Union County CEO hit the Anna Farmers Market on Tuesday, September 1st — and what a morning it was! 🧺🌽
Our young professionals split into groups for a farmer's market scavenger hunt, and the conversations they had with local vendors turned into some of the best lessons of the year.
They heard from Nathan Swietzer of Sweitzer Farms, whose family business has been going strong since 1919. When asked how he's kept at it this long, his answer was simple: "You gotta love it." Words our team won't forget anytime soon. They also talked with the owner of The Rolling Pin, Christy, whose business is barely a month old but already thriving, built on a simple mission: feeding the community she loves.
A stand selling sourdough bread caught several of our young entrepreneurs’ attention too — turns out it takes fourteen hours just for one loaf to rise! And Mr. Pablo Rafael left a real impression with his honesty and genuine love for his craft, inspiring more than one of our team members to bring that same effort back to their own schoolwork. Cobden Jr-Sr High senior, Natalie Storm, shares:
“I think the stand that stood out to me the most was Mr. Pablo Rafael’s stand. He was so honest and genuine in what he was doing; it was inspiring to see. Nothing super important or impactful happened during our conversation, but it still stuck with me for not just the rest of the day, but even days after. I do not think there are a lot of people who are so passionate about what they are doing to put up with that hard work as he does, and it genuinely pushed me to put in more effort in my own school. He motivated me to work harder and to focus more on my assignments rather than procrastinating.”
Our young professionals also learned just how much the weather shapes a farmer's whole season and even foot traffic at the market itself — a reminder of how many factors go into keeping a small business running.
From businesses just getting started to those with over a century of history, our team saw firsthand that every entrepreneur starts somewhere — and that loving what you do, embracing failure as part of growth, and caring about the people you serve matter more than how long you've been at it.
After the market, we headed to Anna's new plaza area to practice our pitches for potential investors in our class apparel line, sharing some fresh-baked goods along the way. A beautiful morning all around!
Huge thanks to all the vendors at the Anna Farmers Market for so generously sharing your time, your stories, and your passion with our team. These conversations are exactly why this program exists! 💛
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