Every year, nearly 100 vendors gather in Old Worthington to put on the annual Worthington Farmer’s Market. There is seemingly everything at the Farmer’s Market, ranging anywhere from sweets and deserts, to soaps and household items, to fresh produce or coffee. This past year, the Worthington Farmer’s Market was named the best Farmer’s Market in the United States by USA Today. (https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/travel/best-farmers-market-2024/) I spoke with a few vendors ranging in products and experience who share about what the Farmer’s Market has meant to them.

Flourish Brioche Donuts – https://www.instagram.com/flourishbrioche/

Liz Priore represents what a Farmer’s Market is all about: Last May, she was laid off from her corporate retail job and transitioned into the Farmer’s Market business, a place with a lot more passion.

Priore shares, “I had been baking bread for about 10 years, and I was probably going to get laid off, so I needed something to do and some way to make money. . . so I thought, ‘I bake all the time. Let’s try getting into the Farmer’s Market.'”

Also describing her beginning, Priore states, “Getting into the Farmer’s Market as a baker is challenging because it’s really oversaturated, so we had to find a really unique product. [The brioche donut] is something that I hadn’t really seen in Ohio yet, but it was taking off in a lot of other cities. So, I did a ton of market research, and from there, it was kind of trial and error.”

Priore has experienced how vendors typically begin their journey: finding something that they are passionate about and letting that passion guide toward success. The Worthington Farmer’s Market is a place where typical people can flourish because they have a passion for something that they want to share – in Priore’s case, this is baking.

With 2024 being her first season, Priore is extremely happy with how this season has gone for her business. Her stock has been continuously selling out, which she did not expect heading into this year.

Priore’s favorite part about being a Farmer’s Market vendor is “getting out into the community and meeting people that are directly having your product.” Coming from a corporate background, “it’s really different when you can see someone that is enjoying the product that you’re making.” Priore also enjoys control over her schedule and structure in her week leading up to the weekly Saturday markets.

Priore’s journey directly represents what the Farmer’s Market is about: a community that comes together to support people that have passions and produce a thoughtful and personal product. The uniqueness of interacting between producers and consumers comes only from a place like a Farmer’s Market.

Ohi:yo Pepper Co – https://ohiyopepperco.com

On the other side of products, Thera Snyder runs Ohi:yo Pepper Co. Her business goes back slightly further, about four years. She began Ohi:yo Pepper Co with her husband a few years back because she loves hot foods and spiciness.

“This season has been fantastic. . . We’ve had success at Worthington Farmer’s Market and the Dublin Farmer’s Market. In the springtime, we sell plants, so that is always a hit. Everybody is starting their garden during the summer. We also have our fresh peppers, which also brings a lot of people in,” Snyder mentions.

This business is very unique because their products change slightly throughout the season. Beginning with pepper plants in late Spring and early Summer and transitioning to fresh peppers, the variation in products keeps customers coming back for more.

Snyder’s favorite part about being a vendor at the Farmer’s Market is the customers. She loves getting to talk to each person and hear their stories. Again, the uniqueness of the customer and producer relationship is made clear because of the relationships that can be created.

Crust x Crumb – https://www.crustxcrumb.com

Bruck Asbury spoke on behalf of Crust x Crumb, which according to their website, is a “microbakery creating artisan sourdough breads and bakes using the highest quality ingredients, sourcing organic and local whenever possible.” He began by baking for friends and family, and figured he would give the market a shot.

Asbury has been involved in the Farmer’s Market for three years now, and said that this season has been the busiest, especially since Worthington is now home to the best Farmer’s Market in the country. This new title has greatly increased business and people’s desire to come check it out. 

With such increased business, there are surely going to be challenges. Asbury explains that “it’s so busy that the WiFi doesn’t always work, so it’s tough to take transactions. That’s probably the biggest hurdle we have tried to overcome.” That being said, he also shares that “it has been so busy that we have had record sales.”

Along with the other stands, Asbury takes joy in the Worthington customers. He loves that he has regular customers who support local businesses.

If you missed the summer season this year, some summer vendors along with some new ones will be moving inside the Worthington mall for the winter season, beginning as soon as the summer season ends.

Overall, the 2024 summer market season has been very successful for vendors. I believe that Worthington being named best Farmer’s Market in the country has had an impact, but I also believe that the community comes together to support local business that provide meaningful products and meaningful relationships.