They also grow vegetables in season and 20 varieties of culinary herbs. They were one of the first farms in Texas to be recognized as certified organic. What drives the family to keep on working something like 12 hours a day? In Denny's own words, it's easy to see that the rewards are worth the extra work. "I like living in the country. Our farm is like a cross between Little House on the Prairie and 90210. It's not like we're isolated out here. Austin and San Antonio are close enough to drive in and do the town thing. But you want to know what real life is? It's catching the scent of sweet peas and peppermint wafting on the prevailing southeasterly breeze, while swinging in the back porch hammock as I read Hank the Cowdog to the kids all the while eating homemade goat-milk ice cream. Yummm! It's doing what you want to be doing, with whoever you want to be doing it with, where you want to do it. Thank God I'm a country boy -- if you know what I mean." Find out more by looking at their website, http://www.purelucktexas.com

Thomas and Zandra Combs, Combs Gardens

Does anyone remember the farm stand that was a landmark out by Hamilton Pool Road? That was the brainchild of Thomas Combs when he was growing vegetables out that way on his father's land. A few years ago the land was sold and Thomas with his wife Zandra moved out to Driftwood to begin anew, albiet on a smaller scale in land mass, to provide his prolific tomatoes, peppers and squash. He has literally dug out tons of rocks to get to the rich loamy soil at Combs Gardens so that he could grow on two acres enough to provide customers at the Austin Farmers' Market and a few farm stands in the Wimberly and Driftwood area. Congratulate Thomas on getting a tomato out of a rock!

Ginger Webb, Texas Medicinals

Appropriately named Ginger, she has incorporated the very best characteristics of health and healing from nature to produce her own line of medicinal remedies. Ginger's interest in herbalism grew out of her love for the natural world. In her youth she grew up among the wild sassafras saplings and Queen Anne's lace of rural New Jersey. As an adult, she found her way back to the plants and began studying herbalism in 1994. In Austin, she worked for the American Botanical Council for five years as a writer and contributor to HerbalGram, an internationally acclaimed journal about herbal medicine. In 1999, she successfully completed the program at the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine in Bisbee, Arizona, (taught by herbalist and author Michael Moore) to become a Certified Clinical Herbalist, and has been practicing and seeing clients ever since. Texas Medicinals is an earth-centered herbal products manufacturing business as a natural outgrowth of Ginger's herbal consultation practice. A traditional herbalist, Ginger gathers wild plants and also uses organic herbs from certified organic farms. The Texas Medicinals products are hand-blended and hand-packaged. Look for her Happy Mama Happy Baby Herbals, a specialty line of tinctures, teas, therapeutic oils and baths for new mamas and babies, as well as Remedios Tejanos, a distinctive specialty line of tasty and therapeutic organic tea blends. Ginger also founded the Eastside Natural Health Center, located in East Austin at 1203 East 7th St., right next store to La Botanica Green & White, a traditional Mexican-American yerberia owned and operated by her husband John L. Cazares and his family. More at http://www.texasmedicinals.com

For your information, farmers undergo inspections to verify that they are indeed growing what they are selling and it has to be within 150 miles. The Austin Farmers' Market is a growers-only, local-grower market. Our record keeping and farm inspection process, developed with farmers' input, is perhaps the most stringent in the state. Our policy is to expel any vendor who is found to be reselling at this market and no evidence in our inspections to date has implicated any farmer as a reseller. If any customers have specific questions about our process, please contact Suzanne Santos at Sustainable Food center, 236-0074.

posted September 17, 2003 | permanent link to this article

Estrada Farm, The Chinese Gardener, Spicewood Spines and Aster's Ethiopian Catering

Jose and Maria Estrada, Estrada Farm

Jose and Maria farm in sandy soil just south of San Antonio in Devine. This rich agricultural region that used to be one of the top-producing peanut areas in the country now allows Jose to grow farm-to-market crops like tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, melons, and a bunch of fall crops like greens, broccoli, carrots and more. On 15 acres, the Estradas have been working with the unpredictable variances of the weather to bring the above crops and more to the Market.

Zhang Shu Chi, Chinese gardener

Mr. Zhang Shu Chi brings unusual but much sought after Chinese vegetables to the market that he has found works in the Central Texas climate. Right now he has Chinese celery, squash, cucumber and winter melon (looks like a light green watermelon but it is really a squash-like vegetable). Stop by his stall and talk to his son-in-law Rene to find out more and take some bit of China home with you!

