North Union Farmers Market

Founder & Executive Director (Retired) Donita Anderson, a biologist-turned-chef, foundedNorth Union Farmers Marketin 1995, inspired by her passion for local, fresh foods and community well-being. Under her leadership, the market grew into a thriving nonprofit enterprise supporting more than 90 farmers and 100 local artisans each year, while welcoming millions of visitors across Greater Cleveland. Through her dedication to education, mentorship, and advocacy, Donita has empowered Ohio’s farming community, strengthened the regional food economy, and cultivated a lasting culture of sustainability and connection. After nearly 30 years of visionary leadership,Donita retired in 2025, leaving behind a remarkable legacy of growth and community impact that continues to shape North Union’s mission and future Farmers Markets began with early American farmers using horse-drawn carriages to haul produce to sell in the center of town. Over the years, this European tradition was lost as our industrialized society became disconnected from the origins of the food on our plates. Farmers markets disappeared as the “agri-food” business grew to dominate consumer food options. Quietly, in the late 1960s and early 70s, the “local foods” movement began. People began talking about personal health, the environment and support for family farms. Across the nation, we saw food co-ops sprouting up – with a new commitment to consumer education, community participation and nutrition.Donita Andersonwas one of those early food co-op devotees. A biologist and trained chef, she was an active member of the Traverse City, Michigan food co-op and helped start a farmer’s market there in 1980. When Donita and her family moved to Shaker Heights, Ohio in 1985, she set out to find sources of local, healthy foods in Cleveland. She made weekly treks to farms well east of Shaker Heights, loading her car full of fresh produce — not just for her family, but for neighbors as well. Donita spent ten years produce-buying, farm-stand stopping and farmer-wooing throughout Northeast Ohio, in search of this meat or that produce. She made it her mission to learn from “local food” activists — like Barry Benepe of New York’s famousGreenmarketsystem, bringing country farmers to the boroughs of NYC. During those years, Donita set the wheels in motion for what we now enjoy as North Union Farmers Market. Donita envisioned a busy urban square filled with farms and shoppers. She wanted to tie in Northeast Ohio’s historical connection to the North Union Shakers, a religious and agricultural community who originally settled in the Shaker Heights area. North Union became part of the name with a logo designed by Barbara Chin. Organizing a core group of like-minded Shaker Heights citizens, Donita formalized plans for bringing local farmers to sell produce directly to consumers. With the collective efforts of founding board president Mary Holmes and founding board members Tom and Chris Stevens, Lou and Savery Rorimer, Peter Katz, Sheri Edison and others, the first Saturday farmers market atShaker Squarewas launched in July of 1995. That first day was quite a scene, as North Union had contracted with 15 skeptical farmers – but only six showed up! With 500 excited shoppers gathering to buy fresh local produce, those six farmers sold out within an hour. The stage was set for success – and refinements. The market’s first years proved to be slow – with operating budgets barely covering the cost of insurance. North Union trustees held fast to the success they saw in New York and California, with numerous markets in operation, farms flourishing and urban blight fading. North Union was constantly learning – about seasonal product availability, how to balance customer needs with diverse vendor supplies and of course, dealing with the weather! After a year and a half of painstaking planning, the Lakewood market opened in 1998 at the request of several board members and local farmers. North Union wo