Farmers Market Expanding Onto Court Street For the First Time
The Tiffin Seneca Farmers Market is expanding to Court Street. This weekend’s market on Saturday, July 24, 2021 from 9am to 1pm will feature vendors filling South Washington street between Market and Perry streets and moving onto Court street for the first time in history.
The 2021 Farmers market season has been one of the largest yet with more and more vendors applying to join the market. One of the main goals of Seneca County Common Ground, the organization that operates the market, this year was to increase the number of vendors and bring a wider variety of products to the farmers market. The vendors work diligently to ensure they are providing the highest quality locally made products. This week there will be fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh cut flowers, juices, baked goods, honey, maple products, soaps, tumblers, pottery, cleaning supplies, jellies and jams, wool products, along with other homegrown and handmade products.
The mission of Seneca County Common Ground is centered specifically around local food. To ensure that the majority of the products at the market are truly “local,” the board has implemented a “sixty-forty” rule. Vendors must have grown, raised or created at least 60% of the products that are brought to the market. 40% of the produce are allowed to be purchased outside from other growers to ensure customers have access to a multitude of fruits and vegetables that are not grown in our area or are not in season. This means that customers will only see certain products at specific times of year and they won’t typically see exotic products like bananas or oranges.
“Cucumbers are one of the newer vegetables that will be at this week’s market as they are now coming into season locally,” said Market Manager Kirsten Ameling. “Cucumbers can quickly be used with a dip, create a refreshing drink, spice up a boring salad and help add crunch to a sandwich. They are currently being harvested now from Riehm Produce Farm for the next several weeks.”
Riehm Produce Farm also plants a wide variety of strawberry plants that grow at different times of the season to provide locally grown strawberries for a longer period of time. Other produce that producers work with similarly include sweet corn, tomatoes, melons and more.
In addition to all of the produce and goods vendors, the market is bringing back hot, ready-to-eat food with the addition of a food truck. This week, Delicious Food Truck will be operating at the market to serve lunch to market customers. This truck provides a wide variety of food items such as Italian Beef, Fried Chicken, Gyros, and Deep Fried Cheesecake.
“We love to see our local farmers market continuing to grow as an attraction and a destination not only to increase the quality of life for Seneca County residents, but to draw outside visitors into our community as well,” said Bryce Riggs, Executive Director of the Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Services. “I’m looking forward to supporting the future growth of the market and increasing the synergy with local businesses.”
The 2021 season of the Tiffin Seneca Farmers Market continues this Saturday, July 24, 9am-1pm. The market will occur on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month now through October and is located on South Washington Street between Perry and Market streets. In addition to the vendors, there are also children’s activities available and the Market Bank program is fully operational which allows customers to utilize credit cards, SNAP Benefits/EBT/P-EBT, Produce Perks, Senior Farmer Market Nutrition Program Vouchers (SFMNP), Women Infants Children Farmers Market Nutrition Vouchers (FMNP).
The list of vendors for this week includes: Baked By Bells, Bella Cuisine, Buckeye Star Alpacas, Catawba Island Juice Co., Countryside Acres, Clay Hill Organic, Creative Pottery, Delicious Food Truck, Drowns Produce, Enders Maple Treats, Friends of the Tiffin Seneca Public Library, Flo’s Homemade Pies, Hopes Landing, LB’s Eclectic Eats Me and the Boys, Miss Cindy’s Cookies, Project Noelle, Put Your Name on it, Raizen Girls Cookies, Riehm Produce Farm, Roseleaf Flowers, Seneca County SNAP-ED, Smith Brothers Sweets, Spirit Space Gallery and Gifts, the Tiffin Lions Club, Tiffin Elks, and Windy Hill Berries.
To learn more about the Tiffin Seneca Farmers Market and about the Market Bank programs, visit and subscribe at www.tiffinsenecafarmersmarket.com/. If you are interested in becoming a vendor or have questions, you may contact the Market Manager, Kirsten Ameling, at manager@sccommonground.org.