Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their very own.
Fall Creek Farmers Market in Humble, Texas, will not be only a spot to stop by to your Sunday morning coffee and a fresh vegetable or two. Owners Jonathan and Andrea Haskin built this vibrant space with a vision to alter their community’s food shopping habits and educate their customers on the importance of shopping for fresh and native items.
The couple got here up with the thought for the market in 2015 after they began taking an extended take a look at what sort of food they’d available to them and realized they’d to travel far and wide simply to source quality ingredients from local farmers. What would occur in the event that they brought their community closer to the source?
Related: Top Health and Wellness Franchises
To their delight, the Haskin’s neighbors embraced the concept. Situated in the attractive Fall Creek neighborhood, the market’s outdoor setup is near a golf course and a number of other walking trails, drawing tons of individuals and their pets into the space every Sunday morning.
Jonathan and Andrea prioritize being present of their space and providing a personalised experience for each visitor. Getting arrange two hours before the market opens and staying until the last group trickles out, the pair walk around to greet and share their story with customers. Out there’s early days, their daughters sat at the doorway making bracelets for shoppers as they walked in.
This community feel is what drew in reviewer Forest B., now a daily visitor of Fall Creek Farmers Market. “The entire vendors were so personable, willing to share advice and their specific stories,” his review reads. “I particularly enjoyed the cultural diversity. A lot to learn at each booth.”
With 20+ vendors spanning global cuisines, there isn’t a limit to the sort of food you possibly can sample at Fall Creek Farmers Market. On his first visit alone, Forest tried a Colombian coffee mix, two empanada flavors, Vietnamese egg rolls, and an Italian ice dessert. The cherry on top was getting to have interaction with the vendors themselves, learning firsthand about their products and journeys.
Related: 4 Reasons Why You Should Enter the Health and Wellness Industry
“One [vendor] that is not mentioned in my review is the Indian couple who serve prepared foods there,” Forest said. “They’re a bit bit older. That is completely different, say, from the couple who owns Frostbite, which is the Italian ice vendor. They’re children and [are] actually trying to you to supply them information in your journey here in the US. So you only learn quite a bit in regards to the people. Sometimes individuals are a bit surprised to search out out that you realize rather a lot about topics of their areas, but the way in which you learn rather a lot is by talking to people and being open and receptive.”
Forest’s experience is an ideal example of Jonathan and Andrea’s educational ecosystem in motion. Initially, the market goals to show its visitors in regards to the importance of fresh, quality food. The Haskins ensure their vendors share this passion and make an effort to coach every customer who visits their booth. 90% of Fall Creek’s vendors farm and ranch full-time. Some even take agriculture classes at Texas A&M.
“They live it as we do,” Jonathan said. “And it starts from the within. We’re really enthusiastic about immersing ourselves into the market, and we’re very selective with who we allow [to be] an element of our team.”
Jonathan and Andrea’s goal is to be the tipping point that pushes customers into the world of local food shopping, and so they’ve found that preparation is vital. They engage with customers online ahead of every sale to make sure that they’ve all the knowledge they need for a smooth visit. Because offerings shift each week to spice things up for shoppers and ensure seasonal produce stays front and center, Jonathan and Andrea provide a listing of vendors and produce options upfront to assist customers plan their meals and construct out their grocery lists before arriving on the market.
Related: How This Healthy Food App Scored a $200K Investment
Probably the most faithful customers do around 80% of their food shopping at Falls Creek Farmers Market, which was the vision the owners had in mind after they got down to construct a business.
“It is not a craft show. It is not a bake sale. You may actually come and get your pastured eggs and real items,” Jonathan said. “Knowing where your food is from is a giant deal. It’s like getting a root canal or heart surgery. So it feels really good to have the opportunity to serve and to have the opportunity to offer them access as we’ve it.”
Not only is shopping locally good to your health, nevertheless it’s good for the local economy. Forest stressed the importance of spending your time and cash at small businesses.
“Business owners typically are here from other countries. [They] come from backgrounds through which there was virtually no safety net, so they create their knowledge to the US. After I’m taking a look at these businesses, I’m taking a look at how I can learn more so I can assist other people in the neighborhood proceed to start out these small businesses that make our economy run.”
Beyond making visits, reviewing is a robust way customers can show support. Jonathan and Andrea take every review they receive to heart, all the time trying to expand the offerings and inclusivity of their space. They find it vital to stay receptive to feedback, keeping the dialogue with customers open, real, and filled with love.
Along with prioritizing customer education and constructing community, Falls Creek Farmers Market believes:
- Passion starts from the within. Put love and care into what you do and it would trickle right down to your partners and employees—and ultimately your customers.
- Preparation is vital. Communicate online along with your customers ahead of a sale so that they know what to anticipate. Plus, make time to assist out with any problems that come up.
- Supporting local is an excellent strategy to learn recent things. Opening up your mind and heart to small businesses might just enable you discover a vital lifestyle change.
Hearken to the episode below to listen to directly from Jonathan, Andrea, and Forest, and subscribe to Behind the Review for more from recent business owners and reviewers every Thursday.
Available on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora and Soundcloud.
Editorial contributions by Callie Morgan and Kristi Lindahl.