Local Roots, The Food Sphere raise funds for new Wooster home

Wooster Local Foods Cooperative (Local Roots), located at 140 S. Walnut St. in Wooster, is a cooperatively owned market that features seasonal and sustainably focused foods and artisan goods from over 300 local producers. Local Roots also houses The Food Sphere, an entrepreneurial center designed to develop and jump-start local agricultural and food-related businesses. Together, the two are joining forces to raise funds for a new home located behind their current building.

Longtime Wooster residents may remember what is now the Ride on Wooster Cycling Shop, located at 146 W. South St., was once the Sparkle Market. Now that building’s prior use as a grocery store will be rekindled as a space for both Local Roots and The Food Sphere.

“(Local Roots) was formed as a grassroots movement of local citizens who had supported the growth of Wooster’s downtown farmers market and wanted to see that expanded to an all-season concept in an inside market," said Adam Schwieterman, executive director of Local Roots. "Out of that vision, Local Roots was formed and leased its current space as a market and cafe in 2009. We, along with The Food Sphere, have since outgrown our current space and all that we want to be able to do as a market, cafe and entrepreneurial center in that building.

"The idea of owning our own building is an attractive one, and when the space located behind us, owned by Ride On, a like-minded, health-conscious local business, became an available option, we were excited about expanding to that facility.”

Like many businesses and one supported in part by federal grants, Local Roots has been buffeted by economic and political winds. This has meant a change in how the organization has approached its capital campaign.

“We are breaking the project into several phases and funding each one as it comes along in our time frame," Schwieterman said. "The first phase will include putting a new roof on the building. That process we hope to see completed by the end of March 2026. The second phase involves interior demolition in preparation for putting in all the commercial refrigeration equipment required.

"While the space has great bones, it needs updating in all aspects, from electrical to plumbing to flooring. We are hopeful this second phase can begin in the spring of 2026 and hopefully conclude by year’s end. We are then onto the final phase of making the space our own with design details.”

When the organization conceptualized what the move to a new building would look like, the idea was to leave the current building, but that idea may have changed.

“We are currently still in talks with our landlord, the Wayne County Commissioners, about working out a way we can keep the current building a part of our future plans as well," Schwieterman said. "We are connected to that building and see a possible future for it in our expanded plans for a possible two-building campus.”

Those interested in supporting Local Roots and The Food Sphere’s capital campaign have several options. Community members can shop locally at Local Roots or stop in the cafe. A more direct way to assist is by contributing to the capital campaign itself. No donation is too small. The group has raised more than $400,000 from individual donors but needs an additional $1 million to reach its goal. Donations are accepted through the Wayne County Community Foundation website, which can be found at the Local Roots campaign page, or through the QR code included in this article.