Cleveland Clinic Announces Schedule for Second Season of Community Farmers Market
The Cleveland Clinic and North Union Farmers Market will once again partner for its Community Farmers Market on the clinic’s main campus. The market, which began in July 2008 as an effort to offer healthy, local food options to the surrounding neighborhood and employees in an environmentally-friendly way, averages more than 2,000 visitors per week including an eclectic mix of community members, patients, visitors and employees.
This year’s market season will be increased from 13 weeks to 18 weeks, running every Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. from June 3 through October 7 on the lawn in front of the Crile (A) building on the clinic’s main campus (off East 100th Street between Carnegie and Euclid avenues). Visitors to the market this year can also look forward to produce, meats, dairy, eggs, bread, flowers and other food items from more than 35 different local producers and farmers, an increase from the 25 vendors who participated last year. The first market on June 3 will celebrate the start of strawberry season in Northeast Ohio with special recipes and cooking demonstrations.
Since many attendees expressed an interest in enjoying a healthy meal while shopping at the market, organizers have incorporated new prepared food options for visitors. The additions include a burrito stand, a crepe-making stand and an Italian/Mediterranean foods stand, all of which will use market ingredients to make their menu items.
“We’ve never had one of our markets become such an instant success. It usually takes three to four years to get to the level of attendance and engagement that we saw at the Cleveland Clinic Community Farmers Market in just its first year,” said Donita Anderson, executive director of North Union Farmers Market.
The festive, community atmosphere of the market will be enhanced by music from a local steel drum band, which will entertain the crowd every week. Visitors can look forward to cooking demonstrations, free food samples and recipes for items in the peak of their season. In addition, the clinic will provide health information and free health screenings for all visitors.
“It was a delight to see so many people building relationships with local farmers, learning about healthy eating and interacting with people from all backgrounds and walks of life every week at the market,” said Michael F. Roizen, M.D., Chief Wellness Officer at Cleveland Clinic. “We were excited to see how the community truly adopted this market as its own last year, and we look forward to even more people benefiting from it this year through our expanded efforts.”
Per the North Union Farmers Market specifications, all items must be grown using integrative pest management/low herbicide methods and picked within 24 hours of the market, allowing each item to be at its peak for taste and nutritional value. All items at the market must be grown or made within no more than 115 miles of the clinic’s Crile building as well, to reduce the environmental impact of the food transport process.
To ensure that the market is a success for participating farmers, AVI Food Systems, a Cleveland Clinic food service provider, has again committed to purchasing any perishable items that remain unsold at the end of the market. In 2008, AVI purchased about $15,000 worth of food and produce that was then incorporated within a day into its menu items for clinic patients, visitors and employees.
“In today’s economy, it is more important than ever to buy as many things as possible from local businesses, allowing our money to circulate among even more businesses here,” said North Union’s Anderson. “By supporting area growers, we can all have a positive, lasting impact on our region at a time when it is needed most.”
In addition to cash, farmers at the market also accept WIC (the special supplemental nutrition program for Women, Infants and Children) and Senior Nutritional Services vouchers. Free parking will be available for the first hour to market visitors in the 100th Street garage at Carnegie Avenue.
The Cleveland Clinic Community Farmers Market is a collaborative initiative between nonprofits Cleveland Clinic and North Union Farmers Market to increase healthy eating and healthy living in an area of the city where fresh produce and nutritional foods can be difficult to find.
For more information, visit www.clevelandclinic.org/wellness or www.northunionfarmersmarket.org.