Call to Action: Tell City Council You Want Hot Food at the Markets

Thriving farmers markets have diversity, offering a little something for everyone. For many of us, the markets serve as our Saturday morning breakfast joint, community centers, meeting places and our grocery store. Personally, I've come to depend on the market as a place where I can grab a quick meal while I take care of my shopping for the week, which is why I was so upset to learn that the City of Austin has changed their minds about vendors being able to serve hot food at the markets.

Most Saturdays, the line for hot biscuits and gravy and duck egg tortas at Dai Due, a charcuterie vendor selling hot food at the Downtown Austin Farmers Market, winds around their booth and down the market aisle.  The list of the charcuterie they are selling that day is littered with scratch out marks from the items they no longer have.  They make great product and it shows, but the City doesn't want them to be able to sell hot food at the market anymore.  

The City says that state law prohibits a permit for a temporary food establishment and that Dai Due is trying to run a restaurant from the market.  That's interesting since MesAlegre in San Antonio runs a chef's table at the Pearl Farmer's Market.  MesAlegre isn't even selling other product, just the chef's table, and it's been a fabulous draw for Pearl.

But for me, this issue is bigger than any one vendor;  it's about the markets.  Hot food adds another element that attracts new customers. The biscuits and gravy might be the hook for the casual shopper, but it gets them in the market to buy carrots, lettuce and bison.  When I visited the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in San Francisco, they were selling hot food at the market.  Pike's Place Market in Seattle sells hot food at the market. Even the Cherry Creek Farmers Market in Denver has hot food.  Our markets need that hook, that diversity, to thrive.  

  

This Thursday, March 25th, council members Sheryl Cole, Mike Martinez and Chris Riley are asking the council to consider Resolution 54 asking the city manager and staff to research how other markets around the state are serving hot or cooked food and to create a solution that will work with Austin's regulations AND support the markets.  

If you agree that serving hot food helps our farmers markets thrive, you can sign in supporting Resolution 54 at  the electronic kiosk in the lobby of City Hall at  301 W. 2nd Street. You don't have to speak, you can just affirm the resolution. You can also donate your 3 minutes of time to someone else. Registrations are accepted until the Mayor calls for the vote on the item (sometime after 10 am on Thursday)  or a vote to close the public hearing is taken.

If you can't make it to City Hall before Thursday, you can e-mail the council members as a group by clicking here. You can also e-mail council members individually by going to their profile page: council member sites.

I know calls to action aren't very fun, but I'm asking you to do this for the future of all our markets - not just the Downtown market and not just for Dai Due.  Thanks for supporting Resolution 54.  I've got some letters to write!