By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
The vendors at the Bowling Green Farmers Market seemed ready to put the pandemic in its rear view mirror.
Linda Lambert, of Bella Cuisine, was impressed with the number of people who came out to the first market of the season.
“My goodness, they’re mowing us down,” she said. “I expected we’d be busy, but not as busy as we are today. People want to be out.”
As with other vendors, the Fremont-based business took something of a hit last year.
Lambert explained that farmers markets – they do five – are an incidental part of the business.
She and her husband, Tom, are both trained at the Culinary Institute of America. They set out to share their skills and knowledge through cooking classes. But print advertising was not generating enough business. So they began attending markets, doing pasta making demonstrations. The markets “just got out of hand,” she said.
They’ve been in Bowling Green since the market started, and a couple years ago expanded to three tents, one of which will be devoted to fruit once that’s is available from their orchard.
The BG event is one of Lambert’s favorites.
“We make relationships with our customers,” she said. “We’ve watched people’s children grow up. We know them by name. It’s very personal and friendly, and they’re loyal.”
In the past year, the demand for cooking classes, even in private homes, was nil.
“I noticed the difference as soon as people started getting their vaccinations. Our cooking classes sold out,” she said.
The market was doing its part on the vaccination front. The Wood County Health Department was on hand vaccinating people.
Another long-time vendor, John Riehm, of Riehm Produce, also noted the number of buyers at the market. “For an opening day, it’s phenomenal.”
Except for some damage from the recent cold nights, it’s been a good year for the crops , and Riehm had a stand full of tomatoes, lettuce, celery root, radishes, spinach and more.
Riehm said last year actually turned out to a good one for the Tiffin area farm. Many people bought Community Supported Agriculture subscriptions early in 2020 “because they didn’t know if they could get food all summer long. So they came to the farmer bought local instead of buying from the grocery stores.”
CSA customers pay up front to receive weekly deliveries of food directly from the farmers. Riehm delivers his CSA bags to local customers at the market. “It makes the trip really worthwhile.”
That also helped maintain some foot traffic last year, said Lori Hines, who manages the market for Work Leads to Independence.
Riehm said he’s seen a 10-percent increase in CSA customers from the 660 he had last year.
Garry Hofner, of Garry’s Kettle Corn, was also happy to be back at the market. “All we had last year was farmers markets,” he said. “It was hard.”
He’s looking forward to fairs and festivals returning this summer.
“We’re excited to see friendly faces of everyone we know,” said Brian Anderson of Andersons Farm.
Last year the market definitely had less foot traffic, and that hurt their business.
The small family operation just west of Bowling Green is operated by Brian and Stacie Anderson, who have three children. The couple started the farm nine years ago when they moved back to the area. They sell pork, chicken, beef, turkey, and brown eggs, he said. They also sell directly to customers and deliver.
New to the market this year is Angry Irishman, a purveyor of hot sauces, rubs, and mustards. The business owned by Kevin and Mary Ann Mackey had considered selling at the market last year but couldn’t fit it into the schedule. As it turned out the state pandemic rule on offering samples caused them not to do any markets.
Internet sales, Kevin Mackey said, “saved out backsides.”
Since the business typically did events in New Mexico and New York, the savings in travel costs helped the bottom line as well. “It wasn’t a banner year, but wasn’t a total loss.”
This year though, Mackey said he’s back on the road and added fairs in North Carolina, Florida, and Texas.
But he was glad to be in Bowling Green. Angry Irishman is based in Woodville, and uses the production facilities at the Ag Incubator just north of town. They grow most of their peppers in Genoa.
We want “to sell a local product to local people,” Mackey said.
Hines said all the vendors told her the market went well. Work Leads to Independence took over management of the event last year.
“I was surprised being the first night we were as packed as we were,” she said. “We got super, super busy.”
The market had 17 vendors, and that will increase over time as farms start producing more. Hines said she got requests from other vendors wanting to sell.
The market may have as many as 30 vendors later in the summer.
People were also lined up at the three food trucks lined up on Clough Street. The trucks were not part of the event last year.
Hines said other food trucks have approached her. She said she’d be interested in a smoothie, beverage or maybe ice cream vendor.
Also, back on the schedule was live music. Students from the Black Swamp Fine Arts School provided the melodies to entertain shoppers.
Hines credited a vigorous marketing campaign and the loosened guidelines with encouraging people to attend.
“I did let people know on Facebook that masks were not mandatory,” she said. Still, it appeared to her as if half the people in the crowd were wearing face coverings.
The turnout was also a result of something more basic. “It was a nice night,” Hines said. “People are ready just to get out of the house and wanting fresh products.”
