By Deborah Guziak
Record-Courier staff writer
For people who want to eat healthy, purchase locally grown products or unique items, farmers markets fulfill these desires.
While not abundant in numbers, farmers' markets in the Portage County area draw local and distant vendors.
"I'm totally amazed at how many people want to buy fresh meat," said Kay Rose, who was assisting her future son-in-law at his meat stand " Mini Moo Farm from Medina County " at the Brimfield farmers' market Wednesday. Rose admitted the prices of the meat items were "a little higher" than in stores, but quickly added that the meat from Mini Moo Farm was larger and did not contain any additives or steroids and the animals were fed grain.
"It makes a big difference," she said.
Goodell Farms of Mantua have been a fixture at the Brimfield market since it was started last year. Standing behind a table filled with maple syrup and products made from maple syrup, including maple popcorn, maple butter and maple barbeque sauce among other items, Barb Goodell said she came to the market to promote the farm's products.
It took a matter of minutes before her homemade packages of maple popcorn were gone, and shoppers sampled the farm's other offerings.
"It's really good," said A.J. Brady of Rootstown. His mother, Valerie, munched on shelled peas from a large plastic bag. She had purchased them from Heron Hill Farms, another Brimfield farm participating in the farmers' market.
"These are so good," she said. "They're so sweet. It's like eating candy."
Brimfield resident Jessica Early, who was selling greens, black raspberries, herbs and eggs at her stand, said she started the Brimfield Farmers' Market last year.She hopes the market will do better this year than last year.
"It's hard to get customers," she said as she stuffed lettuce into an oversized bag. "We have vendors who say they won't come out until we have an established customer base." She pointed to a small pile of signs that lay in the grass near her stand. The signs read "farmers market today."
"I spent $300 out of my own pocket to buy signs," she said.
The Brimfield market is open from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday through October. It can be found in the parking lot of the Brimfield Plaza.
In Munroe Falls, numerous vendors gather at Brust Park Tuesdays from 3 to 6:30 p.m. to sell their goods. The park is located on S.R. 91 at the Cuyahoga River, north of City Hall and the railroad tracks.
Shoppers can browse stands selling everything from baked goods, produce and meat to flowers, handmade crafts and dog bisquits.
Among the vendors is Ferrell Farms.
"I started getting involved in the healthness of it when I was in high school," said Danielle Ferrell, a 2000 Stow-Munroe Falls High School graduate. Ferrell wants her family, which includes two young children, to eat healthy.
"It's important to know what's in food," she said. "You go to the stores, and you don't know what's in it." The produce is grown in Garrettsville and at the Ferrell home in Stow. Ferrell also sells homemade natural soaps, which she has been making for six months.
"The market is really great," she said, adding her family will be joining the Haymaker Farmers' Market in Kent soon.
Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., people flock to the Haymaker market on Franklin Avenue in Kent. The pungent, sweet smell of dill fills the air as market-goers examine the produce, flowers, jellies and other items.
"I think what sets us apart is that people seem to understand the concept of local markets," said Kristen Loucek of Freedom Township. Loucek was operating a booth for her family's farm, Black Dog Acres. Like all the other vendors, she'll have more items as the growing season comes to peak. "People are understanding food. People are telling me that honey is good for allergies. I used to tell them that, now they're telling me."
Nancy and Richard Dirienzo of Kent were selling many items, including onions, garlic and other similar items at the Haymaker Farmers' Market, which is in its 16th year.
"We started off growing garlic," said Nancy Dirienzo of her family's farm, Bella Terra Farms in Carroll County. The couple has been coming to the Kent market for four years. They also plan to participate in the upcoming farmers' market at Stan Hywet.
"I love the idea of having fresh vegetables," said Sue Gorder of Ravenna, who was looking at some of the plants for sale at the Kent market. "We had a garden when we were kids, and I have great memories of picking vegetables that we grew. I don't have a garden now."