From sweet corn and peaches to cabbage and cauliflower, Miles Farmers Market sources fresh, local produce grown right here in Ohio

By Laura Briedis

The food you buy at most grocery stores travels an average of 1,500 miles to get to your plate. At Miles Farmers Market, however, fresh produce only crosses several country roads to find its way to the store—and to your table.

“A lot of our produce is picked in the morning and is on our shelves the same day,” says store manager Justin Golobek. “The fruits and vegetables are so fresh they are still warm from the fields. It doesn’t get any fresher than that.”

“We have decades-long relationships with local farmers who pick the ripest, biggest and nicest ones for us, as we have built a partnership where they look out for us and we look out for them,” he adds.

Miles Farmers Market sources as much produce as possible from local farms so you can savor foods at the peak of freshness. After all, corn is at its sweetest just hours from its stalk and jalapenos are the hottest when picked ripe.

Sweet Corn is Still in Season
When Miles Farmers Market opened in 1971, it was a seasonal, roadside fruit and vegetable stand mostly selling Ohio-grown sweet corn. And though over the past five decades it has expanded to include a butcher shop, old-fashioned deli, in-store bakery, cheese shop, wine department and bistro, it has stayed true to its roots.

You can still find the sweetest corn in town here. The first batch of Ohio corn was harvested and delivered in July and there will be bins of locally grown corn at the market usually until sometime in October.

“We will have corn on the cob in our store all the way through clambake season,” notes Justin.

Get Peaches While You Can
While Georgia may be known as the Peach State (though California and South Carolina actually produce more), Ohio’s crop rivals the best of the South.

Ohio’s peach acreage may be fairly small in comparison to the apples grown here, but local farmers harvest oh-so juicy peaches that are the perfect balance between tart and sweet. From Redhaven and Coral Star to some more unique varieties such as Purple Peaches and 007, Miles Farmers Market still has an appreciable selection of this favorite fruit.

“Local peaches are more flavorful because they are left on the tree longer to ripen as they don’t have to be shipped across the country,” says Justin. “They literally are on the tree one day and in our store the next day. The local peach season usually runs into September, so get them while you still can.”

Bountiful Fall Produce
Just when one fruit is at the end of the growing season, another is starting to crop up.

“In the fall we have Concord grapes, prune plums and lots of apples,” notes Justin. “Also, the cooler growing season provides perfect growing conditions for cabbage, hard squash, broccoli and cauliflower.”

“Most people don’t realize how many varieties of fruits and vegetables there are,” he says. “For instance, we have plums ranging from ebony plums to Italian prune plums, cauliflower varieties ranging from white, yellow and purple cauliflower.”

The culinary staff at Miles Farmers Market also uses local fruits and vegetables in its prepared meals—from apple-sage stuffed pork chops to squash side dishes.

“We have a nice selection of prepared meals, which are ready to go and you only need to heat up,” Justin says. “You’ll find more hearty foods in the fall, such as beef stew, chicken paprikash and pork goulash.”

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