- Worthington Farmers Market
Year in Review. Re-Opening Feb 5! Producer Directory & WFM Mercantile Online. Quick Question . . .
Market Re-Opens February 5!
We're staying busy during our winter break as we work to secure an indoor location for February and March. The Market will re-open on February 5. Watch for an upcoming announcement about our new indoor location.
A Year in Review from the Market Manager . . .
In January, we asked our Market community to resolve to shop small in an effort to help our farmers and food producers recover from the wild ride that was 2020. And, now, as we approach the end of the year, I am so appreciative and grateful to each of you for making that commitment to the Worthington Farmers Market this year.
Because of your support and with help from the City of Columbus Public Health Department, the City of Worthington and our parent non-profit organization, The Worthington Partnership, we were able to return the Market to its downtown Worthington home in May.
With our return to High Street, we welcomed back many familiar faces and long-time producers. We also introduced 14 new producers to the Market this year thanks to your feedback from our producer preview days. And, we added more space to the Market footprint with the addition of the southeast and southwest Village Greens. This expansion has allowed for less crowding among our booths and more space to gather, play games, listen to musical performances and to sit and enjoy your favorite Market foods.
We were thrilled to resume our annual National Farmers Market Week celebration in August. What a joy to see so many smiles as families explored and learned about the goats, sheep, turkey, pig, chickens and bunnies from Bring the Farm to You. We spotted some sweet dance moves as you grooved to soloist Jesse Powers and the Market debut of the Blue Spectrum Band. The kids jumped for joy in our giant bounce house. And, we welcomed back our friends and THE best fry bread from NAICCO Cuisine, celebrating their first year anniversary after their 2020 debut at the Worthington Farmers Market.
We experimented with new ways to experience the Market this year. Featuring seasonal Market ingredients and the kitchen inspiration of Stephanie Eakins of The Freezer Meal Club, we cooked away the winter blahs with #FreezerMealFebruary menus. We raised a virtual glass together with a Facebook Live wine and cheese tasting hosted by cheesemakers, Lisa Sippel and Ben Baldwin of Kokoborrego Cheese Company. And in December we paired some of your favorite producers and makers for our first Holiday Marketplace during Worthington’s annual Illuminated Holiday Shopping event.
And, now that our holiday Market season has wrapped up outdoors, we’re taking a few weeks to solidify an indoor Market location for our coldest months - February and March - and put some new ideas into place for our 2022 Market season. Watch our website, newsletter and social media accounts for an announcement with our indoor Market location.
Between now and when the Market re-opens on February 5, you can still support our Market producers. Several stores throughout the Columbus area carry our producers’ products, including City Folk’s Farm Shop, Beechwold Farm Market, Global Gallery, Bexley Natural Market, Lucky’s Market, Hill’s Market and Weiland’s Market.
Some producers have online stores and offer local pick-up or home delivery. You can search for producers, products and those that offer purchase options beyond the Worthington Farmers Market using our online producer directory here: https://www.worthingtonfarmersmarket.com/vendors
Thank you for an amazing year and for your commitment to family businesses and local foods! We can’t wait to see you again in February!
Christine Hawks, Market Manager
Market Mercantile is Open!
Market Totes
Limited edition market tote bag -- also part of our end-of-year fundraising program. $25
Gift Certificates
Gift Certificates, available in $5 and $10 denominations, never expire and are accepted by all the market vendors.
Limited Edition Holiday Ornaments
Get a jump on next year's decorating and gift giving!
Just a few of our handmade, individually numbered ornaments remain! Limited to a run of just 125, these are available ready to hang on the tree, tie on a package or wrapped and ready to give.
Proceeds from the purchase of each ornament benefit the Worthington Farmers Market and will help support our operations for our 2022 season.
Visit the Worthington Farmers Market Online Mercantile here:
https://www.worthingtonfarmersmarket.com/market-mercantile
Save the Date!
Thursday, January 6
Enjoy a multi-course dinner from Tulip Cafe at home!
You may know our friends from Columbus Food Adventures from their Saturday morning tours of the farmers market. But did you also know they curate custom menus to highlight the talented multi-cultural and immigrant chefs in Columbus? Trust Fall dinners are generous, multi-course portions for two and the menu is revealed upon pick-up/delivery.
Delivery is available within the 270 outerbelt (pick-up at the restaurant if outside of 270) and reservations are limited. Learn more about Trust Fall dinners and schedule your mystery dinner from Tulip Cafe for January 6, 2022 here: https://columbusfoodadventures.com/trust-fall
Quick Question . . .
Indoor/Outdoor Winter Market
Give us your thoughts on the winter market in this short 1-question survey:
https://forms.gle/Ujenaqxm6FTcBDie7
Invest in Your Community
Do you love our farmers market? We are powered by a non-profit organization that largely relies on donations to fund our operations. Please consider donating to help us reach our goal. You can do a one-time donation or even set up a monthly donation to help us keep our market going strong. Click here for the link to donate: experienceworthington.com/donate
The Worthington Partnership is pleased to announce that COhatch is furthering its investment in the Worthington community. Together the organizations will continue to drive initiatives to bring positive attention to the historic district, and support professional development and educational seminars for local merchants and business owners. The Partnership also will support soon-to-be-announced COhatch community events geared toward improving the lives of local residents.
COhatch will provide funding, hosting venues and people resources to help design and plan future programs for the community in collaboration with the Old Worthington Partnership. You will also see the COhatch airstream trailer, a multi-purpose office on wheels named "Mobi" at various events.
Thanks to COhatch for bringing energy and resources to Old Worthington! We are thrilled to work even more closely together to enhance the Old Worthington experience.
For more information, or questions related to any of our services, please contact us via email at worthingtonfarmersmarket@gmail.com.
The Worthington Farmers Market is an event of The Worthington Partnership.