Jim and Pat Schulp
Jim and Pat Schulp share a booth at the farmers market, but their merchandise is quite different. Jim sells fresh vegetables and peaches and Pat sells handmade art including pottery, copper pendants and paintings.
Jim Schulp
Jim, who grew up around farming and whose family started the first apple orchard in Fort Wayne in the late 1800s, brings a variety of vegetables to the market. “I usually have tomatoes, potatoes, sweet onions, green beans, cucumbers and peppers plus peaches,” he said. “The quality and the freshness of locally-grown produce is so important,” Jim said. “You get much better taste when your vegetables don’t have to travel far to get to you.” He has a credo he lives by regarding the produce he sells: “I won’t feed it to your family if I won’t feed it to mine.”
Pat Schulp
Pat, a retired middle school teacher, has been selling her art for the past five years at the market. “I like to make pottery of all types, copper enamel pendants and watercolor and acrylic paintings,” she said. Pat enjoys painting scenery and animals and especially enjoys the social aspect of the farmers market. “It’s nice to meet new people and see our regulars. It’s always interesting to talk to everyone there.”