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Smith Farm Market joined the Central Ohio
community in 1973 when Lot Smith, owner of
Smith’s Famous Farms, purchased the Zimmer
one-room schoolhouse right up the street. He
bought it from the Caspersons, who ran a
corner grocery in the schoolhouse.
Preserving the structure of the building,
Lot started a farm market to sell fresh
fruits and vegetables grown on his farm.
Business at the newly established Smith Farm
Market rapidly grew and by 1980, Lot needed
help with the market so that he could
concentrate on his U-Pick produce farm
And that’s how Bill Kline came to work at
Smith Farm Market. Recently graduated from
the Ohio State University with a Bachelor of
Science in Horticulture, Bill grew up with
an interest in produce. The oldest son in a
family of six kids, a stay-at-home mother,
and a minister father, Bill’s family grew a
garden every year next to the parsonage to
feed their family. He purchased the tractor
that you still see around the market at age
12 and, throughout high school, sold produce
that he’d grown on twenty five acres of
rented ground from the back of his two
hundred dollar pick-up truck. His desire to
raise vegetables took him to OSU and,
eventually, to Smith Farm Market. Bill
managed the market for Lot Smith from 1980
until 1986, when Lot offered to sell the
market to Bill. For more than 30 years, Bill
had dedicated himself to provide the
freshest, most delicious produce he can find
for his customers at Smith Farm Market.
By the late 1990s, one Smith Farm Market
didn’t seem like quite enough. So in 1999,
Bill opened a satellite market in Gahanna,
Ohio. The tent market features our most
popular produce and baked good items,
bringing our best to the residents of
northeastern Columbus.
Our story, however, is not yet complete. In
2003, Melissa Kinder came to work for Bill
as his bookkeeper. The youngest of 5
children, Melissa grew up in Columbus. She
has always had an interest in baking and
enjoyed making delicious treats like
homemade candy and pumpkin rolls. As Melissa
worked for Bill, she developed an interest
in the bakery and, in 2006, she purchased it
from Bill. The two owners have worked
together since to operate Smith Farm Market
as one business for our customers. Melissa
has continued to sell all the traditional
favorites that made the bakery a success
while expanding the selection to include new
tasty treats (like our buckeyes, no bake
cookies, and fudge!).
Smith Farm Market’s history is chock-full of
rich, interesting stories from years, weeks,
and even days past. The people, both those
who have worked here and those who have
shopped here, are what give us our legacy.
The connections we’ve made with our
customers, co-workers, and surrounding
communities are our number one priority and
we treasure each one made. Thank you for
taking the time to learn a little bit about
us and we can’t wait to see you here!
Thank you,
Bill Kline and Melissa Kinder
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