When I first reached out to the husband and wife team of Tina and Orion Weldon, they were busy rotating their pigs. But hey, when you run a local farm, that’s what you do.
The Weldon’s own and operate TerraPurezza Regenerative Agriculture Institute and Farm located in Spicewood. Tina’s sister Karina is a co-owner and partner with them.
If you’re unfamiliar with the terminology, regenerative agriculture means they use a collection of techniques to produce food while rehabilitating soil health, rebuilding native grasslands, and restoring natural water cycles. Livestock is pasture raised and rotationally graze on native grasses. They also focus on endangered heritage breeds like Red Wattle hogs from Texas, and Gloucestershire Old Spots from England.
Their vision for changing the way food is produced and how farmers relate to the land has guided them to their newest endeavor — Pedernales Farmer’s Market. In fact, TerraPurezza hosted the market for the first time last Sunday.
With support from their partner restaurant, Apis Restaurant & Apiary, and other local vendors, TerraPurezza is bringing a long-time dream to fruition.
Actually, make that two dreams.
Apis owners Chef Taylor Hall and Casie Hall have always had a unique vision for their rustic, yet refined restaurant that includes a functional honey house. They wanted to create a holistic campus in their space — Apis, Pizzaria Sorellina, the apiary and the surrounding gardens — where kids can play, families can stroll, and patrons can enjoy sustainable and delicious dining.
Tina and Orion possess a strikingly similar vision for the Texas Hill Country, which is why they founded their farm in 2015. When the like-minded duos united, it just made sense that the Pedernales Farmer’s Market would be located in the Apis parking lot.
Now, every Sunday morning from 9am – 2pm the Lake Travis community is invited to experience TerraPurezza’s mission in person. The new market has an array of farm products including whole pastured chicken, fresh eggs, and pork cuts including chops, tenderloin, ribs, roasts, sausages, bone broth and whipped lardo.
In addition, they will be selling Barton Springs Mill (BSM) certified organic flours, cornmeal, and grits – the very same ingredients used in Sorellina’s pizza crust and in the famous sourdough bread at Apis.
An anchor vendor at Pedernales Farmer’s Market is baker Rachel Bach, the owner of Bellows Bakery. She is also the head baker at the newly-opened farm-to-table restaurant Pitchfork Pretty, in Austin. Using BSM flour, Rachel prepares baked goods like cinnamon rolls, croissants, bagels, and bread loaves. There are plenty of free samples, so you can taste the difference yourself to better understand the importance of nutrient-dense foods.
Since TerraPurezza is also dedicated to educating communities about regenerative agriculture, they will be incorporating fun, interactive opportunities for kiddos (and adults) to learn about the animals in their local farms. Think fluffy baby chicks and cute piglets!
Pizzeria Sorellina opens at noon, so make a day of it and enjoy the best of Spicewood with farmers who are dedicated to preserving it.
Do you grow, raise, or make something in the Pedernales, Spicewood or Austin area? TerraPurezza is looking for organic produce vendors. Let us know in the comments section on our Facebook page.
I enjoyed reading about regenerative agriculture. I applaud the efforts being made to educate the public on farming correctly. In today’s world most people do not even think about it.