Meet Me @ Our Market!

Come & GROW! event slated for June 5

2010-05-31T08:24:00.000-07:00

Come & GROW!

A Green Summer Workshop for Kids*

Stories! Crafts! Fun! Snacks!

Saturday, June 5, 2010

10 AM to 11 AM

Leon Springs Farmers Market

Leon Springs Baptist Church • 24133 Boerne Stage Road (78255)

*Bring your parent/guardian, a blanket or towel, a sun hat, and your sunscreen!

Event Sponsors as of June 1:

Leon Springs Farmers Market

Leon Springs Green Fest

Dig for Texas in collaboration with Red, White & Grew

The Dinner Garden.

With special thanks to the Leon Springs Baptist Church.

Image source: Dreamstime.com

Today's Market

2010-01-30T07:05:00.001-08:00

From Mario Obledo:

Well...the weather will not keep the Market vendors from Leon Springs this morning...fresh farm products and vegetables will be available at the Leon Springs Farmer's Market...come on out and enjoy!!!!! Thank you for supporting the LSFM!!!!

Today's Market

2010-01-23T06:53:00.000-08:00

From Mario Obledo:

We should have a good selection of vegetables, pecans, honey, granola, green brownies, shrimp, lobster and other Farm fresh items, including grass fed beef. Thank you for supporting the Leon Springs Farmer's Market.

Market Today

2010-01-16T06:56:00.000-08:00

UPDATE (9:44 AM)

From Mario:

Several vendors set-up at the Market...seafood, grass fed beef, green brownies, granola, roasted nuts and other farm fresh items!!!!! The weather is clearing...the sun is out with a breeze!!!!

From Mario Obledo (last night):

Some vendors will be showing up [today] to see if the weather will allow them to set-up...might be raining in the morning with reports of clearing in the late morning hours. Veggies might be slim due to the recent rain...other farm items might be on hand...will see what the morning brings...thank you for supporting the Leon Springs Farmer's Market!

With the weather, holidays and leaner yields during the winter, things can be a bit more "hit or miss." We do our best to keep people updated with the market's opening and closing on this blog and via our Twitter feed, and thank everyone (again) for their continued support.

Remember: Spring's just around the corner...

No Market This Week!

2010-01-08T08:28:00.000-08:00

Too cold...

This Week at the Market (12 December 2009)

2009-12-11T05:36:00.001-08:00

Per Mario Obledo, market manager:

Available this Saturday at the Leon Springs Farmer's Market:

Vegetables- tomatoes, zucchini, yellow, butternut, acorn and spaghetti squash; red potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, mustard greens, radishes, turnips.

Fruits- apples, valley oranges and grapefruit.

Other items: green brownies, granola, meats/farm fresh items, roasted nuts, honey, fresh breads, pasteries, pecans, various canned/jarred items, hopefully...plants, herbs.

New to the Market...Seafood...a new seafood vendor will be taking orders...come out and see our new Market vendor! Also, rain catchment barrels should be on display!!!

Also, there will be San Antonio Food Bank "Red Barrel" for food donations. Live music, if the weather allows for it!

No Market Tomorrow (December 5)

2009-12-04T17:01:00.001-08:00

It's too cold!!! See you next week, weather permitting.

At This Week's Market (November 28)

2009-11-27T12:06:00.000-08:00

From Mario Obledo:

Available this Saturday at the Leon Springs Farmer's Market:

Vegetables: tomatoes, zucchini, yellow, butternut, acorn and spaghetti squash, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, mustard greens, radishes, turnips.

Fruits: apples, valley oranges and grapefruit.

Other items: "green" brownies, possibly granola, meats/farm fresh items, roasted nuts, honey, fresh breads, pecans, various canned/jarred items, plants, herbs and cut flowers.

Also, there will be San Antonio Food Bank "Red Barrel" for food donations.

Join us!

New Video from This Weekend

2009-11-22T16:33:00.000-08:00

This Weekend at the Market

2009-11-20T05:56:00.000-08:00

Available this Saturday at the Leon Springs Farmer's Market:

Vegetables- tomatoes, zucchini, yellow, butternut, acorn and spaghetti squash, red potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, mustard greens, radishes, turnips.

Fruits- apples, valley oranges and grapefruit.

Other Items: "green brownies," granola, meats, roasted nuts, honey, fresh breads, pecan pieces, various canned/jarred items, plants, herbs and cut flowers.

- Source: Mario Obledo

And don't forget that we'll be welcoming Chef Armstrong!

