Worthington Farmers Market: October 1st

"Just read your post on "What is Midwestern Cuisine". I find it so interesting reading through my grandmas church cookbooks from the 70's, because I think you are right. There are many dishes that have more to do with the cultural influences of the parishioners than with the crops being farmed in the town."

Today's newsletter is a contribution from Worthington Farmers Market fan, Katie Dillman, after reading and being inspired by one of our previous posts. Katie is a high school teacher, home cook, and the founder of Make Our Day. She enjoys good coffee, traveling, and hilarious questions asked by children.

Sustaining Generational Businesses

Through Farmer’s Market Vending

Access to fresh produce has increased considerably thanks to the popularity of farmer’s markets. People are looking for local and sustainable foods, and often find better prices than at their local grocery store. Not only are farmer’s markets sources of local produce, but also business and job creators. This is always good news.

How do farmer’s market vendors achieve multi-generational business continuity and success? Farmers markets provide relatively easy and affordable opportunities to generate new income for small-business owners. Through a combination of factors, farmer’s market vendors have been able to maintain their success over the long term.

Jorgensen Farms Val Jorgensen has used goals to determine what she wants to accomplish as a family business. Their mission is to provide a real-life food and farm experience for all who visit the farm or taste their produce. By fashioning the business's goals around this mission, she has been able to maintain a thriving business that includes local farmer's markets.

Crum Strawberry Farm This family business promotes ownership, relationship building, and career opportunities. Offering products at several different farmer’s markets five days a week, they offer their vendors full-time opportunities to earn income. By promoting equity in the business, each person provides leadership and contributes to business growth and development.

Rhoads Farm As a multi-generational family business, they have been in business for no less than 54 years! They attribute their longevity to accountability to their customers. By listening to them regarding what products and services to carry, as well as following industry trends, have helped them to be successful. One of the best ways to receive this direct feedback is by participating in farmer's markets.

Success as a multi-generational farmer’s market vendor obviously takes planning; successful planning of the day-to-day tasks associated with vending feeds into the business’s long-term goals. This planning may include seeking out markets to vend products. Ohio Markets have some of the best local and fresh offerings, Worthington being the largest in Central Ohio.

Farmer's markets are to be found all across the country. The popularity and ease of participation for the vendor and the customer help fuel the availability of fresh, locally grown produce. Families working together over generations will keep the trend growing; they also tend to be strongly goal-oriented and future-focused for their businesses.

Our vendors for Saturday, October 1st include (in both alphabetical and numerical order):

2 Oink Moo Cluck Farms LLC 3 Ohio Farm Direct 4 Wishwell Farms 5 Wishwell Farms 6 Dana Lee's Bakery & Catery 7 Sweet thing gourmet 8 Crum Strawberry Farm 9 Saum Farm 9.5 Branstool Orchards 10 Curly Tail Organic Farm 11 Oakleaf Farm 12 Oakleaf Farm 13 Farmhouse Herbs and Flowers 15 zemnicki farms and greenhouse 16 zemnicki farms and greenhouse 17 From My Garden 18 Toad Hill Farm 19 Pies by The PieMan 20 Kombucha PWI,Ltd 21 Kingdom Fish 22 Krazy Kraut 24 cottage garden 25 cottage garden 26 Sugar B. Bakery 27 Gillogly Orchard 28 Gillogly Orchard 29 Phil Keller Designs 30 Phil Keller Designs 32 Speckled Hen Farm 33 Speckled Hen Farm 34 Up the Lane 35 Jenn's Cupcakes & Confections 35.5 Rock Dove Farm 36 Jorgensen Farms 37 Dan the Baker 38 Gourmet Candy by Karen 39 Allergy-free Bake Shop dba Soodles Bake Shop 40 cedar cress farm 41 Chuck Evans' MONTEZUMA Brand Sauces & Salsas 42 Pleiades Maple Products 43 JNA BREAD BAKERY 44 Native Cold Pressed 46 Weed Knob Acres 47 GoldenLife Dog Food 50 VanScoy Farms 51 VanScoy Farms 52 bak 53 Blue Jacket Dairy 56 Anderson Orchard 57 Honeyrun Farm 58 Dangling Carrot Farm 59 Dangling Carrot Farm 60 Cliff's Greenhouse and Garden Center 61 Nom Nom Nom 62 A Few Of My Favorite Things... 63 Batter and Bowl 64 Ohio Bison Farm 65 Wayward Seed Farm 68 Baileys Drive Inn Donuts 69 Sippel Family Farm/Kokoborrego Cheese 70 SaraBee Pure Honey 71 Swainway Urban Farm 72 Made Without Grain, formerly The Brown and Blond Bakery 73 Ohio City Pasta 75 Organic GreenFix 76 Stonefield Naturals 77 Somerset Herbs LLC 78 Silver Bridge Coffee Company 79 Rhoads Farm Inc 80 Rhoads Farm Inc 81 Spotted Salamander Soap Company, LLC

