Southern Denton County residents will soon have the opportunity to have locally-produced foods delivered right to their doorstep.
Molly and Brandyn Skinner stepped away from corporate life in order to pursue their passion: an idea that would bring local produce to the doorsteps of their busy neighbors.
They describe their new business, The Local Markethouse, as a modern take on a farmers market. It’s based in Flower Mound, but services much of southern Denton County.
“Working with people that are actually farming or ranching all day has been really unique,” said Molly. “It’s been really rewarding to learn about their craft and help them sell.”
One of the big draws for The Local Markethouse was the convenience for local families.
As parents, the Skinners have birthday parties and other family events filling their calendars, which makes it hard to stop at a farmers market in-person.
The Local Markethouse hopes to give those busy families the opportunity to support local producers by receiving their fresh goods straight to their homes.
“We’ve seen firsthand that people want to buy local, to support nearby farms and eat more seasonal, high-quality food,” said Molly Skinner. “But the biggest barrier is consistency and convenience.”
Throughout the week, customers can order online from The Local Markethouse’s variety of suppliers, which is nearing 30.
Brandyn then goes around to the different suppliers, collecting the week’s orders.
Finally, Molly and Brandyn pack the orders, getting them ready for delivery or pick-up.
“It’s pretty easy,” said Molly. “They can order throughout the week, so they can order as much or as little as they want.”
The concept has also proved to be helpful for the suppliers.
According to Molly, the recent rain across Denton County prevented many suppliers from selling their product at physical farmers markets, but the orders through The Local Markethouse still went through, preventing fresh goods from going to waste.
“Traditional farmers markets are so volatile, which can lead to loss of profits for suppliers and their already-harvested goods going to waste,” said Molly. “But when the rain came through, our partners still sold, which was probably one of our proudest moments, so far.”
Between helping the community find fresh produce at its convenience and helping suppliers sell their product efficiently and reliably, The Local Markethouse has already achieved its goal of connecting the commuting through fresh goods.
“I think people often move to southern Denton County and the Flower Mound area because they want that rural feel,” said Molly. “They want that connection, they drive around and see the farms and they want that. And there are so many benefits that go along with the local food system.”
According to the USDA, local food is considered produced within 400 miles of where it is sold.
However, The Local Markethouse aims to bring in produce from suppliers located within 100 miles of Flower Mound, but also focus on producers within the area.
“People want to know where their food comes from, how it was treated and what was actually put into it,” said Molly. “People want that connection.”
In addition to providing a space to buy fresh, local goods, The Local Markethouse aims to educate the community about dieting and food, in general.
The Skinners set up a booth for customers to pick up their orders that doubles as an educational opportunity.
When customers pick up their produce, they can also learn about some of the benefits that come with buying local and the differences between local and large-scale goods.
Molly and Brandyn hope to bring out local farmers and ranchers, as well, to talk about their products and give customers another way to engage with their food.
According to The Local Markethouse’s website, delivery is available to zip codes 75022, 75028, 76262, 76226 and 75027.
Customers can subscribe to the service or make one-time orders at anytime throughout the week.
“People really want to buy local, they just need to be able to fit it into their schedule,” said Molly. “We just want people to be able to get that local food easily.”
