Local Roots, a produce market and cafÈ open year-round in downtown Wooster, is truly one-of-a-kind. Developed in 2009 by 12 members of the community, its structure and for-profit, locally-driven approach set it apart from any similar type of market in the country. “What we were proposing was so different that when we went to incorporate [in June of 2009], we couldn’t even find a [local] lawyer who could do it,” said marketing manager Jessica Eikleberry, one of the original members, who now make up the group’s steering committee. “We had to go to Cincinnati,” she said.
Eikleberry credits the uniqueness of the project to the diverse backgrounds of its founders, who include, among others, a bank president, a biochemist, and an architect. When the group first began to approach the possibility of starting the market, they turned to local residents and farmers for input and held regular meetings designed for members of the community to share and discuss ideas with them. As time passed, the attendance rate of these gatherings grew, and an increasing number of people expressed interest in the venture. As a result, the original associates decided to move forward with the project and went behind closed doors to figure out how to actualize their plan; after a few months spent negotiating the details, the market became a reality.
Today, Local Roots boasts over 500 members and has turned a profit of $250,000 since Jan. 30 of this year. On Oct. 5, the Ohio Department of Agriculture, which provided the founding members with a grant when they were† starting to develop the project, presented the organization with its second annual Local Food Hero Award. Upon bestowing the award, Ohio Agriculture Director Robert Boggs described Local Roots as a model he hopes other producer cooperatives in the state will follow.
For her part, Eikleberry has witnessed firsthand the benefits the community has enjoyed as a result of the establishment of Local Roots. By giving producers a year-round outlet to sell their goods, she says, Local Roots has allowed them to expand the amount and variety of products they offer and has helped to stimulate the area’s economy. Eikleberry mentioned the example of woman who, in her spare time, used to make greeting cards out of recycled paper at home and then bring them to the market to sell. As time passed, her business continued to increase, and she now works with several of her neighbors in order to meet the growing demand.
According to Eikleberry, the woman’s case is not unusual; while Local Roots has given farmers the opportunity to expand their production base, it has also allowed many regular members of the community the chance to turn hobbies into extra sources of income.
There are many ways for non-producer community members to get involved with Local Roots. Simply shopping at the market, for example, helps support those who bring out their goods to sell. In addition, there are plenty of opportunities to volunteer at the market or on the farms themselves, and input and ideas about the development of various educational programs is always welcome. Local Roots has recently applied to serve as a provider to the College of Wooster Hospitality Services Department and the organization encourages students at the College to become involved.
In the future, those in charge of Local Roots hope to see the cooperative grow in terms of membership and influence but not in terms of geographical range. “Local food can’t get too big,” said Eikleberry. She hopes Local Roots will serve as a model to others around the country, but believes it is essential† than it continues to reflect the commitment to community, sustainability and healthy eating that inspired its founders to undertake its development in the first place. If there is one thing Eikleberry wants to be sure to impart, it is the importance of asking questions about the origins of the food one eats. “Everyone should know where their food is coming from,” she said. “Don’t eat blindly.”
To learn more about Local Roots or inquire about volunteer opportunities, e-mail marketing manager Jessica Eikleberry at jessica@localrootswooster.com.