Keeping It Fresh

New mobile farmers market changes the way Austin gets fresh food

Farmshare Austin mobile market produce vegetables

Del Valle and East Austin have a new option for fresh food.

A new initiative from nonprofit Farmshare Austin hopes to change the way underserved neighborhoods eat. Dubbed mobile produce markets, the temporary stands deliver seasonal vegetables and fruit to two areas of town that need it most: Del Valle and far East Austin.

The markets can be found in Del Valle at Los Cielos Park (Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-7 pm) and Hornsby-Dunlap Elementary (Wednesdays from 4-6 pm) and in East Austin at KIPP Austin Public Schools (Fridays from 3:30-5 pm).The locations are crucial, because both neighborhoods need more produce options — there is no large-format grocery store in Del Valle.

"This will bring people into our park and show them that we are trying to better assist those who are unable to get to a store to buy fresh produce," said Trish Burton, president of Los Cielos Homeowners Association, in a release. "While the kids are playing, their parents are shopping. It's convenient. It's home-grown. It's as fresh as you can get it without growing it yourself."

It's also affordable. Farmshare Austin has partnered with the Sustainable Food Center to offer Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which allows SFC to match up to $20 for produce purchases.

The fall season of Farmshare Austin's mobile market program, which runs through December 16, is possible thanks to a grant from City of Austin. Looking ahead, Farmshare Austin hopes to secure more funding and expand the mobile market initiative, which is a portion of the organization's mission to grow food access through organic farming, educational programs, and land preservation.

"I'm excited to explore the different paths that this program could take," said Carolina Mueller, Farmshare Austin's mobile market coordinator, in the release. "Whether it's running a fleet of mobile markets all over the city or developing a business plan for Austin residents to start their own markets in their neighborhoods, the possibilities for increasing food access feels endless."

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Genuine Surprise

Austin coffee shop announces return immediately after sudden closure

Genuine Joe Coffeehouse/Instagram

Genuine Joe Coffeehouse is now under and optimistic spell.

An Austin coffee shop has experienced a roller coaster over the past week. On October 31, Genuine Joe Coffeehouse announced it would close, but after some community help, it's back on track to stay open with some changes to make the business more stable going forward. One of those seems to be a new location that hasn't been announced yet, according to a social media post.

The original message announcing the closure was posted on Instagram: "Genuine Joe is closed for the foreseeable future," it said. "Yesterday was our last day of business. We are sorry to the community for the short notice- it surprised all of us too."

As Genuine Joe owner Josh Brown explained to KVUE, the property he rented had been sold to build condos in 2021. After that, the coffee shop only had a lease for up to six months at a time. Finally, KVUE reported, a hard demolition date has been set for February.

In the shop's next Instagram post, management thanked fans for their comments and established a GoFundMe page, which they explicitly said would not go toward reopening. "Donations will not go towards reopening, relocating, or any debt incurred by Genuine Joe Coffeehouse. Everything will go to the staff," wrote Leann Tipton, who is listed as the organizer of the fundraiser.

Just days later, another post went up announcing that Genuine Joe would reopen and continue business at the original location — meaning 2001 W. Anderson Ln. According to the post, what was raised from the now-disabled GoFundMe ($7,762) went entirely to staff in limbo.

The most explanation the post offers is that "a few special members of the GJ family" stepped up to help. It does not mention whether the help was financial or otherwise. It also announced some changes: an increase in prices, reduced hours, and fewer non-core offerings — namely, breakfast tacos.

This is, of course, not the whole story. The post promises to share more news later, specifically detailing the demolition and a new location.

Genuine Joe's current hours according to the post at 7 am to 7 pm on weekdays, and 8 am to 7 pm on weekends. Customers had strong reactions, and it looks like none bemoaned the reasonable changes.

"Crying tears of joy….. my family and friends are going to be so relieved they don’t have to hear me mourn genuine joe on the daily anymore," wrote one commenter. They weren't the only one in tears, if the rest of the comments were any indication.

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