Since opening in October, the Public Market in downtown Wheeling has partnered with local farmers to offer a variety of foods on its shelves, in the freezers, and at its deli during the workweek.
Assistant Manager Mary Blake explained that the inventory will alter somewhat because of the grow seasons in the Upper Ohio Valley. For example, beginning in July she expects the Public Market to offer several different kinds of tomatoes along with many more garden favorites.
“Because of the weather we have here, some things only grow at certain times of the year,” she explained. “But we’re looking forward to our first spring and summer here because of everything we’ll be offering.
“It’s all about local people eating healthier than maybe that have been used to in the past,” she said. “And look, even on a rainy Saturday when everyone is pretty scared of the coronavirus, we’re busy because more and more folks are learning about the benefits of eating healthy.”
Grow OV
The Public Market is a project of Grow Ohio Valley, a non-profit that launched operations more than five years ago. The organization travels to surrounding communities with its mobile market, and it works with the owners of regional farms for produce and meats offered at the shop.
According to the literature available at the Public Market, the goal is, “to build connections between farmers and the community they nourish” by building a food system that makes good food the norm in the Wheeling area.
To date, the Public Market has partnered with several farms, including The Blended Homestead and the Next 7 Organic Farm. Grow OV also sells its produce that is cultivated at a few different facilities in the city of Wheeling.
The literature also states, “We put farmers first. Local farmers and food producers get 70-80 percent of the profit from every item they sell through our store on consignment – compared to about 15 percent in traditional grocery.”
Assistance Accepted at the Public Market
The Public Market accepts SNAP and senior vouchers, and all fresh producers are discounted by 50 percent for those connected with those state and federal programs.
Blake explained that the offer is an effort to promote better diets for everyone.
“It’s all about making good food part of your way of life,” she said. “We have a lot of great, local farmers that we work with, and I hope the number of farms in the area increase because of the opportunity they have here.
“Eating products that are from your immediate area is very healthy for you, and that’s been proven,” she continued. “You feel it. I know I did when I first changed my diet. That’s why I recommend it.”
Operation
The Public Market is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.-6 p.m., on Saturdays from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., and the store is closed on Sundays.
The deli’s breakfast and lunch menus offer six items and three sides, including the soup of the day. There’s the breakfast sandwich, the basic burger, a BLT, and daily vegetarian and vegan specials.
The deli kitchen is operational Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
“We should put a disclaimer on the menu that warns people that they’re going to get hooked after the first time,” Blake said with a laugh. “It is so good here that I eat the food every day. Well, not every day because we’re closed on Sundays, but every other day.
“It’s a really cool thing to watch our chef (Melissa Rebhalz) walk through the market shopping and then taking those items to the kitchen to just whip something up for our customers,” she added. “It’s a really cool thing that I’m honored to be involved in, and I can’t wait to see where it goes. I know this spring and summer are just going to be amazing.”
