Zelie-Harmony Farmers Market now open for business this summer
ZELIENOPLE — This year's Zelienople-Harmony Farmers Market opened Monday featuring area venders selling everything from fresh produce to custom-made buttons and beverages.
The market will be open from 3:30 to 7 p.m. Mondays through the end of September at Zelienople Community Park.
“These are all local venders, local businesses,” said Sherry Cepek, market manager. “It's important to shop local, I feel. It's great for local business.”
Cepek said this allows customers to meet the people behind the food and to build relationships in the communities.
“We've got all the family farms from the area,” she said. “Everybody's local, and its nice to get to know everybody.”
This year, the market has around 17 venders.
“We have a little more space right now, a lot of new venders,” Cepek said.
Mark Sotomayor, who runs his own tea company, Te Amo, while studying entrepreneurship at Grove City College, said farmers markets are important to raise awareness for his brand.
“This is where the opportunity is the greatest. This is where you get your customers. People are readily purchasing here so it allows you to get the most important part of your business, which is profit, going,” he said.
“Also, just getting to meet the community is essential if you're trying to grow, especially in this area,” he said.
Terry Sendek, who runs Button Traveler, a company specializing in custom buttons and reusable straws that aim to reduce waste and help the environment, said farmer's markets like these are perfect for her product.
“I'm trying to save the planet one straw at a time,” Sendek said. “I like it (the market) because people who frequent farmers markets are usually really into the reusable straws and trying to help the planet, and to me that's a big deal.”
