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COMMERCIAL FOODWAYS: THE FARMERS' MARKET Wood
County has many roadside produce markets that are usually
family-run. These range from small tables set out seasonally
on front lawns with a jar for customers to place money in
to large-scale operations that are open year-round. These
markets offer local produce in season, such as corn, tomatoes,
beans, melons, squash, pumpkin, and apples, and also carry
produce from other truck farms throughout the year. Huffman's
Produce Stand
While
Paul’s grandfather started the farm, Paul’s father
started the produce stand when Paul was just a boy. He built
a small table in front of the house and started by selling
cantaloupe and melon. These grew the best in the sandy soil
found on the family property. By the time the produce stand
was handed down, they were selling corn as well as cantaloupe
and watermelon. The sweet corn sold at the Huffman produce stand is known for miles around. Each morning during the summer, the bins of corn are stocked and by the afternoon, they have to be stocked again. On the weekends, Paul will sell roughly 30 bushels by 4pm. He likes to make sure the customer has nice fresh corn. “We have the reputation of the best corn in the county.” He also warns against overcooking. He only gently boils his sweet corn for 4 to 6 minutes. “Most people cook it till it’s as tough as shoe leather, and they cook it and cook it till it looses its flavor.” Every summer, he and his wife send invitations out around the country to remind their relatives of the annual family reunion. It is held on his property. This year they had 65 family members turn out for the event. Paul’s sweet corn is also a family favorite. “It’s famous.” “They all come for the sweet corn,” he says. Paul is known for the varieties of sweet corn he grows. He and his wife try to eat as much as possible while it’s in season. Paul also stands behind his melons. He grows one variety called “Crimson Sweet”. “Oh boy, that’s the best one,” he says, “you just know it’s gonna be great by the name.” The Crimson was his favorite as a boy, and they are still grown today. He also really enjoys a melon called “Sangria” that he grows. If you’re looking for a great cantaloupe, he boasts a variety called “Pride of Wisconsin”. “It’s a great melon.”
The winner by far, is the Apple. Paul says that fall “is really the apple season.” Not only is this the apple season, but the Apple region as well. When asked to name a food that would describe this region to outsiders during this time of year, Paul emphatically answered, “Apples.” He sells 9 different varieties of apples, some that many people wouldn’t even know about. His favorite secret weapon is the “Honey Crisp.” He also offers his customers information on what types of apples are best used in different dishes.
Cleanliness
is the most important aspect governing the sale of produce
at Huffman’s. All of the tables get cleaned every morning
and every night. All of the carpeted shelves get vacuumed.
And, all of the produce gets cleaned before it ever hits the
shelves. When cleaning tomatoes, he uses a bucket of water
with Clorox mixed in to help kill the bacteria. This will
keep the tomatoes fresher, longer. He also uses a product
called Oxidate to clean his produce. The market utilizes six
ceiling fans to help keep the flies away. At
the end of the season, everything gets cleaned for the last
time and is put in storage for the winter. The leftover produce
is always given to charity. Paul feels this business represents his best characteristics. He prides himself and his business on being fair, honest, and offering quality. He would never take advantage of anyone, he doesn’t believe in it. People tell him they can’t find produce like his in stores. He has very devoted customers, some he sees at least once a week. Even truckers toot their horn when they drive by. OTHER
RESOURCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST Jeffers
Produce Located on Route 24 outside of Maumee, Ohio, is Jeffers’ farm stand, a prime example of the many changes farm stands have gone through in the last few decades. Open to the public year round, Jeffers' offers pumpkins, green peppers, summer squash, butternut squash, and acorn squash on a regular basis, and the occasional eggplant, cucumber and zucchini when it is season. These foods are typical to Wood County, but due to farmers no longer just being farmers and having to supplement their incomes with other fulltime jobs, the Jeffers and many other farmers cannot grow all the possible crops. Instead, farmers specialize in a few crops and then buy and exchange produce with each other in order to have a more complete selection at their farm stands. Corn is a prime example of this, Dixie Jeffers stated that she buys it off a guy up the road, who has been growing sweet corn for so long that he has it down to a science. Earlier it was stated that the farm stand industry has undergone massive changes in the past few decades. Ten to fifteen years ago, the one-stop-shop supermarkets took a huge chunk of their clientele. People were mostly concerned about convenience. In the past couple of years though this has changed. The Jeffers believe that people are getting fed up with the lack of quality in the produce found in supermarkets because the send produce across the country, which is hard on the vegetables and fruit causing the fragile produce to loose proper taste and texture. This constant availability of produce has caused many consumers to not understand when the harvesting of certain produce happens. |
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Wood
County has a history rich in food traditions. The area has
many roadside produce markets, but Huffman’s has stood
the test of time. Paul Huffman, born in 1927, has been keeping
the farm going since it was passed down to him from his father.
His family has had a long tradition of growing produce in
Wood County. The property has been in the Huffman family for
200 years. The hill where the farm sits was chosen because
of the low-lying land around it. 
Paul
originally learned his trade from his father, but he also
reads every technical journal he can get his hands on. “There’s
a lot more to this business than just throwing seed in the
ground.” He has books on everything from peppers to
weeds. He has at least 20 seed catalogues. He says, “When
you spend that kind of money, you want to know what you’re
buying.” He studies the crops, he looks over the plants
in the field, and he tastes the vegetables to make sure everything
is just how it should be. His father taught him about how
much hard work it took to be a good farmer. Paul can still
remember sitting on the porch after breakfast and waiting
for it to be light enough to go work in the fields. Though,
he and his brothers did enjoy a break for swimming in the
quarry during the afternoon.
Around
1960, Paul decided to start selling pumpkins. This fall favorite
proved to be a best seller for his market. He usually takes
in about $3000 on pumpkins for the season. Paul grows all
sizes of pumpkins, seven varieties in all. The smallest he
grows is called “We-B-Little”. He grows some pumpkins
that reach 40-50 pounds. He also grows pumpkins that have
thick walls, just the right kind for Jack-O-Lanterns. 
Squash
is another big seller for the fall. He’s now selling
a new variety called “Sunspot”. It’s a small
red squash with a big flavor. “Every time someone buys
one, they come back next time and say ‘give me three
or four of them’.”
For
Paul, this farm is not only a commodity, but also a labor
of love. Even during the years he taught school, he raised
the family farm every summer and his wife would work the produce
stand. When they started, they only had a 3ft by 10ft long
table to sell from. Now, he has a very large semi-enclosed
market. He makes sure everything is just right for his customers.
He says when he looks through his seed catalogues, he always
asks himself what the customer would want. Paul says that
neither Wal-Mart nor Kroger can compete with his business;
they’re not even in the same league. He does sell to
some local grocers, such as Bassett’s. 
When
asked about the business side of things, Paul says, “this
is one of the most successful roadside markets around here.
You wouldn’t believe how much we sell. Five or six other
markets have tried to compete, but they all failed. I try
to help other people and tell them what to do, but they don’t
believe me.” Paul has two rules when it comes to running
the produce stand. He believes one of the things customers
enjoy so much about his market is how impeccably clean it
is. His second rule is to never try and sell anything that
he wouldn’t buy himself. If it’s bad, throw it
out. “You have to treat the customers right.”
Paul also thinks it’s important to include his employees
in decision-making. He has periodic meetings so they have
a chance to voice their opinions. His employees let him know
what needs to be changed to make things even better. 