For the last 50 years, Miles Farmers Market has been the name we’ve associated with the freshest foods available

By Laura Briedis

The U.S. president was Richard Nixon. The average cost of a new house was $25,000. “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night topped the music charts, and Walt Disney opened his theme park in Florida. The year was 1971. It was also the year Miles Farmers Market opened in Solon.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this month, Miles Farmers Market hasn’t strayed from its core mission: to offer the finest, freshest, locally grown food.

When Frank Cangemi first opened the market, he would wake up at 3 a.m. every morning to head down to the Northern Ohio Food Terminal to select the finest fruits and vegetables to be sold at the market that same day. Today, a half-century later, he has kept that same routine. He still wakes up early to go to the Food Terminal, and, in the summer, he also goes to Amish Country to buy fruits and vegetables from local farmers.

“It has been a pleasure of ours to serve the local community the freshest and most delicious food for over five decades,” says Frank.

What started as a seasonal, roadside fruit and vegetable stand has evolved into one of the area’s premier grocery stores. The 21,000-square-foot market features the largest selection of fresh produce in the city, along with a custom-cut butcher shop, old-fashioned deli, in-store bakery, cheese shop, wine department and bistro.

“We keep growing every year and adding new items,” says store manager Justin Golobek. “We are expanding our catering options and prepared foods section, so we just opened a second production kitchen in the back of the market and are adding new cases for hot prepared foods in the store.”

“Our catering department can handle everything from weekend get-togethers to graduation parties, corporate events, and even weddings,” says Justin. “The nice thing is we are a one-stop shop, as we pull from all of our departments and can offer cheese trays, fruit platters, deli trays and desserts, as well as hot meals such as fried chicken, ribs and so much more.”

As a family-owned business, the second generation is also involved in the market. Frank Jr. helps manage the store continually contributing to the success of the different departments and stepping in wherever needed.

“We continue to build on the store’s legacy and its focus on family values,” says Justin, who remembers going to Miles Farmers Market with his grandparents every Wednesday to shop for watermelons and cheese when he was just a couple years old.

Staying true to its mission to offer fresh, local foods, Miles Farmers Market is always coming up with new items while remembering the past. “There are so many customers who shop here for corn-on-the-cob every summer because they remember coming here as kids when we started as basically a corn stand,” says Justin, noting that we are nearing peak corn season in Ohio. “And we still make old-school favorites, including chicken paprikash and beef stew, but at the same time we are always adding innovative food items like our new shrimp burgers and creating new recipes, such as meatballs braised in sauce, that are so flavorful.”

And along the way over the past half century, Miles also has been the catalyst for helping other local businesses thrive. The store is stocked with food items spotlighting local vendors and farmers, from Amish-raised chicken and Ohio pork, to locally grown apples and wild foraged mushrooms, hand-stirred jams and hand-dipped chocolates.

Miles Farmers Market is located at 28560 Miles Road, in Solon. Visit MilesFarmersMarket.com for store details.