Mary Endsley could be a spokesperson for the Heart of Willoughby outdoor Farmer’s Market. The Highland Heights resident occasionally comes to the parking lot at City Hall on a Saturday in the summer or early fall for several reasons and Sept. 21 was no exception. “I think it is nice to support local businesses and the weather has been amazing,” Endsley said. “And Willoughby is a really pretty city. There’s a lot to like about this market.” Produce is among the more popular items available at the Heart of Willoughby outdoor Farmer’s Market from May through October (William Tilton – The News-Herald) The Heart of Willoughby is committed to bringing events to the downtown area and helping boost the local economy while preserving and celebrating the infrastructure. Each Saturday from May to October it hosts the outdoor Farmer’s Market from 8 a.m. to noon. Since July 1979, the seasonal event has been offering locally grown foods and locally manufactured products to the community. The Heart of Willoughby Farmer’s Market is the longest-running outdoor market in Lake County and organizers believe possibly in all of Northeast Ohio. Market officials estimate the event averages between 1,200 to 1,600 people on any given Saturday, and more than 50 vendors are on hand with offerings ranging from caramel corn to produce to meats to smoothies and locally made crafts. Timber Ridge Honey Company was among the vendors on site at City Hall for the Heart of Willoughby outdoor Farmer’s Market on Sept. 21. (William Tilton – News-Herald) One of the more unique vendors on site was veteran-owned O D Greens, which sells locally grown produce harvested in Eastlake. OD Greens is a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business working to provide hydroponic produce to restaurants, markets, and individual clients. Army veteran and O D Greens founder and CEO Don Tobul said they have a 40-foot shipping container which allows them to grow the equivalent of about 2.5 acres. Since they grow vertically the footprint is significantly reduced. Also, they recycle the water pulled from the air, reducing water use to 10 percent of the demands of traditional farming. O D Greens will incorporate work training services for other disabled military veterans using hydroponic growing as a platform for their experiential education and personal/professional development. Items can be ordered through the website, but Tobul said coming to the Farmer’s Market in Willoughby is a weekly treat. “It is a great market with a lot of repeat clientele and we are fortunate to have counterparts in the small business sector that are also here as regular vendors,” Tobul said. “For us, we like to say we have produce with a mission.” Heart of Willoughby Treasurer Greg Patt said while any money raised goes to shoveling snow off downtown sidewalks, the event is not designed to create a financial windfall and the benefits and opportunities that it provides is something the organizers are very proud of. “We were at $10 a week for a spot for a vendor and raised to $15 and did not get one complaint,” Patt said. “We see this as a community event where people come to shop, see friends and we have the ability to serve downtown Willoughby in a couple ways.” “It also is an opportunity to come and take a shot. A person might think, ‘I can bake.’ Well come and try to find your niche here for just $15. What do you have to lose?” Patt stressed the importance of knowing cottage rules the state implements and working well in partnership with the health department. He added there is a sense of pride when a vendor at the market goes on to open a business as has been the case with at least four bakers that now have brick and mortar locations. As for the recent ideal weather, Patt said it obviously helps but not once in more than 40 years has the market canceled because of weather. “We’ve had some downpours and it can get cool in October, but hey it is Northeast Ohio and it is an outdoor event and people I think understand what to expect,” Patt said.