The local farmers markets

I thought I'd commence a "local attractions" blog topic because, particularly in our under-construction Section 9, we have new people coming in from other parts of the country and other cities in Texas, who are just learning about the Clear Lake area, and who need to learn what's available around here.

WHAT ARE FARMERS MARKETS? 
WHO VISITS THEM?
You might think that you already know, but if you haven't visited one recently, you could be in for some surprises.

Classic Maxine, from http://sites.google.com/site/farmersmarketatcls/

A farmers market is a venue where local producers engage in direct sale of their products, which include meats, dairy, vegetables, prepared artisanal foods, gardening items, and crafts.  They are regulated as food service establishments, generally certified by the Texas Department of Agriculture, although the laws of the municipality in which they are located often apply as well.  They are typically open for four hours per week (hours are restricted by law), most commonly on Saturday mornings.

Years ago, farmers markets were associated with cheap veggies, free music, and a hippie clientele.  That outmoded stereotype still tends to persist, with many members of the general public still assuming that their greatest appeal is to "liberal greenies". 

But in fact, farmers markets have evolved to represent American micro-business entrepreneurialism at its most fundamental level (read anything written by self-proclaimed Libertarian farmer Joel Salatin if you don't believe that).  I consider myself to have very little in common with hippies or greenies, but I do own a small business, and many of my clients are also small business owners.  I will drive well out of my way if it means I can support the local small business community!

WHERE ARE THEY?
As of this post, we have two farmers markets within a few minutes of Centerpointe and, curiously, within about 0.7 miles of each other:

(1)  The older Clear Lake Shores farmers market is located at 1020 Marina Bay Drive. 

From http://sites.google.com/site/farmersmarketatcls/Home/about-us

My crummy cell phone photo of the entrance sign.  Sorry.

(2) The recently-opened Kemah farmers market, which is located near the intersection of Marina Bay Drive and State Highway 146.

From http://www.kemahfarmersmarket.com/

Crummy cell phone photo #2.  This market has a larger physical infrastructure, but see notes in the "need to know" section below.

There has been talk both in the county newspaper and in the blogosphere about the Clear Lake Shores farmers market migrating over to League City, but this hasn't happened yet.  (I would be surprised if it happens any time soon, for reasons I won't get into here.) 

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?
Here are a few opinionated pointers to keep in mind should you decide to visit either of these venues:

• If you only intend to visit one, make your choice based on the type of products you wish to buy.  I have generally observed that there is a greater selection of actual farm produce and artisanal foods at the Clear Lake Shores market.  If you check out their vendor list, you'll see that some of the same vendors who anchor the "grandaddy" of all Houston area farmers markets, which is the Urban Harvest market inside the loop, also send representatives to this local one.  Urban Harvest is a wonderful cultural experience, but it's a heck of a long drive from here, and you don't have to go that far to find some of these vendors - you can visit them in Clear Lake Shores instead.  In contrast, the Kemah vendor list includes some farm products and artisanal foods (as of this post, there was very little meat and dairy, if any) but a greater abundance of handicrafts and open-air retail offerings ("bling"). 
• You should bring cash.  Some vendors accept multiple forms of payment, but some do not, and I've observed most buyers paying cash.   If your wallet is thin, it's a good idea to hit an ATM as you are en route down FM 518, because there aren't many banks once you get closer to the markets.
• You should not bring Fido.  I rarely attend the Clear Lake Shores market without seeing people attempting to walk their dogs there, but it's against the law.  These markets may take place under canopies erected in gravel parking lots, but they are state-regulated establishments serving food, and restaurant-like rules apply.
• Don't expect Walmart pricing.  As I mentioned above, gone are the days of cheap selections for guitar-strumming under-employed social idealists.  The products offered are generally hand-made and reflect the extra care and individual attention invested by the proprietors, who target a foodie clientele (cost minimization is not a priority for foodies).  Vegetable prices are the exception and are usually comparable to those found in the large grocery chains (but I find the vegetables to be MUCH better).  But artisanal breads can be 1.5 times the price of a Whole Foods loaf (and Whole Foods is not cheap to start with), and prime cuts of pastured beef can sell for many times what feedlot beef retails for in grocery chains.  (However, the ground beef tends to be only a bit more expensive than an analogous Whole Foods product.)
• Do expect high quality.  There's a reason why these proprietors can fetch relatively high prices!   Check out the ingredients and the home-made quality.  Warning: addictions may result.  My child pitches a fit if I serve bread or tamales that didn't come from the farmers market, and we are hooked on the quality of the beef as well.  I'll take a grass-fed burger over a corn-fed steak any day of the week, but of course everyone has their personal preferences. 
• Don't assume that frozen products are inferior.  Somewhere along the social evolutionary line, middle-class Americans seem to have adopted a belief that if something is frozen, it must not be good.  If that's your observation, I bet that the problem originates with the quality the ingredients, not the freezing process itself.  Farmers market vendors do not run volume businesses.  Meats in particular often need to be frozen because proprietors may slaughter only when they need to replenish supplies.  It might take them weeks to sell an entire head of livestock, so that meat must be frozen.  In my observation, taste is affected far more by the quality of the animal and the preparation of the cut than it is by freezing.  I'll take a frozen grass-fed steak over an unfrozen feedlot steak any day of the week - there's absolutely no comparison (but the same personal preference disclaimer applies).  
• Get there early if you want the best selection.  Individual vendors can only transport so much to these markets, and certain popular items sell out quickly.  I know from experience that if I don't get to Clear Lake Shores right when the selling begins, my odds of buying what I want are very slim. 
• Enjoy the experience.  Once again, you're not in one of the approximately three thousand (!) American Walmarts when you're at a farmers market.  Part of the value-add is the sense of local community: the chance to actually meet the people who grew the food you'll be eating, and the opportunity to chat with the regular customers who obviously know the markets well (it's easy - for instance, "Which one of these would you recommend?").  Don't miss out on the social opportunities!

Good luck, and happy shopping!
:-)