PENINSULA, Ohio — Countryside’s 23rd farmers’ market season at Howe Meadow in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park will kick off Saturday, May 7.
Farmers’ markets at Howe Meadow will run every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon through Oct. 29 at 4040 Riverview Rd. in Peninsula.
This season, Countryside added 21 new vendors to the existing 44 returning vendors, the agency said in a release, offering attendees an array of farmers, food entrepreneurs and artists. The markets also feature live music, picnic areas, cooking demos and seasonal food tastings.
The Akron-Summit County Public Library will this year again be on hand to offer children’s activities.
Attending farmers’ markets in Howe Meadow is an exceptional experience, said Countryside CEO Tracy Emrick.
“You’re in the beautiful national park. You can feel the energy. You can smell the fresh-baked bread and handmade soaps. The colorful veggies look like works of art,” she said. “And beyond all this sensory beauty is the community this market is building; the livelihoods it contributes to, the choice to live healthier. This is a special place for everyone.”
Countryside’s preorder service, developed in response to the pandemic, will continue to be offered, as will curbside pickup, to boost customer convenience, the organization said.
Countryside farmers’ markets accept SNAP and offer nutrition incentives for SNAP and WIC households. In 2021, Countryside’s Community Access Programs — from WIC Carrot Cash to SNAP & Produce Perks — help low-income households purchase $237,000 worth of local, healthy food, the organization said.
At this year’s Howe Meadow markets, several of Countryside’s New Farmer Academy interns will hone their business skills as new vendors, Countryside said. Farmers’ market visitors can buy seed and compost at Howe Meadow markets to help support the New Farmer Academy, Countryside said.
The academy is the only one of its kind in the National Park Service. Launched in 2018, the multi-year educational program connects beginner farmers with seasoned local farmers through paid apprenticeships and internships, helping the novice farmers gain hands-on experience in whatever area of sustainable farming they are interested.
The new farmers learn ecology, soil science, plant propagation and food access, as well as business and marketing, and the cultural history of agriculture in this region, Countryside said. Upon graduation, the academy aims to help the new farmers acquire farmland or join co-ops to continue farming sustainably.
Countryside is a nonprofit whose mission since 1999 has been to connect people, food and land in and around the national park, ultimately creating a thriving local food community. Each year, the organization’s farmers’ markets contribute more than $1 million to the local economy, while helping support hundreds of local jobs, Countryside said.
In addition to Howe Meadow markets, Countryside operates a winter farmers market at Old Trail School.
Visit the Countryside website for more information on the markets or food access programs. Download the market-day dog policy here or check the farmers'-market calendar for special events.