Mark and Kathryn Rehfield, Spicewood Spines

With several thousand plants in their greenhouse/shadehouse, the Rehfields bring a wonderful array of cacti to the Market. Kathryn likes the cacti because there are so many different types of forms, textures and colors. You'll see them carefully tended to and in beautiful display pots at the Spicewood Spines booth. Most are not winter hardy, so they are treated as house plants. Many had their origins in other countries and have been under Mark and Katheryn's care for some time to ensure their adaptation to this area. Take a look at the spines.

Aster Kassaye, Aster's Ethiopian Catering

Aster Kassaye is a well-known creator of delicious Ethiopian food in Austin. She originally had a restaurant in northern Austin in the 1980's, but then moved out of state. She came back in the 90's, but this year was the first year that she has nurtured her business back to the retail level. She began at the Austin Farmers' Market and spring-boarded into new recognition as a premiere Ethiopian food chef. Now at two farmers' markets, the Austin Farmers' Market and Westlake Farmers Market, Aster also has her product available 7 days a week at Whole Foods and Wheatsville and does catering. Call her at 786-9524 to order. Enjoy the delicious, spicy vegetarian Ethiopian food of Aster's homeland freshly made for the Market every Saturday.

For your information, farmers undergo inspections to verify that they are indeed growing what they are selling and it has to be within 150 miles. The Austin Farmers? Market is a growers-only, local-grower market. Our record keeping and farm inspection process, developed with farmers? input, is perhaps the most stringent in the state. Our policy is to expel any vendor who is found to be reselling at this market and no evidence in our inspections to date has implicated any farmer as a reseller. If any customers have specific questions about our process, please contact Suzanne Santos at Sustainable Food center, 236-0074.

posted September 9, 2003 | permanent link to this article

Austin Gourmet Gamebirds, Dugger Hill Plumerias and Full Belly Bakery

Charles "Chuck" and Nancy Rogers, Austin Gourmet Gamebirds

On ten acres in Travis County, Chuck Rogers is realizing his and Nancy's dream in ensuring that locally raised, clean fowl is available to people that are seeking it. A self-made game hunting guide, bird steward and marketeer extraordinaire, Chuck made the decision to provide fresh and frozen chicken, ducks, quail, pheasant and other birds two years ago and has steadily been working on the start up of the venture ever since. Now proprietors of Austin Gourmet Gamebirds, Chuck and Nancy will be offering both fresh and frozen birds to the Austin Farmers' Market customers beginning next week. The fowl are raised with lots of plant-based and nutrient rich feed, get to feel the grass under their feet outdoors and are humanely killed on the land they were raised on. Look for the booth under the shade on the north side of Fourth street.

Gary Dugger, Dugger Hill Plumerias

The names Singapore White, Kauka Wilder, Madame Poni and Kanohe Sunburst evoke tropical beauty and exotic scents..and that is what you get when you buy a plumeria from Gary Dugger. The plant that produces the flowers for leis in Hawaii are propagated within 20 miles of Austin at Dugger Hill. Gary says the plants are very hardy once they are established and become instant favorites with anyone that takes one home. Gary will even take the potted plant to your car at the market!

Emily Phipps, Full Belly Bakery

Emily loves to bake and has capitalized on that passion by starting up Full Belly Bakery. With the Austin Farmers' Market serving as her first 'store front', Emily has engendered a loyal following that can't wait for her to show up on Saturdays with her energy enriched sesame bars or flavorful jalepeno cheese cornbread or special scones and biscotti. She also has her baked goods available for sale at Food Heads, Ruta Maya and Prana Yoga. You can find out about other locations Emily is branching into by emailing fullbellybakery@yahoo.com. She is using farm fresh ingredients such as Alexander Family Farm eggs and farmers' peppers and incorporates as much organic ingredients as possible into her breads, muffins and other baked goods. See her back at the market September 13th!

For your information, farmers undergo inspections to verify that they are indeed growing what they are selling and it has to be within 150 miles. The Austin Farmers? Market is a growers-only market. Our record keeping and farm inspection process, developed with farmers? input, is perhaps the most stringent in the state. Our policy is to expel any vendor who is found to be reselling at this market and no evidence in our inspections to date has implicated any farmer as a reseller. If any customers have specific questions about our process, please contact Suzanne Santos at Sustainable Food center, 236-0074.

posted September 2, 2003 | permanent link to this article

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