November Happenings

2009-11-16T13:55:00.000-08:00

• We’re pleased to welcome Executive Chef John Armstrong of the Westin La Cantera Resort (@WestinLaCantera) to the market on Saturday, November 21. He’ll present some “un-traditional” twists to those Thanksgiving Day favorites! Preferring to use as much locally grown products as possible, Chef John will demonstrate how to use fresh ingredients and add pizzazz to your holiday menus. Questions invited! Sampling a must!

• In other news, Leon Springs FM is now on Twitter and Facebook. Give us a follow please!

Farmer's Market Week! (August 2 to 8)

2009-07-29T07:55:00.000-07:00

From the Huffington Post:

Next week, (August 2-8) is National Farmers Market Week as proclaimed by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and the nation's 4,800 farmers markets have a lot to celebrate!

The USDA started recognizing National Farmers Market Week in 2000, and since then the number of markets listed in the USDA official directory of farmers markets has swelled over 170%. This means opportunities for hundreds of thousands of producers to sell directly to millions of customers wanting fresh food. In turn, these customers support farmers, while tending to their own health, building their local communities and strengthening their regional economies. (Read More)

Looking for a market in San Antonio -- besides the obvious one? Try the MySA.com market directory.

From The Atlantic's Sustainability Blog

2009-07-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

An article on farmers' markets from the farmer's point of view:

We start harvesting two days in advance, filling crates in the field, stacking them in the back of a pickup, and trucking them a half-mile to our farm center. There we wash and count and pack our produce into blue-and-gray plastic storage boxes, labeling them, for example, "Carrots, 20, Dupont." The stickers signal not only what we've got but how hard we have to hoist; root vegetables require more oomph than, say, lettuce. And forget the flip flops.

(Read More)

Whoa.. how'd we miss that?

2009-07-25T14:21:00.000-07:00

Nice little plug that we received over at the new (and recommended) SavorSA.com:

I have been to a few farmers markets in our area and in other states — and even other countries. Leon Springs is not the biggest, but it has a good variety, easy to get service, and just a friendly, can-do, attitude. Go see for yourself and try something new!

(Read more)

Leon Springs Market in the News!

2009-07-17T17:46:00.000-07:00

Two stories within two days... pretty good press!

• Northwest Side Farmers Markets Join Forces (Northwest Weekly (via MySA.com), 16 July 2009)

• All Natural Food Companies Are Sprouting (San Antonio Express-News, 17 July 2009) Although the story covers vendors from across the city, it includes a mention of regular Leon Springs vendor Tracy Carlson and her brownie company:

The Green Brownie Co.
Tracy Carlson started The Green Brownie Co. in October. She offers 100 percent organic and gluten-free brownies.
The Green Brownie Co. is a fully licensed eco-friendly bakery. Products are made without oils, artificial flavorings or preservatives and are baked in glassware, not aluminum pans. The company also uses all-natural packaging and recycles.
The gluten-free brownies are made with a mixture of organic brown rice flour and organic ground raw almonds.
"We started at the Leon Springs Farmers Market, and I had such an incredible number of requests for gluten-free because it's such an issue," Carlson said. "Gluten is the protein in wheat. So many people get deathly ill from it — they can't tolerate it and it's a hard thing for them to find food. I've been amazed at the response."
Carlson worked with two dietitians who helped her with the gluten-free recipe and the nutritional panel and ingredient listing on the package label.
The gluten-free and original "green" brownie, made with organic semisweet chocolate and cocoa, as well as "green" brownies-on-a-stick and a new gluten-free berry bar, can be purchased at the Leon Springs Farmers Market, 24133 Boerne Stage Road, on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m-1 p.m. and the Boerne Farmers Market, Kendall County Fairgrounds front lot, Texas 46 east of Boerne, on Wednesdays from 2-6 p.m.
The Green Brownie Co. also caters parties and events. Visit www.thegreenbrowniecompany.com.

Looking for local food?

2009-07-07T12:57:00.000-07:00

Leon Springs Farmers Market is included in the MySA.com database of area markets.

DinnerGarden.org Needs YOU!

2009-06-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

As you may have read in a recent San Antonio Express-News article, San Antonio resident Holly Hirshberg envisions homegrown produce sown from FREE seeds in the yards and alleys of ordinary people. Her non-profit group, The Dinner Garden is seeking donations of money and seeds to help ensure food security for folks nationwide. Consider helping her group, if you can.

Market Vendor Steve Blank Featured in Regional Magazine!

