Vegetables, Entertainment, and So Much More!
My husband and I enjoyed our first visit to the Farmer’s Market at Imperial Sugar Land last Saturday.
The iconic towers of the Imperial Sugar Company are the backdrop for this farmer’s market that is held every Saturday from 9 AM to 1 PM year-round, rain or shine.
The location of this farmer’s market is 234 Matlage Way, Sugar Land, Texas 77478.
Stephen F. Austin’s colonists brought sugar cane to Fort Bend County in the 1820s. The Sugar Land area was once part of Oakland Plantation, where Nathaniel and Matthew Williams planted sugar cane about 1840. They began processing the cane in 1843 usi
i_am_jim, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
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Sugar Land, Texas
For those who might not know, Sugar Land, Texas, derives its name from the sugar plantations and sugar refining industry that used to be in headquarters there.
Imperial Sugar Company ceased to exist as a refinery and as a distribution center in 2003 in that location. The name Sugar Land, however, will forever be associated with that portion of the Houston Metropolitan Area because of the once-prominent sugar industry in that area.
Sugar Land is a rapidly expanding area luring affluent and well-educated folks to its environs. Most of the people living there derive their incomes from white-collar jobs. Many of the subdivisions are master-planned communities with many amenities offered to residents who live there.
It is a rapidly expanding population area, including businesses increasingly headquartered there. It is a far cry from the early days when it primarily operated as a company-owned town!
Squash blossoms for sale at the Farmer’s Market at Imperial Sugar Land
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Vendor Booths
While some individual tented booths were on the parking lot, many of the vendors were under a large canopied permanent structure. The shaded area is much appreciated, particularly in the hot and sultry Houston summer months.
Well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome, and we saw quite a few canine buddies accompanying their owners as they shopped. Fortunately for the animals, several businesses were catering just to them and offering free samples of their homemade organic dog treats.
The Sugar Land farmers market is much larger than the one in Katy, Texas, which we visited last week. Many more vendors are at this farmer’s market in Sugar Land. They offer everything from homemade goat milk soaps to art to homemade loaves of bread, pastries, jewelry, and more.
One can always find vendors selling organic, local honey. We still had some from our purchase last week, but it is good to know that there will always be local sources at these farmers’ markets.
Potted plants are available for sale at this farmer’s market for those people who wish to get a good start on growing their tomatoes, peppers, and more in their home gardens.
Of course, there are vegetables, a wide assortment of them. The Plant it Forward folks had a booth here, and at the Katy farmer’s market on Grand Parkway. We saw the first one on the University of St. Thomas campus several weeks ago and learned about them at that time. It feels good to be supporting them by buying items from them! Our purchases included bagged spinach, okra, and cucumbers.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/fQQYA2zvoAw?enablejsapi=1&start=0
Meeting and Talking to Vendors
My husband and I purchased some Texas Pepper Jelly and other jelly concoctions from a friendly fellow at Kristi’s Kitchen booth. We also bought Habanero Dill Pickles from another gentleman representing the Texas Pickle Company.
We look forward to trying some of the recommendations to use the Texas Pepper Jelly shared with us on a sheet of paper by the vendor. Using it as a glaze on fish and other proteins sounds good. It is zesty and flavorful and will add flavor enhancement to different foods.
That is one beautiful thing about shopping at most farmers’ markets. Getting to taste some of the food items before you buy is often the norm.
One vendor had brisket sizzling on a grill. Another vendor had homemade types of flavored ice. Various types of coffee were on site, and an assortment of Indian food was in containers ready to take home.
There were a couple of food trucks outdoors. Entertainment probably varies from week to week. It is truly a family-friendly place!
The friendly couple at the Morning Mist Harvest has their gardens in our area of town. We are practically neighbors! It was their first time at this farmer’s market. What drew my attention was their offering of long beans. Long beans are well-named as they are indeed long!
We enjoyed talking to Vicky and her husband. Besides the long beans, we purchased some flavorful, almost licorice-like-tasting Thai basil and a loofah. I had grown loofah years ago when we lived in Wisconsin and only knew it as a sponge. We learned that when a loofah is picked young, it is an edible vegetable, much like zucchini. Vicky said that it is a bit softer in consistency than zucchini.
Salsas are available to sample at the Farmer’s Market at Imperial Sugar Land.
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Family and Pet-Friendly Place!
Most every one of the vendors was engaging and friendly to the patrons. Many people shopping there seemed to know one another from previous visits. Some dogs also appeared happy to greet other dogs they seemed to know.
Our purchases this week included the following: Habanero Dill Pickles, four eggplants, table onions, garden fresh cucumbers, okra, Thai basil, a bag of fresh spinach, a loofah vegetable, long beans, and the Texas Pepper Jelly.
I would give this farmer’s market a definite thumbs up!
Look at our farmers markets today, bursting with heritage breeds and heirloom varieties, foods that were once abundant when we were an agricultural nation, but that we have lost touch with. Bringing all these back helps us connect to our roots, our communities and helps us feed America the proper way.
— Jose Andres
Sources
There are only three things that can kill a farmer: lightning, rolling over in a tractor, and old age.
— Bill Bryson
More About Sugar Land, Texas
- Houston Museum of Natural Science in Sugar Land
The Houston Museum of Natural Science Sugar Land building was once a prison. The museum contains a variety of displays to entice young and old alike. - Cullinan Park in Sugar Land, Texas
Cullinan Park is a vast forested and wetland area consisting of 754 acres. Enjoy White Lake, a boardwalk, an old cemetery, trails, seeing wildlife, & more. - Lost Creek Park: Inviting Recreation Area in Sugar Land, Texas
Lost Creek Park interconnects with another park in Sugar Land, Texas. Amenities include a pump track, soccer fields, meeting rooms, and playground equipment. - Oyster Creek Park: Spectacular Beauty and Art in Sugar Land, Texas
Oyster Creek Park in Sugar Land, Texas, is a beauty! Trails, spectacular water features, art, a pavilion, lawn spaces, and more delight people of all ages.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.