BELLVILLE — Teri Brenkus didn’t think her daughter’s farmers market would last more than a few weeks.
“I never said no, but I told her she would need to call the health department and horticulture, and she was 10, so I thought she would lose interest,” the now-mayor said.
The Bellville Farmers Market has now been a spring staple for 20 years on the town square.
“I’m really glad it’s in good hands,” Brenkus said. “It brought back a lot of memories baking cookies last night with her.
“Vendors have come and gone, but the market’s still here and a lot of our citizens enjoy it.”
Lindsey Brenkus-Heckman now lives in Cleveland and the farmers market is managed by Kara Mumea, who sells artisan breads and pasta.
Brenkus-Heckman returned to the weekly farmers market on Saturday to pass out free cookies and lemonade with her mother. She remembered visiting the Mount Vernon Farmers Market with her grandma as a 9-year-old and wanting to start one in Bellville.
“I managed it for seven years, with a lot of help from my mom and younger brothers,” she said. “I remember running around here when I was 10 and Dave was calling me boss, which was a huge confidence boost for a 10-year-old.”
Dave Duncan is the only farmers market vendor who has been around for all 20 years of the market. He sells honey and vegetables with his business partner Saranga Dissanayaka.
“The vegetable season is just starting, so the market will grow,” Duncan said. “But we already have a huge variety — coffee, microgreens, maple syrup.
“You really don’t see that in small towns too often.”
Saturday’s farmers market included booths selling coffee, chutney spreads, baked goods, jams, soaps, syrup and vegetables.
Gayle Walker also played guitar and sang to celebrate the farmers market’s anniversary.
The Bellville Farmers Market is open each Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon May through October.
