Visitors and employees of the Cleveland Clinic’s Strongsville Family Health and Surgery Center now have the opportunuty to purchase locally grown produce at a farmers’ market located at the facility’s entrance.
The market, which started on July 14, is set to run from 10am to 1pm every Thursday until September 29. For the time being, Walnut Drive Gardens is the sole vendor for the market, as the family owned Mogadore farm celebrates almost 150 years in business.
Jim Newman, Strongsville campus administrator, explained that the market (now in its second year) falls in line with the Clinic’s overall wellness program. A highly successful and even larger market is hosted at the main campus in downtown Cleveland, and has started to purchase food from those vendors for use in its cafeteria.
According to Newman, the Strongsville market aims to buck the trend of numbers indicating that out of the $10 billion spent on food each year by northeast Ohioans, only 1 percent is locally produced.
The market’s first day was a success, with a steady stream of patients and employees purchasing a variety of goods including raspberries, blueberries, cucumbers, green beans, sweet corn, onions, squash and lettuce. Later in the season, melons and peppers are expected to be available.
