Our Story
How did Ranch Roots Market begin, and why?
The short, simple answer is that two families started on a journey to find and make the best foods to stay healthy and raise their children well. The real story involves a lurking threat and a blind step into uncharted territory.
We’ve all read stories or watched movies about people living in a dystopian society and struggling against horrific circumstances, usually designed by the people in power. But we skip over the part where the population slowly allows itself to slip into that affliction, and we seldom consider if such a fate could soon be ours.
If we look together at some objective facts, we might need to consider whether we are already headed down such a path.
A small handful of giant food corporations produce an overwhelming majority of American groceries.
Farmland decreased by more than 20 million acres between 2017 and 2022 alone, with small farmers squeezed out of business.
Crops are being genetically modified, sprayed with chemicals linked to many diseases, rooted in synthetic fertilizers, and grown for speed and profit at the expense of nutrient quality.
Animals in factory farms are jammed into unsanitary conditions, fed unnatural, chemically-laden grain diets, and dosed with pharmaceuticals to combat the resulting diseases. To increase profits further, they are given drugs like ractopamine and melengestrol acetate to promote rapid weight gain.
Sadly, some people are already aware of all this, but still purchase their food from the closest big box grocery store because it's a few dollars cheaper. Others don’t know how big agriculture fools them with the “organic” label. And so our dystopian food practices march on.
Both of the families who started Ranch Roots Market were frustrated by these trends and struggled to find foods they felt good about feeding their children. Both of our families have had to battle with a mess of health issues, and we have all lost loved ones too early due to this food crisis. This isn’t uncommon, but few people connect their health problems with the food they put in their body every day.
Consider a few more facts...
We spend, by far, more money than any other country on our health care, yet we have significantly shorter life expectancy, higher cancer rates, and more chronic disease.
Over 70% of foods in our grocery stores are classified as processed foods.
Poor diet is the leading cause of mortality in the U.S., directly related to malnutrition and chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and many cancers.
This is far too much to ignore, but what can we do about it?
In early 2024, we began in earnest to meet with local farmers and food artisans known for producing high-quality foods the right way. We will admit that, at the very beginning, we were primarily trying to find the best foods for our families. We also began learning how to raise and grow our own foods. The more people we told, the more our friends and family became interested.
We began to see that the solution to this problem was much bigger than us, and a dream took root in our minds. What if we could not only change the way we get real foods onto our plates, but we could save the small farmers that are our only lifeline to healthy, local sustenance?
To do that, we would need to bring together our community - people like us, who want their food to help them live this one, beautiful life to the fullest, rather than send us coughing and limping to another appointment, another drug prescription and an early exit.
Who is Ranch Roots Market for?
If you don’t care about the ingredients in your food, how it was made, or what it was sprayed or injected with, you probably shouldn’t join us.
If you feel good supporting gigantic food conglomerates who are intentionally forcing small farmers out of business and making people sick by adding addictive substances to their products with little-to-no nutrient value, then we respect your freedom to do so.
If you’d rather save a buck on your food and roll the dice to find out which diseases, chronic health issues and medications you and your family win as your prize, then you might not be a good fit.
Ranch Roots Market is for anyone in the proximate areas of the Helotes, San Antonio, Boerne areas who value natural, nutritious, quality foods.
If you want to eat well, but are tired of having to scrutinize long lists of ingredients and worry about what chemicals have been used on your food, we bring peace of mind by visiting and vetting our providers and only partnering with those who grow food the right way.
If you want to support our communities farmers and ranchers, but don’t want to hustle to the farmer’s market every week before the good stuff is gone, then you’ll love our convenient online ordering system.
If you understand how foods that are shipped long distances and sit in grocery stores lose most of their nutrient value, and you're tired of wasting money on empty foods, we can give you invaluable access to local foods picked just in time to be brought to market for you.
If you want to be part of a community of people constantly learning and lifting each other up, you should join the Ranch Roots Collective.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does shopping require a membership?
Ranch Roots Market operates as a buyer’s club because it allows us to support local farmers and artisans while offering our members access to the best local foods and hard to find items, such as pasture-raised eggs and meats, freshly-milled flours, local honey, fresh raw milk, sourdough breads, artisan cheeses and seasonal garden produce.
Your annual membership also includes access to exclusive workshops, tastings, and community events where you can connect with like-minded people, learning directly from farmers, artisans, and chefs passionate about sustainable living.
How do I join?
You can find the membership agreement form by clicking on the link at the top of the homepage, or just use this link here. Once you digitally sign that form, your membership fee will be added to your cart, and you just need to checkout. Once you complete that, you will create an account tied to your email address if you have not done so already. You will now have access to shop the products. We highly encourage you to sign up for email and sms marketing so we can send you updates on the foods and helpful reminders.
Why do you use a pre-ordering set up?
Our pre-ordering system ensures you receive the freshest, highest-quality products, with items often harvested or prepared just before pickup. By placing your order by Tuesday at 10 p.m., we give local farmers and artisans the time they need to prepare exactly what’s needed, reducing waste and supporting sustainable practices. This streamlines operations, so your order is ready and waiting for you on Friday or Saturday. It’s a simple way to connect with the local food supply and keep your food fresh and preservative-free.
What hours are you open?
Our website is open 24/7 for ordering. Orders placed before 10pm on Tuesday will be ready for pickup in the market that Friday or Saturday. Our market is currently open Fridays from 2pm - 7pm, and Saturdays 9am - 1pm, which are the primary times that people want to get their weekly groceries. As our community expands, we look forward to opening up more days and hours.
Do you deliver?
As a new operation, we do not currently deliver. We do take all feedback from members seriously, and if there is enough interest in this, we will make that happen.
Are there other things that I can pick up in person?
Yes! We do keep many items in the market, so you can certainly grab those at your convenience. However, even these items can be limited, so it’s always best to add items to your online order to ensure you get what you want.
How can I see what you have available to order
Access to our inventory is exclusive to members, but feel free to reach out to us if you have specific questions. The local foods we offer access to can shift with the seasons, and we are constantly working to find more farms to partner with as the Ranch Roots Collective grows, as long as they meet our shared standards.
We offer foods from local farms, ranches and artisans, such as eggs, beef, pork, chicken, bison, quail, produce, microgreens, cheeses, nuts, raw and pasteurized milks, breads, flours, sourdough products, crackers, raw honey, A2 ice creams, and more.