In Focus
By Brendan Martin
Fresh New Faces
The Upper Arlington Farmers’ Market continues to thrive
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othing tastes quite as good as homegrown food. From succulent strawberries to juicy plums and sweet honey, the Upper Arlington Farmers’ Market returns May 20 to satisfy all of your summer cravings. In 2019, the UA Farmers’ Market formed a partnership with Get Fresh Markets. The non-profit organization supports small local food businesses and family farms. From setting up the vendor recruitment applications to farm inspections and even providing the entertainment each week, Get Fresh Markets has its partners covered. “Basically everything that you see at the market on site when you visit, we help logistically set up to make sure that happens,” says Michelle White, co-founder of Get Fresh Markets. Get Fresh Markets is led by White and her colleague, Jamie “I like the markets because they’re the perfect intersection of Hadji. Both have worked with farmers’ markets throughout cen- economic issues and agricultural issues,” White says. “All those tral Ohio. White has experience managing the market in Clin- things that I get to play around with and hopefully make a positive tonville and Hadji currently runs the market in Bexley. impact towards.” White and Hadji volunteer for the Ohio Farmers’ Market Network. Being on the board of this organization allows the duo to connect with other central Ohio markets in order to make Upper Arlington’s the best experience.
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Using their knowledge and experience, the two have made crucial changes to the UA market. While it still runs every Wednesday during the summer, they moved the physical market to the Tremont Pool parking lot. This year, the market’s hours are extended an additional hour and run from 4-7 p.m. “That was based on some feedback that the parks and rec had gotten from consumers saying that they couldn’t make it to the market because they were just getting off of work when they closed at 6 p.m. It was just too much of a rush,” White says. Amid ongoing health concerns, the farmers’ market has been deemed an essential business. While this year’s market is still set to open on time, there are some changes that have been made. In order to keep customers and staff safe, vendor tents will be ten May/June 2020 • www.trivillagemagazine.com
Photo courtesy of Michelle White
A Socially Distant Start
