Tuscarawas Valley Farmers Market looks to permanent, all-weather facility

One of the keys for the Tuscarawas Valley Farmers Market to be successful far into the future is construction of a permanent, all-weather building, the chairman of the committee running the market says.

“We've been looking for a piece of ground that would allow us to create an all-weather facility for several reasons,” Mark McKenzie told commissioners during a recent work session.

“What we have to do on a market day if it rains, we've got to move everything for the market under the grandstand. So, it's very difficult from a legacy perspective for us to pass this to the next generation so that they can continue to facilitate it on behalf of the community.”

The market, held Wednesdays from 3-7 p.m. at the Tuscarawas County Fairgrounds in Dover, has been in operation since 2008. The 2026 market opens June 3 and runs through mid-October.

McKenzie said he has been in discussions with Josh Rennicker, the fair board president, about leasing a piece of ground from the fair board to construct a building.

They have been talking about a 13.71-acre piece of property the board owns on Oxford Street, which is used for overflow parking during the fair. An all-weather facility would be constructed on a small portion of that property.

Rennicker confirmed that the board is open to the idea of leasing land to the farmers market. But he added that any decision is still a long way off.

McKenzie said the proposed building would be about 20,000 square feet, with an outside area for food trucks.

“At this point, we're going to emphasize with whoever ends up with this project, from an architectural and engineering perspective, to think of design in a way that if all we have is a roof and a shelter to start off with to keep the rain off our vendors in the beginning, but it's designed in a way that it could eventually be enclosed and heat be added to it. Its initial design will accommodate the future,” he told commissioners.

He pointed out the economic impact of the market.

One of its anchor vendors sold $4,700 worth of produce in 2008. That number grew to $55,000 in 2024.

The market has also seen growth in its Food Hub program, where it connects growers with local businesses seeking fresh produce. In 2020, when the program was started, it generated $4,500 in business. In 2024, that number had grown to $30,100, McKenzie said.

Commissioner Kristin Zemis said commissioners support construction of an all-weather facility for the market. “This a project that's been kind of a pie-in-the-sky sort of idea for the commissioners office.”

She added, “We're positive about it, and we would support it any way we could. We can't argue with 18 years of success.”