Now that warmer weather has arrived, lots of home gardeners are busy watering, weeding and caring for their veggies, fruits, and whatever natural delights make them happy. As any gardener can tell you, there’s something natural and satisfying about tending a garden up to harvest time. There are a lot of folks who prefer their bounty fresh from God’s good ground to the table (as opposed to the supermarkets), but for those who don’t have the time to invest in home gardening, there is an easier option indeed. Huntsville claims two options that can satisfy the veggie/fruit lover’s appetite and still help curb all the pesticides and chemicals acquainted with a lot of produce.
City of Huntsville’s Main Street Program Downtown Market
This is the second year of the Downtown Farmers Market that sells fruits, vegetables, various plants, herbs, seeds, yard eggs and other agricultural products that are guaranteed to fiber-up your system with home-grown nutrition. For those of you with a sweet tooth you can drop by the Sugar Skull Sweets booth and get a cupcake, jams, cookies or scones. There is the Leadbelly Elevator on 1221 Sam Houston Ave (and Facebook) which sells custom woodworks, ceramics, candles, botanical baths, perfumes, beauty aids and rare plants.
Mrs. Marsh shared some other info about the herb “cilantro” that you may not know—“You can eat the seed and flower raw, as long as it’s green. You can use it in salads, sauces, etc. But when it turns brown, it becomes ‘coriander.’ Of course, you have to grind it, but there are a lot of cookbooks with recipes for coriander.”
Certain herbs are year round—example “Basil is a summer herb, while dill and cilantro are winter herbs.” (This is straight from Mrs. Marsh, so she’s in the know about herbs.)
Walker County Farmers Market
at West Hill Mall
There you have it—only in Texas—a veggie drive-thru. Think about it—if you’ve got a craving and you’re in a rush to make some salsa with tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, and other ingredients, then you can satisfy your craving at Walker County Farmers Market.
Easy directions, too—if you’re traveling on I-45 from either direction—head west on Highway 30 for Walker County Farmers Market and head east on 11th street (also Highway 30) for Downtown Farmers Market.
Elected President Scooter Langley at Walker County Farmers Market suggests those interested in buying or selling go to their Facebook page.
The Downtown Market enlists vendors primarily from the Walker County area, so those who may wish to vendor their vegetables and products can call Butch Maywald at (936) 293-1713 or cell at (936) 499-4889.
You can also contact County Extension Agent Reggie Lepley at (936) 435-2426 about other agricultural availabilities or about Master Gardeners in Walker County.
For all concerned, the Downtown Farmers Market and the Walker County Farmers Market are growing by the year. If you haven’t made it out there, you should put it on your to do list. You will grace your table with healthy food, find some interesting items, and meet some homegrown folks in the process. There you have it—good greetin’ and good eatin’.