She remembers when things were shiny.
It was a time when pedestrians had to look both ways before crossing most roads in Bellaire because the traffic was dense with East Ohio residents joining West Virginians flowing in off the toll bridge to visit a vibrant downtown district complete with everything needed for everyday life.
Susan West recalls the bustle of Imperial Glass before it shutdown in 1984, and she remembers storefront after storefront along Guernsey and Belmont streets, Little Leaguers lined up at Dairy Queen, and watching Lance Mehl, Joey Galloway, Ben Taylor, and Jose Davis in the NFL after they starred in their Saturday afternoon home games at Nelson Field.
And West watched, too, as the All American Town shrunk from city to village at the turn of the century.
Why?
Well, along with the loss of industrial employment along the banks of the Mighty Ohio, the Bellaire Toll Bridge was shuttered by the state of Ohio in 1991, and no one with the Ohio Department of Transportation would entertain talks to renovate and reopen. ODOT also constructed the Ohio Route 7 bypass that streaks right by Bellaire, carrying consumers passed a business community that once counted on those drive-by opportunities.
None of the negatives – not the population decline or the crime or the fact the village now has more rental units than single-family residences – deter West from her multi-faceted mission of attracting locals and out-of-towners to the Ohio Valley Farmer’s Market each Saturday morning from June until October in the large parking lot along 32nd Street.
West is a produce farmer who tills close to her hometown at the Lone Oak Farms and Gardens and for each morning market she collects other ranchers and yeomen to mix with local chefs and live musicians to create a nurturing atmosphere in the name of a potential return to prominence.
Of all the fruits and vegetables that can be grown in this area, what are – in your opinion – the best?
Nothing beats a homegrown tomato ripened on the vine!
Close runners up are a fresh picked ear of corn and a newly dug potato. You don’t know what you’re missing if you’ve never eaten a potato just after it’s been dug!
You’ve watched Bellaire shrink in commerce and population, and yet you are one of the village’s biggest supporters. Why?
I thought about this question for quite a while. The one-word answer is “roots.”
My grandmother was born in Bellaire of Italian immigrants. Her husband immigrated to Bellaire, and they lived here until they passed away. My father and my six siblings and I all graduated from Bellaire as did my three children. My daughter and her family live on the farm, and my youngest son hopes to build here someday. Even though the farm is outside the Village limits, it’s still in the Bellaire School District so Bellaire is still my hometown.
I remember a vibrant bustling town growing up. Generations ago, Bellaire was the center of commerce in Belmont and its surrounding counties and offered dining and entertainment as well. Many things outside the town’s control contributed to its decline. Times have rapidly changed and not necessarily, in my opinion, for the better. I want to be a part of the reason it flourishes again!
What sitcom is your all-time favorite, and why?
I don’t watch a lot of TV, but I enjoy reruns of “The Golden Girls.” Those ladies are a hoot! And I adore Betty White.
When I watch TV or a movie, I want to laugh a lot (or cry because I’ve been touched in a good way). “The Golden Girls” certainly makes me laugh!
To what do you owe the success of the Bellaire’s Farmer’s Market?
The Ohio Valley Farmers’ Market is a labor of love. Any success is a result of hard work, dedication, education, and support from those who believe in our mission. Those “changing times” I previously mentioned have made keeping the Market successful a challenge.
People are reluctant to get up early and head to the Market on a Saturday morning. Kids are involved in so many activities parents find themselves too busy. Online shopping and the availability of produce year-round at the grocery store have given people the convenience they desire and a skewed perception of what is local and in-season.
Growing up, corn on the cob was a summertime treat. Fresh berries were anticipated in June and July. I feel cooking with fresh, local ingredients has become a fad rather than a way of life. So, to make the Market successful, we pour a lot of time and resources into adding amenities to draw people in.
Our Tasting Tent, local musicians, the Kids’ Corner, free coffee and tea, and educational programs to teach people about the benefits to their health and the community by buying locally are some of the ways we try to make the Market a destination location and increase support.
And the social aspect of shopping within your community at the Market should never be undervalued. I have watched my customers become friends with each other, catching up on kids, grandkids, jobs, and more as they mingle each week, and that’s a wonderful thing.
How’d ya become a farmer?
Those Italian roots that were the foundation of my childhood and upbringing included backyard gardens. My father’s parents, his sister, and our family lived in a triangle in First Ward. They all had gardens. I never knew life without home-grown veggies.
When my husband and I started dating just after our senior year of high school, one of the first things he did was bring me to “the farm.” I think he was relieved when he realized I would love to build a life here. I worked at many jobs over the years, but they were never truly fulfilling, and the pull to get back to the soil was always strong.
One day, the urge was greater than my common sense (lol), and I quit my part-time job and decided to become a produce farmer. That was in 2002, I believe, and I haven’t looked back. I’m not sure how many more years I have left in me, but growing clean, wholesome food is a passion that won’t ever fade.
