Friday, April 24, 2015

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: 2015 Season Press Release


April 24, 2015

For Immediate Release.

The Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market 2015 Season Begins May 6th

"What makes a farmers' market such a special place, is that you're actually creating community around food."  - Chef Bryant Terry

Food served with a good story seems richer in flavor, and the meal more memorable. And, food that comes from a farmers’ market brings a unique narrative to the table.

Central Ohio’s farmers’ market season is here, and the 2015 Uptown Westerville Farmers’ Market is open for business each Wednesday, May 6th through October 28th, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the corner of N. State and E. Home Streets in Uptown Westerville.

Visit. Browse. Taste. Shop. Enjoy. Each season, a farmers’ market becomes a community – it’s a familiar gathering place that is more than a place to pick up this week’s ingredients – it’s a place where people from all walks of life connect.

Home-made. Home-grown. All Ohio.  Market Wednesday provides a selection of seasonal fare that includes farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, and an assortment of artisan baked goods, breads, cheeses, jams, salsas, sauces and rubs, maple syrup, meats, poultry, and fresh eggs.

Market fare also includes a seasonal selection of flowering, herb, and vegetable plants, hanging flower baskets, and colorful fresh-cut flowers.

Early market fresh produce selections include asparagus, rhubarb, assorted greens, lettuces, radishes, and swiss chard. 

The 2015 Uptown Westerville Farmers’ Market will feature these Central Ohio vendors throughout the season: Annabelle’s Blooms, Bildsten Landscape, Bird’s Haven Farms, The Blueberry Patch, Branstool Orchards, Bridgman Farm, Doran’s Family Farm, Flying J Farm, Fox Hollow Farm, J-Pops, Lona Belle’s Home Baked Goods, Malabar Peach and Apple Orchard, Miss Cristy’s Bakery, Chuck Evans’ Montezuma Brand Sauces and Salsas, Ohio Farm Direct, Pleiades Maple Products, Sugar B Bakery, Sweet Thing Gourmet, and Z Blueberry.

Market Wednesday also welcomes its community partners: Westerville Senior Center, Westerville Police Division, Westerville Electric Division, and Westerville Public Library, appearing one week each month throughout the season.

Market orchard vendors are feeling the effects of this past winter’s harsh temperatures. Branstool Orchards will be bringing apples and pears to market late summer, and will not have peaches this season. Malabar Peach and Apple Orchard will be bringing apples to market late summer, and, while it’s early yet in the season, Malabar’s Mike Dippold is keeping watch over a few rows of blossoming peach trees.

A trip to the market is a great way to enjoy Wednesdays in Uptown Westerville - market customers can dine and shop Uptown Westerville and stop by the market to pick up a little farm fresh to take home.

The 2015 Uptown Westerville Farmers’ Market Vendor Line-Up:

Annabelle’s Blooms, South Charleston, Ohio: Beautiful cut flowers and bouquets including sunflowers, dahlias, zinnias, cosmos, and snapdragons coming to market during summer months. Anna Brown grows her flowers on her grandparents’ farm in Clark County.

Bildsten Landscape, Columbus, Ohio: Westerville residents, Mark and Karin Bildsten will be at the market during May and June with hanging flower baskets, annuals, and potted herbs, kale, chard, and lettuces.

Bird’s Haven Farms, Granville, Ohio: The Bird Family will be bringing their seasonal market produce that includes everything from lettuce to garlic to tomatoes to sweet corn along with sunflowers and fall favorites like pumpkins and gourds. 

The Blueberry Patch, Mansfield, Ohio: Fresh-picked Richland County blueberries and blueberry products from the Beilstein Family.  Look for The Blueberry Patch season to begin early summer.

Branstool Orchards, Utica, Ohio: Marshall Branstool will be bringing orchard-fresh apples and pears beginning late summer. (Please note: Due to the severe winter temperatures, there will be no peaches this season.)

Bridgman Farm, Washington Court House, Ohio: Mary Bridgman brings her produce to market including a beautiful assortment of cherry and heirloom tomatoes and herb and vegetable plants for spring planting.

Doran’s Family Farm, New Albany, Ohio: Michelle and Jim Doran’s produce is a popular market stop throughout the season featuring a broad selection of vegetables, melons, tomatoes, and seasonal favorite, sweet corn.

Flying J Farm, Johnstown, Ohio: Dick Jensen features a selection of grass-fed beef cuts, vegetables, and maple syrup.

