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Farmers Market Grows a Neighborhood May 11, 2003 @ 11:30 AM on WVIZ Throughout the Making Change series, we've seen how important technology is to the future of our region's economy… everything from the need for more college graduates with high-tech degrees to Governor Taft's efforts to bring more technology companies to Ohio through his Third Frontier initiative. So you might get the impression that you have to be some kind of a technological-genius to have an impact on our regional economy. Well that's certainly not the case. Sometimes, all it takes is vision and determination to begin Making Change. Donita Anderson had both, and not much else, when she set out to create the North Union Farmers Market almost a decade ago. Today, the market not only gives families access to fresh, organic foods. It's also helped some farmers to quit their day jobs and helped turn around a neighborhood. 
Julie Henry: It's about 7:30 on a dank and drizzly autumn morning. The sun isn't up yet. But already, the sidewalks on Shaker Square are buzzing with activity. Farmers set up folding tables to display their apples, turnips, lettuces, cheeses, eggs… and even homemade pastries and wines. Shoppers jostle from one booth to the next… on the lookout for the freshest produce at the best price. Welcome to the north union farmers market. Customer Steven Leo likes to start his weekends here. He says he enjoys the atmosphere almost as much as the food. STEVEN LEO: It's just something I look forward to coming to every saturday, rain or shine JH: Created in 1995, the North Union Farmers Market is the brainchild of shaker heights resident Donita Anderson. She's a biologist and a chef. And she wanted to raise her family on fresh, local, organic foods. Dissatisfied with what she found on store shelves… and fed up with dragging her children out to country farms every week… Donita decided to bring the farmers into the city. DONITA ANDERSON: You know what I did, and I hope more people in Cleveland do it. When they're starting something is to look nationally for mentors. So I started going to farm market direct meetings. Throughout the country and I read and learned how to promote farmers markets. I got in touch with the national scene, California's way ahead of us. I've studied under the best. If they're running 20 markets, I ask them details, and that's helped us with a low failure rate. You know, listen to the pitfalls and keep your ears open...and how did these farmers [do it], what did they do to market to sell and California is way ahead and the farmers are making 200,000 dollars a year some of them. They're going to five markets. So I hope that happens for Ohio's small farms. JH: Farmer Patty Iubelt isn't clearing that much yet. But this former pediatric nurse was able to quit her hospital job because of the market. PATTY IUBELT: It was really nice to have an outlet. I actually prefer the farming much more than nursing anyway. so I was extremely happy to have an outlet for everything. JH: In 1994, Patty and her husband bought Maple Ridge Farm in Madison, Ohio. They planted a vineyard and set-up a winery, in addition to growing organic vegetables. And in 1996, they began selling their tomatoes, lamb meat, eggs, vinegar, and wine at the north union farmers market. PATTY IUBELT: It's probably still three quarters of our income for now. so if we didn't have the farmers market, I'm absolutely positive I would not be where I am today with how the farm is operating because I wouldn't have been pushed to do it. If you don't see sales, you're not going to continue to do something. I mean you need to have some money to help pay for everything and the customers at the shaker square farmers market are just fantastic. They are so loyal. They come out in the rain and everything, if the weather's bad. JH: Those loyal customers, averaging about two thousand a week from April to December, were a big draw when Randy Ruttenberg and his partners at center point properties bought shaker square in 1999… and began a 24-million dollar renovation of the nation's second oldest shopping center. RANDY RUTTENBERG: It has been a humongous catalyst for us, we consider the farmers market as a whole one of our anchors, along with Joseph Beth, along with the theater. We believe that they serve to bring as diverse of a population, as regional as a um draw to the square as some of those other tenants do. They're a huge part of shaker square. BRENDA SHAKOOR: I have an older daugher in Baltimore and they have really good farmers markets there. I'm very glad we have something like this in Cleveland. RANDY RUTTENBERG: People are looking to blend shopping with other types of activities. Shopping centers to us need to serve not only as retail trade zones but places where people can gather and enjoy each others company. And that's one of the things the farmers market does. PARKER BOSLEY: We need to restore in cities the human infrastructure and this restores the human infrastructure because it creates an atmosphere where people interact. Farmers are meeting customers, customers are meeting farmers, customers are meeting each other. If we want cities and neighborhoods to uh be viable, you have to have people in them. JH: Although the vendors make money at the non-profit North Union Farmers Market… market manager Donita Anderson didn't begin drawing a paycheck until last year. But she says she's not trying to get rich from the market. Her satisfaction comes from seeing the positive impact it's had on her community. DONITA ANDERSON: This has created so much energy and fun and that's one nice thing about, the other nice thing about the market...oh I think one person with an idea in their heart should go for it. Cause this truly is my dream come true. You start small, you research it, you study it. Every city you go to, examine someone else who's trying to do what you're doing. And keep talking about it amongst friends you trust and family. I can't say enough [about] volunteering in your community. You develop friends. I jumped in and joined the PTO. And Shaker Heights has a wealth of women, they come from every career level, every economic level and you build ties. And a lot of those women are still on our board, you know they run our benefit. They're just phenomenal. ...you look at your own neighbors, they're there. And your community can build what you need to start your business...I call success seeing a farmer heading back two hours on his ride home with an empty truck and just to see that and a smile on his face and say "how'd you do." and to have them say "great Donita, thanks again." JH: By volunteering in her children's school… Donita Anderson created a network of friends and associates that helped turn her vision into a reality. It's just one more example of how getting involved in your community makes life better for you and everyone around you. Sure, we can't control everything that impacts our regional economy. But by taking small steps… like volunteering, using new technologies, taking a chance, educating ourselves, and looking for ways to partner with others… we can make a difference. We're all in this together. And ideastream will be with you every step of the way. Through special reports on WVIZ/PBS, on 90.3 WCPN, and on the ideastream websites… we'll give you the facts you need to make informed choices… and show you concrete ways that you can begin making change to reinvent our regional economy… one step at a time. So lace up those shoes… and let's start walking. Resources:
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