If you go to a farmers market in Lee County, you likely have two Sanibel women to thank. Jean Baer and Betsy Ventura run Local Roots farmers markets. They opened their seventh market Friday in Marinatown in North Fort Myers.
They started their first market on Sanibel in 2008, said Ventura.
“It’s a good feeling to have the community behind you because you can’t be successful in a farmers market if you don’t have the community.”
Both women manage each market’s operations every week. They appear together or individually depending on how many locations are open on a given day.
The Marinatown location will be operated by Local Roots family members, Baer’s son Tyler Baer and Ventura’s daughter Sims Ventura.
Tyler Baer said it’s a great location, and it’s important to buy locally.
“It’s kind of in between Fort Myers and Cape Coral and North Fort Myers, and it’s just, it’s a good connection for the county, not just the city,” said Tyler Baer. “I just think that local business is important, and fresh produce is the way to go.”
His mom, Jean Baer, said it’s important because it puts money back into the local economy, so it will be reinvested.
“You come to the farmers market today, and you spend maybe $40 with our fish vendor,” said Jean Baer. “He in turn will take his family tonight out to dinner to a local restaurant, or he’ll save that money, maybe buy a car from a local car dealership.”
Jean Baer estimates the markets bring in nearly $280,000 a week. She said the company has more than an $8,000,000 impact on the local economy during the 30 weeks the markets are open each year.
“So that’s what’s kind of cool about it as opposed to maybe buying from a big-box store,” said Baer. “There’s just lots of corporate layers and people that have to be payed, and the money doesn’t always stay local.”
Not only will the new location be a next step for Local Roots, it will help revitalize the area said Mike Land, president of the North Fort Myers Civic Association.
“We think it’s a great bit of small-town Americana,” said Land. “And, we are very optimistic that this will be part of the total package to help turn North Fort Myers around and create the North Fort Myers renaissance that we’re looking for.”
The idea for the company started back in 2006. The ladies found there weren’t any opportunities on Sanibel Island to buy locally grown food, said Jean Baer.
“So, we did that, and we ran for six weeks our first season,” she said.
Through networking and word of mouth, the women had 20 vendors set up tents on its first day on Sanibel.
“It was so successful that the city allowed us to get a permit to operate for several more months the following year, and that sort of birthed our company, Local Roots,” said Baer.
Many of the vendors follow the women to each of their locations throughout Lee County.
Raquel Rodriguez established Greenhouse Smoothies with her husband a couple years ago. She said they have always done business at Local Roots farmers markets.
“The farmers market is the best place to start a business actually,” said Rodriguez. “It’s really fun. It’s outside. We can enjoy the connection with the people, and we can have good friends with the people they are having visit, here.”
Rosie O’Dell King, the owner of Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm, sold the farm’s organic products at the Marinatown grand opening.
This was her first time as a vendor at a local farmers market.
“We came to the farmers market because we thought, well, maybe it would be great to support a local farmers market,” said King. “So we wanted to come here and see how it would be. And, it’s really great meeting our neighbors and things like that here.”
Now, Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm has committed to set up a tent each week at a Local Roots farmers market.
Both Baer and Ventura have lived in Southwest Florida for almost 30 years.
Ventura owned a water sports company on Captiva, and Baer was the recreation director at South Seas Island Resort on Captiva.
The pair said they have opened a new market each year since their first. This newest one may not be their last.