July 2007
Farmer's Markets
Nature’s bounty provides local economic boost
By Lori Valyko Weber

Area farmers markets like this one in downtown Willoughby are more than just pretty fresh fruits and vegetables. Purchasing locally grown produce can actually aid economic development efforts.

Green beans that snap; fresh corn that pops as your teeth graze the cob; strawberries so sweet they masquerade as jam; locally produced honey on homemade breads reminiscent of grandma’s kitchen.      

Among summer’s greatest pleasures is nature’s abundance. Although growing a backyard garden can be improbable for many people, no one has to ever feel denied a place at Mother Nature’s table as long as there’s a farm market nearby. And in Northeast Ohio, everyone’s invited to numerous produce stops.

Local farmers, bakers, honey producers, soap and candle makers, nurseries, and other specialty growers and crafters including organic pet food and tea blenders bring their freshest and best products to several Northeast Ohio markets. Most of these farmers markets are held weekly, providing a venue not only for showcasing produce and homemade goods, but also a bazaar-like atmosphere where news of everything from weather patterns, to business arrangements and romance gossip is just as vital as the broccoli, nectarines and berries.

Yes, these gatherings revolve around food and socializing, but their economic impact is more than a weekly party.

“What people may not realize is that purchasing locally grown produce gives a significant boost to the local economy,” says Amalie Lipstreu, program coordinator of the Farmland Center, an organization dedicated to farmland protection and viability, based in Peninsula.

The Farmland Center covers seven Northeast Ohio counties, including Lake and Geauga.

Economic impact

“People think about farmers markets and usually know about their environmental and health benefits,” Lipstreu said. “But local food systems are a sleeping giant of economic development.”

Lipstreu cites a Cleveland State University study that shows total food purchases in Northeast Ohio to be $7 billion. If only 1 percent of that were converted to the purchase of locally produced and grown foods, that would translate to $700 million spent locally.

“It’s huge,” she says. “Just by buying fruits, vegetables and other items that are necessary, staple purchases from your local farmers, you’re not only eating better-tasting and healthier foods, but you’re also circulating your money in your community. You’re supporting the farmers,  supporting their employees, and contributing to a vibrant local economy.”

Lipstreu and local growers lament that buyers give so little attention to their food’s background. Ask most kids where their food comes from, and they’ll answer “a grocery store.” They don’t make the connection that food comes from farms.

“Farmers are easy to forget,” she says, “when everyone’s vegetables come shrink-wrapped in cellophane after being shipped over a thousand miles. Farmers markets help re-establish that connection between grower and consumer. People remember that their food has to come from the earth.”

Produce from large growers may not always be a bad thing, especially when a recipe calls for fresh asparagus out of season. But when lettuces, tomatoes, and cucumbers are at the height of their freshness, cooks miss the boat by passing the local farm.      

One of the area’s longest-running and well-attended farmers markets is held in downtown Willoughby in front of City Hall every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon, May - October.

Jerry Thompson, whose businesses the Wine Vault and Zip-N-Ship are across the street from City Hall, organizes the Willoughby Farmers Market. He sees between 38 and 43 vendors set up shop every week in parking spaces in the lot for $10 a spot. It’s a good deal, he says.      

Local farmers, craftsmen, cooks and coffee makers show up in vans loaded with their wares. Many of them bring tents for shade. In those few hours, the market attracts hundreds of buyers who spend anywhere from a few bucks on coffees and strudels to over $50 on vegetables for the week, along with tasty jellies and fresh breads.

Season’s social event

“I’m here in Willoughby all the time,” Thompson says, “and I love being involved with this. It’s as much a social gathering as it is a place to shop. People come back to sell year after year, and buyers love it. They know who grows their foods and they can keep up on local news.”

Thompson said that although the big attraction is the fresh produce, people also appreciate the handmade jewelry, household goods, yard art, lawn furniture, kettle corn and other items people sell.

One such find is Bill’s Birdhouses and Feeders. Looking for something to do after he retired, Bill Hinske started making one-of-a-kind birdhouses. Twelve years later, he’s got himself a following. He sells his wares at the Willoughby and Mentor farmers markets.      

He says it’s more of a social gathering for him than anything else. “I love coming out every week to see the people.,” he said. “And the fruits and vegetables taste fantastic.”

Rainbow Farms in Perry sells fresh produce at about 120 farmers markets over their season’s 20-week period. Husband-and-wife team Larry and Tina Klco started their family farm 24 years ago when the company Larry had been working for shut its doors.      

“My wife and I wondered what we were going to do,” Larry said, “and we decided to become a full-time farm. We’ve never looked back.”

Farmers markets are a valuable segment of Rainbow’s business, accounting for about 60 percent of overall sales.

Rainbow can be found peddling various produce at markets in Willoughby, Kirtland, Shaker Heights, Mentor, Painesville and Willowick, as well as at other special events throughout the summer.

Market segment

“Every farm market has its own personality,” Larry Klco says. “The trick is to determine what each shopping segment is looking for, and then grow and deliver what they want.”      

Like Lipstreu, the Klcos say shoppers are realizing more than ever that much of the fresh produce available in the grocery store is not really all that fresh. Today’s tomatoes at the grocer were picked unripe over a week ago and then trucked from California or another state.

“Everything I sell, I grow – or I bring from another local grower,” Klco says. “I don’t broker for better deals from growers who ship their product, and I don’t lie to my customers. I want to be able to tell them exactly where and how their food is grown.”      

The Lake Metroparks Farmpark market is in its second year, and although it’s smaller than other farmers markets, it doesn’t allow brokered items.

“We only allow locally grown and produced foods,” says Cheryl Hammon, market coordinator. “Some markets allow brokered and consigned produce from far away, and the sellers really don’t know how fresh the products are. Farm market shoppers deserve direct contact with their farmers and should know they’re getting produce that’s not being trucked across the country, losing freshness and taste. And people want to know about pesticides and fertilizers. Local farmers can answer their questions.”      

Among the typical fruit and vegetable market offerings at Farmpark, shoppers can also usually find grass-fed beef, honey and honey products, transplants for gardening, shrubbery, and hanging flower baskets. The cast of vendors varies each week.

Viewing farming as a viable source of economic prosperity for Northeast Ohio just makes sense, Lipstreu says.

“Supporting more of our own locally grown and raised food products into the market will have exponential returns,” she said. “We have the resources, the growing awareness and demand for healthy local foods, and the expertise to invest in food systems which create jobs, prosperity and healthy lifestyles for the people of Ohio.”

Lori Valyko Weber is a Hambden Township freelance writer.