T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK ABOVE: Karen Eddy and son Zane of Martins Ferry attend the first farmers’ market of the summer at the Ohio Valley Mall on Thursday. BELOw: Santina Bartolovich of St. Clairsville pets one of the cats up for adoption at the first Ohio Valle

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Ohio Valley Farmers’ Market kicked off its summer season Thursday and while local residents are looking closer to home for sources of food in these tough economic times, area producers are also feeling the pinch.

Susan West, farmers’ market manager, board member and owner of Lone Oak Farms in Bellaire, said the Ohio Valley Mall parking lot will again host markets from 4-7 p.m. every Thursday. Saturday sessions will be held 9 a.m. to noon each week at 32nd Street in Bellaire, now through the end of October.

“We have a big turnout of vendors. On Saturdays we have anywhere from 12 to 22, and usually on Thursdays it’s a little smaller, but we’re going to average probably about 10-12 vendors,” she said.

“I really feel that we’ll see an increase in customer participation, because with the supply chain issues and the prices in the grocery stores, I think they’ll come back to spending their money with local farms,” she said.

The agriculture industry has had its share of hardships apart from economics and supply chain issues. West named lack of interest as one factor.

“We are struggling to find especially produce growers for our two markets. We’d tried advertising, and it seems that’s just not a profession very many young people in this area are taking up. We would certainly like to see more young farmers come into the produce production area, especially in Belmont County,” she said.

Economic concerns and supply chain disruptions are also having an impact.

“I think for the growers, the biggest thing that’s impacting us is the price of gasoline. Our tractors and our diesel fuel and our equipment, we’re being hit hard by these high gas prices,” West said.

She said the farmers are trying to avoid passing that cost on to the customers.

“I think most of our vendors are trying to hold their prices fairly steady from last year. They may go up a wee little bit, but I think we’re trying to hold as steady as we can, because we’re on the buying end of this inflation, too, so we appreciate what people are going through right now,” West said.

She said the markets will continue to have coupons for senior citizens and coupons for those in the Women, Infants and Children program. The markets also participate in the Produce Perks program for people receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.

“They can process their card, and we will match the first $25, so if they process their card for $25, they get an additional $25, but that can be spent on produce only,” West said.

Other farmers spoke about the challenges of recent years.

“It’s certainly increased the prices of feed, things like that. That’s the biggest cost increase for myself,” Eric Rubel, operator of Crossroads Farm pasture-raised meats in Smith Township and a board member, said. “Grain prices continue to rise. … I’m getting non-GMO feed and it’s even higher than conventional feed. It can be a little bit more stressful.

“I’ve had to increase the price of my beef as far as the wholesale. I’ve resisted a little bit on the retail end right now increasing the prices, but I’m probably going to have to increase the prices of the retail beef and also changing my pricing structure for my wholesale lamb, too, and probably raise the prices of my retail cuts of lamb, too,” he said. “That’s driven mostly because of the price of lamb that I could sell if I took them to an auction.

“We just started, so it’s a little bit difficult to see how things are going this year, but I’m hopeful this year and the coming next few years that the traffic will increase,” he said, adding that many are predicting widespread food shortages in the United States and across the world. “Part of it’s stemming from what’s going on in Russia, but part of it’s the whole supply chain debacle that’s been happening.”

He said another problem is fertilizer availability.

“There’s a lot of fertilizer that comes from Russia. When they put the sanctions on Russia from selling a lot of their products, even their oil and gas exports have impacted prices of fuel around the world,” he said. “When they impose sanctions on someone, it impacts a lot of other people.”

Customers appreciate their efforts despite the challenges they face.

“It’s a wonderful alternative, especially when you’re looking at a farmers’ market for fresh vegetables and fruit,” Lena Vela of St. Clairsville said. “It’s better here than you’ll get at a grocery store, and a better price, better quality.”

The cat adoption entity Paws for a Cause Ohio Valley was also present. Assistant director Hilary Olexo said they will be at two markets per month.

“We are a foster-based cat rescue, which means every cat that’s here is in someone’s home. They’re exposed to families, children, other cats, dogs,” she said. “Their adoption fee is $75 with an approved application. That includes their vaccinations. That include them being fixed, dewormed and flea-treatments.”

Attendants included Karen Eddy of Martins Ferry, who said these markets were good supplement for foodstuffs.

St. Clairsville City Councilmen Mike Smith, Mark Thomas and Don Vincenzo were present for the opening and hoped for many enthusiastic turnouts.

“That’s why these people have this. It’s local, and everybody supports it,” Smith said.

“It’s early yet, because it’s not till July that we get our first vegetables,” Thomas said. “This is all home-grown stuff. … This stuff is farm-to-table. … We need to support our local people.”