In order to to gain insight into the community’s perceptions about the new enterprise, market manager Sara Hill posted a seven-question survey on the Garrettsville Farmers’ Market Facebook page on July 29, and it is still available for people to take.
So far, more than 100 respondents have participated in the survey (a large representation of the average 400 attendees to the weekly market). While overall response has been overwhelmingly positive, a few results reveal common misperceptions that Hill wants to correct. For instance, people assume that current vendors are not local business owners/residents, even though 80% are from Garrettsville, Hiram or Mantua.
“Our little town’s extraordinary support of our market and its local vendors. Community support has been so great. This is already bigger than we ever imagined.”
Sara Hill, Market Manager
On average, there are 20 vendors per market day, which fluctuate from week to week. Produce alone can include peaches, blueberries, cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, lettuces, kale, carrots, potatoes, garlic, onions, salad mix, mustard, hakurei turnips, carrots, radishes, zucchini and yellow squash, depending on when particular crops are ready for harvest. While 80% of vendors are from Garrettsville, Hiram or Mantua, 15% are located within 20 miles of Garrettsville and only 5% travel in more than 20 miles from the village.
Garrettsville vendors include Next Generation Farm, Art n Flowers, Bird Song Farm, Cellar Door Coffee Co., Isaac Mills Bread, Top Tier Pastry, The Tiny Jelly Co., Mel Rae Cakes, Sunrise Farms and New Leaf Farm. Vendors from the Mantua/Hiram area include Monroe’s Orchard, Hiram Farm, Copper Hawk Farms, Pearl’s Cakery and K&K Meats.
Additional vendors hail from less than 20 miles away, including DiLauro’s Pizzeria – Burton, McDivitt Family Maple LLC – Southington, The Succulent Hut – West Farmington , Fox Acres – Ravenna and Organic Roots Horticulture- Ravenna. From farther than 20 miles away are Pershing’s Popcorn of Lake Milton and Ohio City Pasta from Cleveland.
Speaking of Ohio City Pasta, this fixture at Cleveland’s West Side Market actually reached out with a request to become a vendor at the Garrettsville Market, to Hill’s surprise. “They had so many people ask, ‘Why aren’t you at Garrettsville Farmers’ Market?’ So now they are here, and they sell out at our little village market. In fact, other vendors who regularly sell goods at farmers’ markets in bigger cities like Hudson and Aurora actually do better here than there.”
Hill says this speaks to “Our little town’s extraordinary support of our market and its local vendors. Community support has been so great. This is already bigger than we ever imagined.”
Thanks to a $500 donation from Charles Auto Family, the market is able to provide weekly children’s activities each week. Children can make and take home a variety of craft projects that integrate the arts and the plant world.
