CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A new farmers market is opening in downtown Corpus Christi for those who enjoy shopping local.
The Water Street Farmers Market will be held on Sunday morning from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 309 N. Water St.
The farmers market will be offered in the downtown area. The hope is to further enhance the already existing businesses and encourage more people to buy locally.
"This is something myself, the other managers and family have been wanting to do for a while now," Richard Lomax, president of Water Street Restaurants said. "We created this garden pathway through Chaparral, we knew it’s something that we really wanted to provide for the downtown experience."
Lomax said the goal of the farmers market is to add to the already existing experience that people have when they travel to downtown Corpus Christi. He also wants tourists that visit to indulge in local finds and support businesses that help drive the local economy.
Daniel Graves will be right there selling his pasture-raised eggs and meats.
“This is going to put another, it’s going to be more accessible to people that maybe can’t get to the other markets," Graves said. "So we’re able to expand and put our product into other people’s hands that way and that’s going to be a big positive for us.”
He started his business, Mother Clucker Farms, back in 2020 and said getting community support has been a blessing.
“Going to those farmers markets was a huge blessing to us because it put us out there to the community," Graves said. "It puts a face behind our products so that the customers could see what they’re buying and they can meet the person raising it and you can’t do that at big box grocery stores."
Mother Clucker Farms is not the only vendor that will be participating in the Water Street Farmer Market. McNabb Microfarmswill also be selling their products this weekend. They specialize in microgreens, fruits and veggies.
In 2021, co-owner Lauren McNabb started the farm with her husband, Ryan and son, Will.
McNabb emphasized that farmers markets like this allowed her to educate customers on the farm to table process and show them more ways to eat healthier.
"That’s why we love doing the farmers markets," McNabb said. "We’re able to talk to people one on one. [We] let them try something, give them a taste test and educate them on why they should be eating microgreens.”
Customers are the driving force behind keeping these local businesses going. Many farmers said if it wasn't for community support, they don't know where they'd be.
"It's important to get the word out because us and other all the other local farmers really do depend on the community to make these markets happen and to ensure market success and ensure that we can do that year-round," McNabb said.
The curators of the farmers market say they hope is to bring new vendors to the market frequently.
This weekend, there will be 20 vendors including others like Lorbereau Farmsand No BS Beef. Central Kitchen, the latest in Lomax's businesses, will sell scratch-made breads. In addition, Texas Oyster Ranch, his father's oyster farming operations, will soon sell local bivalves.
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