By KIM HUGHES
Chronicle Correspondent
A shopper can purchase an upscale piece of living room furniture, try on trendy new shoes, pop into a spa for a cut and color, then swing across the street to grab soy candles, organic dog food, edible flowers and fresh fruits and vegetables.
That one-stop shopping is available Saturday mornings at the Katy Farmer’s Market at LaCenterra in Cinco Ranch.
The market debuted Oct. 27, said Ro Cazenave, director of Katy Farmer’s Market and owner of Absolutely Organic, a line of skin-care products for babies, adults and pets.
“We started out with a dozen vendors,” Cazenave said. “I’ve had five or six farmers contact me since then for booth space, but are just waiting for their crops to come in.”
Cazenave said she used to operate a farmer’s market in Old Town Katy on Avenue B, but when LaCenterra approached her about moving to Cinco Ranch, she jumped at the idea.
“The atmosphere is great,” Cazenave said. “LaCenterra is beautiful and very upscale, like a little Texas town but it’s a shopping town. Definitely better exposure for us, because it’s like an outdoor shopping mall.”
Terri Norman, director of marketing for LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch, said trends across the nation show that combining farmer’s markets with upscale shopping venues has been a hit.
“People are looking for the best for their families, whether it’s clothing or food,” Norman said. “Farmer’s markets are very popular. We heard from community members and retailers that it was something they wanted here.”
Norman said the idea of a farmer’s market was addressed at a monthly LaCenterra meeting for tenants, and that it generated much positive feedback.
Don Burgham, owner of Designs of the Interior, said he loved the idea.
“People who buy upscale furniture also think about food, of course,” Burgham said. “We had so many people in the shopping center parking near our store to get to the farmer’s market, so I know it’s very popular.”
Burgham couldn’t resist wandering over to check it out.
“There was a guy selling eggs that were one-day old,” Burgham said. “You can’t get that anywhere else. I bought a dozen, and they’re delicious. You can really tell the difference.”
That would have been at Dustin’s Farm Fresh Eggs booth. There’s also organic pet food available, gourmet Indian cuisine, herbs, fresh breads and muffins, seasonal produce and edible flowers.
James Smith, operations manager of Village Botanica, 14182 Cochran Road in Waller, said people are always surprised when they come by his booth and learn they can eat hibiscus.
“It’s very new to them, they had no idea,” said Smith, who said they have seven patents on edible hibiscus blooms with two more pending. “You can have a hibiscus blossom salad, or you can mix it into your lettuce or spinach greens.”
Not only is it healthy and full of fiber, Smith said, it also pretties a plate with color and texture.
Room exists for interested vendors, Cazenave said, as long as the product they’re selling is natural.
“It needs to be some type of agriculture-type vendors who we ask for produce to be organic, but they don’t have to be certified organic,” Cazenave said. “Or, holistic type vendors, people who do natural things. For example, we have a lady who does candles, but they’re soy candles.”
There is a one-time registration fee for vendors of $25, and after that it’s $15 a week. Vendors will need to supply a white 10-foot x 10-foot pop-up tent.
For more information, or for a list of vendors, visit http://www.katyfarmersmarket.com/ or call 281-579-1664.
The market is open every Saturday from 8 a.m.-noon, year-round, at 23501 Cinco Ranch Blvd., at Heritage Square near the fountain.
“It’s really to promote community and give them great, organic, natural products,” Cazenave said. “This is a great place for people to bring their families.”
