A valued and long term client shared the following invaluable information with us. Please enjoy!
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Years ago, I remember visiting Central Market for the first time and feeling intimidated to see such a variety of unfamiliar food. This experience sparked an interest in visiting a number of local farmer’s markets, and really learning about ingredients and where our food comes from. Nearly a decade has passed and I still love discovering new ingredients and visiting with local farmers who have a passion for the food they offer.
On a recent trip to Hood River, Oregon, my wife and I enjoyed a day touring a local “Fruit Loop” which included a number of local farms. The drive included farms with apples, cherries and peaches in season, a lavender farm, and an alpaca farm/yarn shop where they breed Alpacas and sell handspun yarn from the fleece.
In that spirit, I’d like to share a few destinations local to the North Dallas area that would make for a fun “food field trip” one Saturday. You’ll want to bring along an ice chest!
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Start in Plano at the Lucky Layla Farm store at Lavon Farms. Discover raw, unpasteurized cow’s milk, drinkable yogurts, handcrafted cheeses, butter and caramel milk.
Lavon Farms: http://www.lavonfarms.com, 3721 N. Jupiter Rd
Mon-Sat 9-6, 972-423-8080
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Continue North to McKinney to visit Matt at Local Yocal and discover Wagyu steak at its best! Consider signing up for a Steak 101 class to learn where the various cuts of steak come from, how meat is aged, and best of all how to cook it to perfection yourself! Come hungry for lunch because in the class you’ll sample each cut of steak cooked with wood charcoal on an outdoor pit.
Local Yocal: http://www.localyocalfarmtomarket.com, 213 N Tennessee St.
Mon-Sat 8-6, 469-952-3838
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From McKinney, find FM-543/Weston Rd off of US-75 and enjoy the drive to Weston, Texas, the oldest town in Collin County. Visit Steve at Texas Range Honey for a taste of raw unfiltered varietal honeys and farm fresh eggs. Steve is very passionate about both honey and his chickens!
Texas Range Honey: http://rangehoney.com, 116 Main Street
Saturdays 9am-1pm, 972-567-2542
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The final stop to Hidden Valley Dairy in Argyle is quite a bit of a drive, though a very scenic one. From Weston, go north on FM-543 and make a left on FM-455. Follow FM-455 across Lake Ray Roberts spillway to I-35. Take I-35 south and follow the split to the right, I-35W and take Crawford Road/Robson Ranch Road exit, turn left, go under I-35W, and take the first right onto Taylor Road. At the end of Taylor Road, turn Left on Old Justin Road. Hidden Valley Dairy will be on your left. Trey & Judy’s specialty is raw goat’s milk, including a wide variety of scented goat milk products that Judy makes herself. They often have a number of other local and seasonal offerings you may be interested in. Make sure to check out the goats while you’re there!
Hidden Valley Dairy: http://www.hiddenvalleydairy.com, 402 Old Justin Rd.
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We love supporting local farmers, and we’re sure there’s a lot more out there to discover. We hope you’ll check these farmers out, and if there are others you’d like to share please let us know and we’ll pay them a visit!
