On Saturday, the Abilene Farmer’s Market was bustling with vendors, customers, and the hum of trucks and trailers.
Each week more than 20 vendors set up their goods — and whether they are seasoned or “green” vendors, each has a deep love for the market, their farms, and the customers they serve.
There are a wide variety of items for sale each week, from handcrafted good and artisan breads and sweet treats, to locally grown produce. Higher than usual rainfall has helped local farmers — and right now there are plenty of vegetables and plants available. At the market shoppers can find a variety of veggies, jams, honey, bread, potatoes, and plants. Vegetables that were out on the market on Saturday included lots of carrots, potatoes, onions, beets, snow peas, turnip greens, broccoli, and cabbage.
Pat Caraway with Caraway Farm Fresh Kitchen, based just outside of Eastland, gushes about her fresh vegetables and gives a sneak peak of what is to come.
“Today I have new potatoes for the first time, I just dug ‘em yesterday. My broccoli has just come in so I have some big heads of broccoli. The cabbage is fresh too. I cut it yesterday. The onions are growing well.”
Caraway says business has been picking up in recent weeks… and she expects that to continue as more crops ripen…
“Green beans are about to come off and the squash and the zucchini will be making soon. The tomatoes are growing. So y’all just remember us. We’re here!"
Every Saturday morning the vendors set up their goods at the Abilene Farmer’s Market in the parking lot between Frontier Texas! and Front Porch Coffee Company and Bakery. The market, which is certified by the state of Texas opens each week at 8 A-M and serves shoppers until noon—or until the vendors sell out.
True Local Foods stand guarantees chemical free vegetables. Based in Taylor County, True Local grows produce in a regenerative way by using natural fertilizers that don’t include chemical pesticides.
Landry and Megan Meeks serve customers with the help of their daughter June who handed bags to customers and helped her mom take payments.
Landry says they feel that what they provide is important for people who care about eating as healthy as possible...
"Why does that matter? Most conventional produce is laden with chemicals. Hopefully gonna continue to grow what we are doing and advocate for regenerative and sustainable agriculture."
The gardens and small farms will continue to produce vegetables and fruits until fall comes around September. That's when the market transitions into a slightly different shopping experience.
Through the winter the Farmer’s market still serves the community locally crafted goods. Several vendors offer shoppers goods that follow health and beauty trends like a current attraction to tallow based skin care.
That’s what shoppers find at Dry Creek Tallow booth. Meagan and Matthew Fox source all the tallow for their products locally. Meagan gives a crash course on the usefulness of tallow—explaining why it’s become so popular…
“What man thinks is the trash of the cow, God’s like ‘Let me show you how perfect it is.’ The beef fat once you render it, purify it, it gets filtered, and when it’s done it is this beautiful skincare product. Has vitamins A, D, E &K and that’s without us adding anything to it. And it mimics your skin's natural oils. When you’re putting the tallow on your skin your skin is like “hey I know you.” It’s pretty neat how God can work."
Dry Creek Tallow uses the tallow for everything from body scrubs, to chapsticks, moisturizers, lotions, and deodorants.
Across the way The Supple Sasquatch booth offers beard oil. 17 year old Landry LaFrance has been running the business since last September when she took it from her father.
“Our original scent is the orange sandalwood. That is the scent that started it all and it has just grown from there. In September, I started running it because he got a new job. He didn’t have enough time to take care of it so it’s my baby now, I love it.”
She makes and sells beard oil, beard balm, and mustache wax…LaFrance says her handcrafted goods are a better option for men’s skincare and beard maintenance.
And it’s not just produce and skin care that shoppers are hunting for—lots of them seek out their favorite baked goods, picking up sourdough bread and cinnamon rolls.
And true fans know they have to show up early. Vivi Barker, owner of Bakes for Angels, says she often sells out of most of her award-winning baked goods before 10 A-M .
“Pretty much is a sourdough bakery, selling breads and croissants and the mission of our business if to help people who are grieving and also my grief as well.”
Barker lost her brother to gun violence in 2022—and she started the bakery in part as a tribute to him.
Not an early bird? The Farmhouse coffee trailer owned by Shelby Bordovsky offers caffeinated pick-me-ups to shoppers who like to stroll the booths while sipping a coffee, tea, or lemonade...
"It stays busy. Community support is awesome. We love being here. We’re thankful for all of our customers."
Gratitude is common across the vendors—and the organizers.
The Abilene Farmer’s Market manager Becky Lovern says she’s thankful for the community and the increased traffic at the market this time of year. Becky says seeing the crowds grow means more support for the community which helps each small-business-owner...
“Everyone here at the market raises, makes or produces what their selling so it’s truly supporting your neighbors when you come here.”
The Clark family are regulars at the Abilene Farmer’s Market— Mom and dad, Kaylie and Dalton Clark, with young Evelyn Bae and Trevor were decked out in all pink on a recent Saturday. Kaylie says that they make an effort to try to come every weekend.
“We love supporting local businesses. We want to grow our own things and help grow the local businesses as much as we can… What do you love about the farmer’s market?” “I like getting treats.”
Over the 44 years the market has been operating— vendors, organizers and shoppers have enjoyed a strong sense of community. Shoppers enjoy getting to know the farmers and artisans—they connect with neighbors—and they feel good about being part of the local economy.