Waco Downtown Farmers Market

What Waco Downtown Farmers Market does

The Waco Downtown Farmers Market is a nonprofit community farmers market operating in Waco, Texas since 2011. It runs a year-round Saturday morning market (9am-1pm) at 200 E. Bridge Street in the Bridge Street Plaza, with a smaller Wednesday night market as a secondary channel. The market aggregates local agricultural producers — 29 farms including 16 fruit and vegetable growers sourced within a 150-mile radius — and artisan vendors (averaging 55 per Saturday and 21 per Wednesday in 2025), enabling direct-to-consumer retail of fresh produce, meats, prepared meals, and artisan goods. In 2025, total vendor sales across both markets reached $2.12 million, with the Saturday market alone generating $2.06 million across 52 open days.

The organization operates three nutrition incentive programs — SNAP, Double Up Food Bucks (up to $30/day in matching funds), and WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program — that served 330 SNAP families and 243 WIC families in 2025, delivered in partnership with the Sustainable Food Center in Austin and the Waco-McLennan County WIC Office. It is governed by a 14-member volunteer Market Board and operated by three paid staff: Executive Director Bethel Erickson, Saturday Market Manager Rachel Velasco, and Assistant Market Manager Faith Carpenter. The market reports 100+ community partner organizations and delivers weekly wellness activities (yoga, dance, sound baths, Tai Chi), live entertainment, and seasonal Family Engagement Events.

WDFM's revenue model combines vendor booth fees with grants, sponsorships, and donations. Vendor booth fees are not publicly listed; pricing is negotiated. Major 2025 funders include the Cooper Foundation (SNAP marketing campaign), Episcopal Health Foundation (SNAP outreach expansion), and City Center Waco (Bridge Street Holiday Market sponsorship in December 2024). The market has no proprietary technology platform and runs on a standard Squarespace website; community acquisition is driven by newsletters, organic social media, and event-driven foot traffic rather than paid sales outreach. The estimated weekly customer count is approximately 1,907, with 61% of vendors being Waco-based businesses and 36% of 2025 vendors being new market entrants.

Name

Waco Downtown Farmers Market

Legal name

Waco Downtown Farmers Market

Website

https://wacodowntownfarmersmarket.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Waco Downtown Farmers Market is a nonprofit community market operating in Waco, Texas since 2011, aggregating local farmers and artisan vendors within a 150-mile radius for a year-round Saturday market and Wednesday night market serving local consumers and SNAP/WIC families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Farmers Market Operations

akta.pro primary industry

Farmers’ Markets & Farm Stands (Fresh Food) (CRAHAHAE)

Keywords

• Farmers market operations
• Local produce retail
• Vendor booth marketplace
• Nutrition incentive programs
• Artisan vendor platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Waco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Vendor booth fees: Local farmers and artisans pay to sell at the market. In 2025, vendor sales topped $2.12 million across all markets (Saturday + Wednesday), with an average of 55 vendors per Saturday and 21 per Wednesday.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Waco Downtown Farmers Market is a nonprofit, community-run producers' market operating a year-round Saturday morning market (9am-1pm) and a Wednesday night market at Bridge Street Plaza in East Waco. It aggregates roughly 55 vendors per Saturday and 21 per Wednesday drawn from local farmers, ranchers, and artisans within a 150-mile radius of Waco, and layers in nutrition incentive programs (SNAP, Double Up Food Bucks, WIC FMNP), weekly wellness activities, and live entertainment for the Waco community.

