AUSTIN — Two West Side entrepreneurs with a shared passion for fresh, nutritious foods are bringing new and improved farmers markets to Austin and North Lawndale.
Veah Larde, owner of Two Sisters Catering in Austin, will lead the Austin Town Hall Farmers Market for the second year. Michelle Scott, owner of vegan sweets company Thank God 4 Raw & Vegan Treats, is starting the North Lawndale Community Farmers Market.
The Austin Town Hall Farmers Market opens June 6 at the Austin Town Hall, 5610 W. Lake St. It will be held 1-6 p.m. Thursdays until Oct. 31.
The North Lawndale Community Farmers Market will debut June 8 outside Bible Way Apost Faith Church, 1807 S. Kostner Ave., and will run noon-5 p.m. Saturdays until Oct. 26.
Both markets accept Link and SNAP.
North Lawndale Community Farmers Market
Scott, who is completing her master’s in nutrition at Dominican University, is a former Austin Town Hall farmers market vendor.
Last year, Scott also sold her vegan treats and held cooking demos with fellow Dominican University students at the West Town Community Farmers Market at Ascension St. Mary’s Hospital, 2233 W. Division St.
After finding out the West Town market wasn’t returning for another season, Scott decided to start her own on the West Side and secured the necessary permits from the city, she said.
As part of Scott’s master’s program, she has studied the impact of West Side food deserts on community health. Conducting a community needs assessment in 2020, she found about 12 percent of the population in Austin had diabetes, and the neighborhood had two times the number of diabetes-related deaths than the rest of the city, she said.
That year, Scott helped coordinate free food distribution events, giving away boxes of food to neighbors in need. Working with churches in North Lawndale and Austin, she saw firsthand how dozens of families faced food insecurity and relied solely on pantries for their meals, she said.
“I saw a need that was more than meets the eye during the pandemic,” Scott said.
At the new North Lawndale Community Farmers Market, about a dozen vendors will offer fresh produce, vegan treats, honey, sauces, juices and other foods. Dominican University students will host nutrition demos. The market will be near a senior living assisted facility and accessible for residents.
Scott is following in her late mother’s footsteps with this endeavor, she said. Her mother ran a soup kitchen out of their Garfield Park home when Scott was young, sharing the food she gathered from food pantries.
“She would be so proud if she was here today because this is something she wanted to do,” Scott said.
Austin Town Hall Farmers Market
Larde put her Two Sister Catering business on hold to revamp the Austin market last year, she said.
Larde introduced cooking demos led by chefs, nutritionists and dietitians. Those will return this year along with live entertainment from local DJs Lipgloss, DJ Jive Fresh and DJ Kinsolo. Local blues and jazz musicians may also make pop-up appearances, Larde said.
New to the market: an 80-seat trolley that will take neighbors to the market and community gardens, thanks to a partnership with Austin-based company Gone Away Travel & Tours. Larde hopes to partner with local churches or senior centers to be stops on the trolley route for neighbors with limited access.
Attendance at the city-sponsored Austin market in previous years ranged from 20 visitors on slower days to 70 on its busiest days. Last year, the market welcomed 65-165 people a day, some visiting from the suburbs and even other states, Larde said.
The number of regular vendors has also increased, from around three last year to 12-15 offering a wide selection of fresh and cooked foods, meat, dairy and eggs, Larde said. Vegan cupcakes, ice cream and freshly baked bread were among the most popular vendor items for market visitors last year, Larde said.
For the foreseeable future, Larde will operate Two Sisters Catering only during the farmers market off-season, she said.
Managing the Austin market has given Larde “an amazing opportunity” to serve the community and support local food businesses, she said.
“A farmers market is essential in any neighborhood because it brings in new life. It shows new businesses, and even restaurants come out and promote their businesses,” she said.
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