62 A Few Of My Favorite Things... 39 Allergy-free Bake Shop dba Soodles Bake Shop 56 Anderson Orchard 68 Baileys Drive Inn Donuts 52 bak 63 Batter and Bowl 53 Blue Jacket Dairy 9.5 Branstool Orchards 40 cedar cress farm 41 Chuck Evans' MONTEZUMA Brand Sauces & Salsas 60 Cliff's Greenhouse and Garden Center 24 cottage garden 25 cottage garden 8 Crum Strawberry Farm 10 Curly Tail Organic Farm 37 Dan the Baker 6 Dana Lee's Bakery & Catery 58 Dangling Carrot Farm 59 Dangling Carrot Farm 13 Farmhouse Herbs and Flowers 17 From My Garden 27 Gillogly Orchard 28 Gillogly Orchard 47 GoldenLife Dog Food 38 Gourmet Candy by Karen 57 Honeyrun Farm 35 Jenn's Cupcakes & Confections 43 JNA BREAD BAKERY 36 Jorgensen Farms 21 Kingdom Fish 20 Kombucha PWI,Ltd 22 Krazy Kraut 72 Made Without Grain, formerly The Brown and Blond Bakery 44 Native Cold Pressed 61 Nom Nom Nom 11 Oakleaf Farm 12 Oakleaf Farm 64 Ohio Bison Farm 73 Ohio City Pasta 3 Ohio Farm Direct 2 Oink Moo Cluck Farms LLC 75 Organic GreenFix 29 Phil Keller Designs 30 Phil Keller Designs 19 Pies by The PieMan 42 Pleiades Maple Products 79 Rhoads Farm Inc 80 Rhoads Farm Inc 35.5 Rock Dove Farm 70 SaraBee Pure Honey 9 Saum Farm 78 Silver Bridge Coffee Company 69 Sippel Family Farm/Kokoborrego Cheese 77 Somerset Herbs LLC 32 Speckled Hen Farm 33 Speckled Hen Farm 81 Spotted Salamander Soap Company, LLC 76 Stonefield Naturals 26 Sugar B. Bakery 71 Swainway Urban Farm 7 Sweet thing gourmet 18 Toad Hill Farm 34 Up the Lane 50 VanScoy Farms 51 VanScoy Farms 65 Wayward Seed Farm 46 Weed Knob Acres 4 Wishwell Farms 5 Wishwell Farms 15 zemnicki farms and greenhouse 16 zemnicki farms and greenhouse

Our Community Table: CoHatch Worthington (Space #14) and AARP (Space #48)

Our Musical Entertainment: Ian Hummel

Join us this Saturday, and every Saturday from 8:00am-12:00pm!

For more information, or questions related to any of our services, please contact us via email at worthingtonfarmersmarket@gmail.com. See you at the market!

The Worthington Farmers Market is an event of the Old Worthington Partnership.