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Wayne County health officials to partner with Orrville on healthy‑communities grant, push for farmers market
Summary
Wayne County health officials said Oct. 21 they will work with Orrville under a Creating Healthy Communities grant to address food access and promote a farmers market, with plans to enable WIC and pursue senior vouchers and, eventually, SNAP authorization.
Elisa Aiken, the community health promotion coordinator for the Wayne County Health Department, told the Orrville City Council on Oct. 21 that the county received a Creating Healthy Communities grant and intends to partner with Orrville to carry out required assessments, build partnerships and implement healthy‑eating and active‑living strategies.
"We would like to work with Orrville as our first city," Aiken said, describing a grant program that targets health‑improvement zones and areas the department has identified as having low access to fresh produce. She said the county has some flexibility on healthy‑eating and active‑living strategies but must complete structured assessments and partnership building as part of the award.
Why it matters: Council members said the initiative could help local residents who have limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables, while also creating revenue opportunities for farmers. Aiken said the county will seek to align the project with existing local efforts, including an emerging farmers market initiative and possible park renovations.
Aiken told council members she plans to survey Orrville residents about preferred market days and times and to coordinate with prospective vendors. She said 23 organizations or individuals had already expressed interest in participating as vendors or partners, naming Akron (Akron‑Wayne County), Ohio State University, the YMCA and United Way among early contacts. "We've got 23 respondents of people that are like, yes. Sign me up," she said.
The health department will also pursue program access for participants: Aiken said she intends to enable WIC benefits at the market, said she is working to enable a senior voucher program, and added that SNAP authorization remains a longer‑term item. "Eventually, hopefully, this year, but I'm not gonna hold my breath because SNAP's a whole another ball of wax," she said.
Wayne County Health Commissioner Nick Cascarelli, who also spoke, emphasized partnership with local officials and thanked Mayor Flavin and city staff for letters of support that were submitted during the grant application. Mayor Flavin said the city would continue to cooperate as planning moves forward.
Next steps: Aiken said kickoff meetings are expected in November; she invited council members and residents to contact her at the Wayne County Health Department for more information. The city and county will use the upcoming meetings to refine timelines for outreach, vendor recruitment and possible park improvements, with a goal of having market infrastructure in place in time for the following summer season.
(Reporting note: quotes and details above are drawn from the Oct. 21 Orrville City Council meeting.)
