Harvesting crops is a balance of time, weather and moisture conditions. To get to harvest season, healthy crops require a lot of advanced planning. Fields are prepared, seeds are selected, and the crops are closely monitored using science and data. Even after a successful harvest, it’s time to plan for the next season and ways to improve for the future. Just like crops or the produce they sell, Local Roots Market & Café underwent that same preparation and care, as they became rooted in the Wooster community, and now have new sprouts as they too plan for their next season.

Established in 2009, Local Roots Market & Café (Local Roots) was formed by a volunteer group of community members who came together with a common goal; to build a year-round local food market as a means of community development. Knowing they needed the right conditions to grow, Local Roots established a 15-year lease with the Wayne County Commissioners for a vacant, yet promising county owned building located on South Walnut Street in Wooster.

With an original tag line of helping create community, Local Roots started as an indoor farmer’s market setting up card tables for producers to sell their products. “We see a lot of corn and soybean fields in Wayne County,” said Adam Schwieterman, executive director of Local Roots. “However, Wayne County also produces more fruits, vegetables, dairy and cheeses than other areas and these foods are needed seven days a week. We knew we needed a different structure than the typical one day a week farmers’ market.”