Product overview

The Waco Downtown Farmers Market is a community farmers market operation rather than a technology product company. It operates a Saturday market (year-round, 9am-1pm) and Wednesday night market featuring local agricultural producers and artisan vendors within 150 miles of Waco, Texas. The organization provides fresh produce, meats, and meals to the community while supporting local farmers and small businesses. Key offerings include nutrition incentive programs (SNAP, Double Up Food Bucks, WIC FMNP), weekly wellness activities, live entertainment, and community engagement events. The market relocated to Bridge Street Plaza in East Waco in spring 2025 and generated over $2 million in vendor sales in 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Saturday Morning Market (Year-Round) Weekly year-round Saturday producers' market (9am-1pm) at Bridge Street Plaza, 200 E. Bridge Street, Waco, TX, featuring an average of 55 local farmers, ranchers, and artisan vendors per Saturday within a 150-mile radius of Waco, with free wellness activities and live entertainment. Vendor booth rental is the core commercial offering; 2025 Saturday vendor sales totaled $2,058,553 across 52 open market days.
• Wednesday Night Market Weekday-evening producers' market held in addition to the Saturday market, featuring an average of 21 vendors per Wednesday serving the Waco community. Vendor booth rental is the core commercial offering; 2025 Wednesday vendor sales totaled $61,502.
• Food Access & Nutrition Incentive Programs (SNAP, Double Up Food Bucks, WIC FMNP) Three layered nutrition incentive programs offered at market that enable SNAP, WIC, and low-income Waco families to access locally grown fresh produce. Includes SNAP acceptance, Double Up Food Bucks matching (up to $30 per day), and the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program delivered in partnership with the Sustainable Food Center (Austin), the Waco-McLennan County WIC Office, and supported by Episcopal Health Foundation and Cooper Foundation funding. In 2025, 330 SNAP families and 243 WIC families were served.
• Weekly Wellness Activities & Live Entertainment Programming Free recurring community programming layered into Saturday market operations, including weekly wellness activities (yoga, dance, sound baths, Tai Chi) and live music performances, plus seasonal Handmade Markets and Family Engagement Events (10 Family Engagement Events delivered with Texas Center for Local Food in 2025).

Quantifiable outcome

• $2.12 million in total vendor sales in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sustainable Food Center (Austin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWDFM partners with the Sustainable Food Center in Austin to provide Double Up Food Bucks and WIC FMNP vouchers to the Waco community. This partnership enables matching funds for SNAP purchases and distributes WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers.
• Waco-McLennan County WIC OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with the Waco-McLennan County WIC office to promote the WIC FMNP at Market, helping WIC families access locally grown fresh fruit and vegetables.
• Texas Center for Local FoodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2025, WDFM worked with the Texas Center for Local Food for 10 Family Engagement Events.
• Central Texas Food BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner engaged in Waco food access initiatives.
• Greater Waco Chamber of CommerceminorOthersProud member of the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, Waco Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and other regional business organizations.
• Farmers Market CoalitionminorOthersMember of the Farmers Market Coalition, a national organization supporting farmers markets.
• GO TEXAN ProgramminorOthersAssociate member of the GO TEXAN program, promoting Texas agricultural products.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pearl Farmers Market: Pearl Farmers Market in San Antonio operates a year-round Sunday market featuring local farmers and artisan vendors. Comparable as a Texas nonprofit/operator running a weekly producer-only market with strong community programming.
• Texas Farmers Market: Texas Farmers Market operates multiple year-round farmers markets in the Austin metro area, with a similar producer-focused model and 100+ vendors per market day. Directly comparable as a Texas-based nonprofit farmers market organization serving local communities with SNAP/ DUFB programming.

Regional players

• Waco Food Cooperative: Waco-area food cooperatives provide an alternative channel for local and organic groceries in the same geography as WDFM. Comparable as a community-focused food retail peer, though operating year-round brick-and-mortar versus WDFM's weekly market format.
• Bastrop 1832 Farmers Market: Bastrop 1832 Farmers Market is a Central Texas producer-only market operating on weekends with a similar local sourcing mandate. Comparable as a regional peer though serving the Austin-Bastrop corridor rather than Waco.
• Local Yocal Farm to Market: Local Yocal is a North Texas farm-to-market store and butcher sourcing from within roughly 150 miles. Comparable in local sourcing radius and producer-direct model, though operating as a permanent retail storefront rather than a weekly market.

Broad incumbents

• Houston Farmers Market: Houston Farmers Market operates a year-round multi-day market in one of the largest Texas metros. Comparable as a Texas farmers market operator with substantially greater scale, vendor count, and geographic reach than WDFM.
• Dallas Farmers Market: Dallas Farmers Market is a much larger, municipally-supported public market with permanent infrastructure, multiple operating days, and a broader mix of retailers. Comparable as a Texas farmers market but with significantly greater scale and resources.

Others

• Sustainable Food Center: Sustainable Food Center is a key WDFM partner that runs Austin-area farmers markets and food access programs (SNAP, DUFB, WIC FMNP). It is a strategic enabler and ecosystem peer rather than a direct competitor, given the geographic separation.
• Farmers Market Coalition: Farmers Market Coalition is the national trade association of which WDFM is a member. Functions as an industry-supporting peer providing training, advocacy, and network access to WDFM and similar operators nationwide.

Emerging players

• Greenling Local Food: Greenling is a Texas-based local food delivery service that aggregates from regional farmers and producers. Comparable as an adjacent local-food platform serving Texas consumers, though operating on a digital delivery model versus WDFM's physical marketplace.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waco-downtown-farmers-market

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Waco Downtown Farmers Market