Peaches and Black Diamond Watermelons Return to Theiss Farms Market in Spring
For Spring-area residents who measure summer by what is ripe at the produce stand, a few familiar favorites have made their way back to Theiss Farms Market.
The longtime family-run market at 2008 Rayford Road in Spring, Texas, announced Friday that peaches and Black Diamond watermelons are back in stock, joining Tennessee tomatoes and a limited supply of Texas cantaloupe.
“You ask, we listen! Peaches and black diamond watermelons are back! Peaches are from Colorado and are really good!” Theiss Farms Market shared in its announcement.
It is a simple seasonal update, but for a business with roots stretching back generations in the Houston area, the changing produce lineup is also part of a tradition that has connected local families with fresh fruits and vegetables for well over a century.
From a Shade-Tree Produce Stand to a Spring-Area Market
The story behind Theiss Farms Market reaches much farther back than its Rayford Road storefront.
According to the market, the Theiss family has produced vegetables and other farm and ranch products in Harris County for more than 158 years, selling to customers throughout the Houston area and surrounding counties.
The family's main market began in the late 1970s as a small stand under a shade tree, where homegrown tomatoes were sold to friends and neighbors. A larger market opened in 1985, expanding the selection to include other homegrown produce, including the family's Summer Sweet corn.
The Rayford-area operation has its own chapter in that history.
Mike Watthuber and Stacey Theiss Watthuber, the farmer's daughter, began operating a weekend produce stand off Sawdust Road in 1998 while still working other jobs. What began with fewer than 15 primarily homegrown items eventually grew into a full-time market offering more than 100 produce selections. The business relocated to its current address at 2008 Rayford Road in 2008.
For longtime Spring and The Woodlands-area shoppers, that history helps explain why a produce announcement can feel less like a grocery-store restock and more like the arrival of another part of the season.
What Does Theiss Farms Market Grow?
Theiss Farms Market's original offerings included crops grown on the family farm, such as corn, tomatoes, squash, beans and greens. Its selection expanded over the years as customers asked for more variety.
Today, the market combines its own homegrown produce with fruits and vegetables sourced from other Texas growers, elsewhere in the United States and, for some products, other countries. The market says its homegrown items are clearly identified for customers who specifically want locally grown produce.
That broader sourcing allows the market to carry seasonal favorites beyond what is growing on the family's own land — including watermelons, cantaloupes, peaches, strawberries, avocados, pineapples, bananas and other fresh produce.
The market is not certified organic, according to its website, and says pesticides are used minimally and only as needed on its crops.
What's Available at Theiss Farms Market Right Now?
For shoppers heading to the Rayford Road farm market this weekend, the current lineup includes several classic late-summer items.
Peaches from Colorado and Black Diamond watermelons have returned following customer interest, according to Theiss Farms Market.
The market also reports having plenty of Tennessee tomatoes, while Texas cantaloupes are available in limited quantities.
Black Diamond watermelons are an especially recognizable warm-weather favorite, known for their dark green rind and the kind of large, traditional watermelon appearance many shoppers associate with roadside produce stands and summer gatherings.
As with most seasonal produce markets, availability can change quickly depending on supply and customer demand.
More Than Fruits and Vegetables on Rayford Road
Produce remains at the center of Theiss Farms Market, but the Rayford Road location has expanded substantially since its early days.
Along with fresh fruits and vegetables, the market has added jams, jellies, pickles and other canned goods, as well as plants and rustic merchandise.
The Rayford location also developed a plant business after the market's move from Sawdust Road. Its selection has grown to include hanging baskets, potted plants, Boston ferns, herbs, mums and fruit and citrus trees, among other seasonal offerings.
That mix has helped turn a stop for tomatoes or sweet corn into the kind of local market where customers may leave with produce, a hanging basket and something canned for the pantry.
A Local Farm Market Tradition Continues in Spring
In a part of northern Harris County and Montgomery County where subdivisions, retail centers and new development continue to reshape the landscape, Theiss Farms Market offers a reminder of the area's agricultural roots.
The business describes supporting local growers and the “shop local” movement as an important part of its mission, while crediting generations of community customers for sustaining the family's farming tradition.
For residents searching for fresh produce in Spring, Texas, a farmers market near The Woodlands, local tomatoes near Rayford Road or simply a watermelon for the weekend, the latest arrival gives shoppers another reason to stop by while these seasonal items last.
Theiss Farms Market is located at 2008 Rayford Road, Spring, TX 77386. According to its latest announcement, the market is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Because seasonal inventory can change, shoppers looking for a particular fruit or vegetable may want to check Theiss Farms Market's latest updates before making a special trip.
Stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for more Spring-area business updates, local events and community news.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.