Officials at the Union County Health Department are excited about the future of the Richwood Farmers Market.
The Board of Health approved a $5,000 intergovernmental agreement with the Village of Richwood to continue the Richwood Farmers Market, funded by the Ohio Department of Health’s Creating Healthy Communities grant.
Director of Health Promotion and Planning Shawn Sech said the funding will be used for administrative costs associated with hosting the farmers market, as well as advertising.
Several programs will take place at the Richwood Farmers Market this year.
She said a high priority for the Union County Food Council is ensuring local children are registered for free and reduced lunches at their schools.
Sech explained that registrations are lacking because families did not need to register during the height of the COVID pandemic, when federal and state funding made meals free for all students.
In order to reach students at North Union, Sech said school staff will be at the Richwood Farmers Market in August to help families register for the program.
Sech said the farmers market also took another important step toward making sure families at home have access to food too.
The Richwood Farmers Market will be accepting SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits this year.
“We’re really excited about that,” Sech said.
She added that organizers of the farmers market also want to help families learn how to use the ingredients they purchase to cook healthy meals at home.
Staff with The Ohio State University Extension Office will be at the Richwood Farmers Market once a month this season to teach shoppers recipes that use the fresh ingredients available.
Beyond providing nutritional foods, Sech said the farmers market is partnering with local agencies to give children educational activities during the summer.
She said the Richwood-North Union Public Library will be hosting “story times” for children at the farmers market to encourage them to enjoy reading.
The opening day for the Richwood Farmers Market is Thursday, June 9, from 3-6 p.m. at 4 E. Ottawa St.
In other business:
– The board unanimously approved the promotion of Sanitarian Adam Schultz to Director of Environmental Health, in preparation for the retirement of current Director Marcia Dreiseidel.
Schultz will receive a pay increase from $24.63 per hour to $60,944 annually.
– Union County Health Commissioner Jason Orcena said he recently received an update from the Union County Engineer’s Office regarding repairs to the fairgrounds following COVID-19 mass vaccination clinics.
“We are well and truly underway,” Orcena said.
He said the project is on track to meet the deadlines set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The Board accepted in May $282,785.36 from the Department of Homeland Security FEMA grant. At that time, Orcena said FEMA will reimburse 100% of the project cost, up to the grant amount awarded, if the money is spent and the project is completed by June 30.
Orcena said he will have another update at the next board meeting on June 15. At that point, he said the project will likely be either complete or nearing its end. – The board unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Union County Coroner’s Office for $8,000 to assist with overdose prevention efforts, funded by the Ohio Department of Health Injury Prevention: Drug Overdose Prevention grant.
The coroner’s office will assist UCHD with data surveillance, next of kin interviews, leadership on the Union County Overdose Prevention and Fatality Review Coalition and the annual overdose fatality review report.