Fox Hollow Farm, Fredericktown, Ohio: The Rickard Family will bring selections of grass-fed, naturally raised beef, pork, lamb, and chicken and fresh eggs.

J-Pops, Bexley, Ohio: Steven White joins the Market Wednesday line-up this season, bringing a selection of hand-crafted gourmet ice pops to market.

Lona Belle’s Home Baked Goods, Heath, Ohio: Baker Lyle Linerode joins the Market Wednesday line-up this season. Lyle’s specialties feature his Mom’s best recipe cookies, along with cinnamon rolls, coffee and dessert breads, muffins, brittles, and fudge.

Malabar Peach and Apple Orchard, Jeromesville, Ohio: Westerville resident, Mike Dippold will be bringing fresh-picked apples to market. We should see Mike with his first truckload of apples sometime late summer. (Please note: The harsh temperatures were too much for most peach trees this year, however, Mike Dippold has a few rows of peach trees that are currently blossoming. So, there is a chance Mike will have peaches to bring to market.)

Miss Cristy’s Bakery, Galena, Ohio: Baker Cristy DuBois joins the Market Wednesday line-up this season. Cristy’s specialties include fresh-baked pies, empanadas, brownies, and muffins.

Chuck Evans’ Montezuma Brand Sauces and Salsas, Columbus, Ohio: Chuck and Mary Evans bring a delicious mix of mild to smoking hot fresh salsas, hot sauces, barbecue sauces, marinades, rubs, and tortilla chips to market.

Ohio Farm Direct, Fredericktown, Ohio: Doug Daniels brings cheese and drinkable yogurt made from milk from his organic, grass-fed herd and also features nitrate-free summer sausage.

Pleiades Maple Products, Mt. Gilead, Ohio: Eddie Lou Meimer will be bringing her award winning maple products to market throughout the season that include maple syrup, maple sugar, barbecue sauce, maple-coated puffed spelt, vinaigrette dressing, and kid-favorite maple leaf suckers.

Sugar B Bakery, Galena, Ohio: Angela Bowman makes daily bread a special event. Sugar B features loaf breads, bagels, scones, cookies, and flatbreads.

Sweet Thing Gourmet, Bexley, Ohio: Mark and Kyla Touris feature a selection of delicious home-made jams and biscottis.

Z Blueberry, Fredericktown, Ohio: A short, but very sweet season, Taffy and Charlie Douglas will come to market in early summer with fresh-picked blueberries.

The Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market is a fluid community: market vendor weekly appearances may vary; produce and product availability vary throughout the season.

Market Wednesday suggests bringing a cooler - market meats and J-Pops are sold frozen, and eggs and dairy products are sold refrigerated, and a cooler will help produce travel well on hot summer days.

Bird’s Haven Farms and Doran’s Family Farm accept WIC (USDA) Farmers’ Market Program Coupons. Bird’s Haven Farms, Doran’s Family Farm, and Bridgman Farm accept LifeCare Alliance Senior Farmers’ Market Program (USDA) Coupons.

Delaware County Senior Farmers’ Market program coupons are only valid at Delaware County farmers’ markets in Powell, Sunbury, and Delaware.

The Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market is a rain shower or shine market, but will suspend activity in case of severe weather conditions.

In-lot and on-street free parking is available near the market and throughout Uptown Westerville. There is bike-friendly parking in Rotary Park at the southeast corner of N. State and E. Home Streets, right across from the market space.

The market has no official mailing address, but for GPS needs, travelers can reference 62 N. State Street, Westerville, Ohio, 43081.

The Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market is Ohio Proud.

For more information on the Uptown Westerville Farmers’ Market:





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Now in its tenth season, the Uptown Westerville Farmers’ Market offers a selection of home-grown, home-made, all Ohio farm-fresh produce, flowers, plants, and artisan foods. Market Wednesdays run May through October from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the corner of N. State and E. Home Streets in the Church of the Messiah, United Methodist parking lot, in Uptown Westerville. A great place to live, shop, work, eat, meet and play, Uptown Westerville is the home of city government and a marketplace destination. Uptown Westerville’s eclectic mix of business and residential architecture, that spans the decades, creates a neighborhood atmosphere that hosts Otterbein University and Westerville Public Library along with a variety of merchants, restaurants, activities, and events. The Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market is a fluid community; market vendor weekly appearances may vary. Produce and product availability may vary throughout the season. Market Wednesday takes place rain shower or shine. The Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market is an entirely volunteer effort.

For additional information about the Uptown Westerville Farmers’ Market, info@marketwednesday.com.