2009-05-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

From the current issue of Country Lifestyle:

Steve Blank’s inspiration for his new career grew slowly over several years. “My wife and I would drive up to Austin on weekends, stopping into Whole Foods and Central Market for fresh bread,” says Blank. “I guess you’d say that we’re foodies. And it eventually dawned on us that what San Marcos really needed was a good bread store.”

Blank opened his 800-square foot Phoenix Rising Bakery in September 2006. “The bakery is small, but I set it up so that customers can see every aspect of the process,” says Blank. “I designed it to be one big open room, with mixers and tables in full view. When you walk in the front door, you see the large, wood-fired brick oven right away.”

The oven, together with Blank’s commitment to using quality, all-natural ingredients, sets Phoenix Rising apart from large commercial operations. In an age in which grocery chains rely upon ready-made bases and mixes to create goods labeled “artisan,” Blank insists upon the age-old—and time-consuming—bread-making process.

Seen at the Market

2009-03-21T09:52:00.000-07:00

This morning's market was lively...lots of fresh veggies, a couple of chickens at the egg stand, wonderful bread and more. Santuario Sisterfarm was selling a wonderful selection of organic items, including plants from heirloom seed stock. Oh, and a crew of chefs from Westin La Cantera was spotted checking out the fresh-from-the-farm goodies.

Remember: although vendors and selection may vary from week to week, there's always something tasty at the market!

Into the Market & Into the Garden

2009-03-07T14:10:00.000-08:00

It's planting season here in Central Texas. Which means now is the perfect time to plan a visit to Leon Springs Farmers Market. Look for plant starts in the coming weeks. For instance, today one of the vendors had a wonderful selection of heirloom tomatoes.

The first of the strawberries are starting to arrive, too. They're the perfect snack or star in your favorite dessert. Buy extra to slice and freeze.

As ever, bear in mind that the market's selection varies week to week. And, of course, the early bird gets the worm. So, come early and often!

Simple Pleasures Granola

2008-12-13T04:04:00.000-08:00

Simple Pleasures Granola (Leon Springs Farmers Market) from P.Price on Vimeo.

Trouble viewing? Click here.

Mario Obledo Interviews Mario Rodriguez

2008-12-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

Leon Springs FM Interview Mario Rodriguez from P.Price on Vimeo.

Above video shot on a Flip Mino HD.

November Open Thread Topic: Slow Cookin' for Good Eatin'

2008-10-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

The Leon Springs Market is pleased to offer grass-fed beef, thanks to Edelen Farms. The secret to cooking with most grass-fed beef is to cook it long, slow and low. But given the health benefits of this type of meat, the tiny bit of extra work is worth it.

Tell us... do you have a favorite grass-fed beef recipe or technique? We'd love to hear it. And feel free to link to your fave online resources!

Get Your Fresh Copy of The Leon Springs Market Reporter

2008-10-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

Market manager Mario Obledo will be distributing copies of The Leon Springs Market Reporter beginning this week. It's nothin' fancy... but we plan to start small and let it grow, much like the market!

See a copy here and feel free to forward or print out to share with your neighbors!

No Farms=No Food

2008-10-26T14:06:00.001-07:00

The Leon Springs Market has a limited number of small green "No Farms=No Food" bumper stickers available for free to shoppers. Market manager Mario Obledo obtained them from American Farmland Trust, which is working to educate the public further about the importance of farmers and their work.

Leon Springs Farmers Market Photo Essay - Early September 2008

2008-09-06T12:16:00.000-07:00

Look for a new photo essay here every few weeks...each one featuring a different group of vendors!

Leon Springs Farmers Market to Relocate

2008-09-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

As of September 6, the market will move to the Leon Springs Baptist Church on Boerne Stage Road. The hours will remain the same.

Please see sidebar at left for directions and address.

A Thank You is Always Nice...

2008-09-04T21:53:00.001-07:00

Our community is lucky to attract local vendors. To help keep them coming back every week, please take a moment to express your appreciation for their presence in Leon Springs.

In the long run, gratitude will help us not only keep our current participants but help us attract others!

Five Ways to Promote Our Market

2008-09-04T21:48:00.001-07:00

Besides great food and useful products, the success of any farmers market depends on positive word-of-mouth and community enthusiasm. Here are some clever ideas to help you spread the news about our market to your friends and neighbors:

Ask a neighbor to meet you at the market on Saturday morning to shop and chat.
Whip up some treats or an entire meal featuring market produce to share with friends.
Ask your neighborhood association's web master to create a link from the group's page to the official Leon Springs Farmers Market web site.
Send an email to friends and neighbors sharing your appreciation for the market and reminding them to visit it.
Mention the market at community gatherings and invite people to check it out.