Worthington Farmers Market Celebrates National Volunteer Week - 1st Annual Volunteer of the Year Award to be Presented on April 25

[Worthington OH] – Since its founding in 1987, the Worthington Farmers Market has looked to the volunteer community to support operations and help expand its footprint. From a small 8-vendor event at the Griswold Center to Central Ohio’s largest year-round farmers market, boasting a roster of nearly 120 farmers, producers, bakers and makers who gather every Saturday, that growth is due in large part to the hard work and dedication of volunteers.

April 19-25, 2026, is National Volunteer Week and the Worthington Farmers Market is excited to mark this year’s celebration with the establishment of The Janice Taylor Williams Volunteer of the Year Award and bestowing the honor on the namesake herself – Janice “Jan” Taylor Williams.

The 1st Annual Volunteer of the Year Award will be presented to Jan this Saturday, April 25, 10:30 AM, at The Shops at Worthington Place (our last indoor market of the season! We will go outside on May 2!) The entire Worthington Farmers Market community – vendors, customers, volunteers, staff – are thrilled to bestow this award on such an outstanding and deserving person. We invite all our fans, friends, and followers to join us for the presentation.

Jan has volunteered with the market for nearly 15 years. From her first day proudly wearing the “Volunteer” badge, Jan quickly became a go-to resource for patrons and vendors alike. Customers count on her knowledge of Ohio’s history and agriculture, vendors depend on Jan to “booth sit” and help orient them to new spaces and procedures, and local residents (many know her as their former principal and teacher) seek out their neighbor for a friendly chat.

For fellow volunteers, Jan is the “den mother” – always looking out for everyone, asking about kids and partners (usually by name!), and bringing sweet treats she baked that morning to her comrades. Jan stays busy when she’s at the market, walking the loop multiple times as a floater and hands-down the most awesome traffic counter – insisting on using only the red clicker which now bears her name. She even sewed cushion covers for the info booth stools – veggie-themed and, of course, a scarlet and gray set cheering on her beloved OSU Buckeyes. For many years at the indoor market, Jan was Santa’s favorite elf, reading Christmas stories to the littlest market-goers. And she helped create the “Market Sprouts” program, a games and crafts booth for kids that is being re-launched this season.

“Volunteers are the lifeblood of the market. We truly could not operate without them. Everything from early morning set-up, post-market tear down, information booth management, vendor assists, traffic counts, to hiding ‘Penny the Pig’ and more, our volunteers show up week after week, rain or shine, with a big smile. I often hear them say ‘This is my happy place’ and I can’t tell you how happy that makes me!,” says Market Manager Chelsea Kayse.

Volunteering is fun! Contact us at wfmvolunteers@worthingtonpartnership.org to join the team! Market volunteers enjoy lively camaraderie and lots of perks, vendor discounts, new product sampling, annual outings and dinners, post-market refreshments, hosted game nights, branded market merchandise and more.

Named the Best Farmers Market in America by the 2024 USA Today Readers Choice Poll, the Worthington Farmers Market is Central Ohio’s largest year-round farmers market with nearly 120 vendors participating in the indoor (November - April) and outdoor (May - October) markets. The market includes locally-grown seasonal fruits and vegetables, locally produced cheeses, jams, jellies, honey and maple syrup, high-quality meat from carefully raised farm animals, eggs from pastured chickens, flowers, herbs, plants, homemade soaps, and foodstuffs. The Worthington Farmers Market is operated by The Worthington Partnership, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. For more information about sponsorship and vending opportunities, contact us at worthingtonfarmersmarket@gmail.com

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