Hill Country Flavors Found at Farmers Markets BY DAN OKO
T H E A G R I C U L T U R A L H E R I T A G E of the Hill Country is alive and well at the farmers markets in Bandera and Boerne these days. The Bandera farmers market claims to be the county’s oldest farmers market, and after 10 years is still going strong with vendors specializing in fresh produce, baked goods, jams and boutique offerings like beeswax soap. The Farmers Market at the Cibolo in Boerne is almost as long-standing and is headquartered at historic Herff Farm, part of the Cibolo Center for Conservation. The Farmers Market at the Cibolo follows a cooperative model. The market collects a small vendor fee in exchange for
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table space to setup at Herff Farm. The market also spotlights participating famers to help drive visitors and neighbors to the market. “The market was founded to support local farmers,” says Maura Bobbitt, farm programs coordinator at the Cibolo Center. “We wanted to give farmers the ability to sell directly to consumers.” The busiest season for the Farmers Market at the Cibolo runs from the first weekend of March to the second weekend in December, taking place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Bobbitt says the market was forced to adopt a curbside pickup model in 2020, but ideally, shoppers will be able to return and see the facility in-person this spring beginning March 6. “We encourage people to spend the day at the farm,” says Bobbitt. “Herff farm was started by German immigrants in the 1850s, and the market is one way we invite the community to experience the space.” The market offers more than just fresh vegetables. Outside ranchers, farmers and other vendors sell at Herff Farm. Thanks to the recently expanded Texas Cottage Food Law,
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2/8/2021 3:39:14 PM
