Incredible Edibles
Walk through the Rice Stadium parking lot during a home game, and you’ll experience bright lights, a cheering crowd and maybe even the wafting smell of popcorn. Walk through the same parking lot on a Tuesday afternoon, and you’ll have a completely different sensory experience. Small, white, open-air tents line a makeshift Main Street, offering the sights and smells of locally produced foods and goods. The scent of homemade lavender candles mingles with the aroma of freshly roasted coffee, and wholesome baked goods share the limelight with vine-ripened tomatoes.
Welcome to the Houston Farmers Market, which visits the Rice campus every Tuesday afternoon. It serves as a meeting place for buyers and sellers of locally produced wares, including organic produce; free-range chicken and eggs; grass-fed beef; hand-crafted cheeses; and homemade breads, sweets and soups.
“The mission of the Houston Farmers Market is to support local farmers and small-business entrepreneurs, encourage wellness and provide environmentally focused educational programs,” said Ann Swain, director of Rice’s Faculty Club. “Rice is doing its part to encourage the development and maintenance of farmland for future generations.”