The assignment was simple and fun: explore downtown Harrisonburg, Virginia, including the Farmers Market, and find a detail of something that is a piece of a story. Document that. Then show everyone what that detail was a part of while completing the story with a few words.

Here are the findings of the 13 student journalist on July 18, 2023.

By Kaitlyn Halepaska

“It feels dark, in a sense. Almost like you’ve fallen into some giant hole that you can’t quite see out yet, but you keep moving forward, and eventually, you find your way. And it’s tough, but you just have to be tougher. Now there’s a reason why you’re doing what you’re doing.”

This is how Harold Bailey, a pianist and musical educator, describes his feelings of his journey through learning the art of piano, how he feels small in the classical music community, and working through failures that seemed almost impossible to crawl out of. But when he came out, he described the feeling of playing with a community as “especially present” creating a powerful connection through mind, heart, and soul.

By Brady Shifflett

Oreolowa Akymyemi, a student at Harrisonburg High School, works on a scavenger hunt at the Harrisonburg Farmers Market. “I‘ve always wanted to learn how to cook for myself so when I get older I can provide for myself.”

By Shane Gomez

Orv Lehman, a mushroom vendor at the Harrisonburg Farmers Market, grows and forages his fungi at Hawk Nest Farm in Linville, Virginia, about 10 minutes away from Harrisonburg.

“I’ve been growing mushrooms and selling them for 13 years here. These are cultivated at my house except for the Wood Ear are foraged in the forest. It started out as a hobby. I stopped eating meat a long time ago and ran across a guy selling mushroom kits, and I thought it would make a good meat replacement. I enjoy growing mushrooms. It’s a fun hobby, and I also enjoy selling them.”

By Karrie Obie

Brenda Fairweather, a master in both basketry and ceramics, markets her own work from Oasis Fine Art & Crafts at the Harrisonburg Farmers Market.

“My great, great, great grandfather back in the mid-1800s was a potter here in Rockingham County. So he would go out into fields, dig up the mud, refine it, then make it into ceramic art. I just say pottery is in my blood. Some of his pieces were at my grandmother’s house so it’s always been a part of my life, therefore I grew up with an appreciation of making things. My grandmother was always working with crafts and could never keep her hands still, kind of like mine, my hands are my main tools,” Fairweather said.

By Jireh Perez

Ryan DeRamus is a local resident who found passion in making crȇpes using local and organic ingredients every week. He decided to share his talent at the Harrisonburg Farmers Market.

“It was challenging at first. I just watched a few YouTube videos on how to make crȇpes. It was a wreck the first few Saturdays, but I had to get good quickly because it’s really busy on Saturdays so I had to make about a hundred crȇpes,” DeRamus said.

By Kavi Shah

Ted Hott, a honey vendor at Pure Local Honey at the Harrisonburg Farmers Market said, “Inflation does not affect us at all because we have our own hives. Over the summer we sell probably around 3-4 stores worth just at the farmers market alone.”

By Annabelle Mackey

A must-try eatery, the Heritage Bakery and Cafe in Harrisonburg, Virginia, is known for its homey service and homemade pastries. From chocolate cheesecake to cupcakes to scones, Heritage rotates its pastry display daily.

“We have been here for, I believe, nine years now. And it started with Isabel [Vento] and her mother, so it’s all their home recipes. So we have a big book and we each take turns every day deciding who’s gonna bake what,” Olivia Manley said.

By Ashlyn Sattva

Agora Downtown Market is filled with oddities ranging from Boujie Hippie Self-Care to second hand jewelry displayed on creepy mannequins. Allie Motyka, the owner of Agora Downtown Market, works with these mannequins. “They are from the ’60s or ’70s. They’re just vintage mannequins to go with a vintage shop,” Motyka said. “Kids seem to like them much more than adults. They’re definitely a little creepy, but I like them.”

By Soraya Kaussler

Isabelle Vento and her mom, Brenda Loewen started Heritage Bakery and Cafe nine years ago. Some of the things on their menu are old family recipes, such as the curry chicken salad and tuna salad. They also try and find out new recipes often, including all of the fresh pastries they sell everyday. One of the employees Olivia Manley, talks about the skills working at Heritage Bakery has provided her. “Heritage is a great place to work for people who love to bake, or even for people who know nothing about baking and are interested in learning,” Manley said. “I didn’t really bake at all until I started working at Heritage. Its one of my favorite things to do at the bakery, and I’m very happy with the life skill its provided me with.”

By Jaylan Post

The JMU jCamp experience molds positive people. Jackie Diaz, a former jCamp student and employee at Village Juice and Kitchen, said she had never considered journalism as a career before attending the five-day summer workshop.

“I left with a feeling of connection with telling stories, I mean it really fostered a sense and love of telling stories”

Jackie went on to connect her finding a love for storytelling with her feelings toward her current occupation.

“This is such a full circle moment for me. JCamp helped me understand finding something I’m passionate about. I love working here, and I enjoy making smoothies.”

Jackie is both a cashier and juicer at Village, her bubbly and overall happy attitude made her both an enjoyable interviewee and an important worker as a piece of the puzzle that is Village Juice and Kitchen.

By Mia Cruz Aquino

Rebecca Ryan is a local farmer who sells her produce down at the Harrisonburg Farmers Market.

Ryan works for Ryan’s Fruit Market and said this week they harvested one of the biggest batches of cherries yet.

“It’s all about timing. It had been warm this winter and then it got cold. By the time these bloomed, the threat of frost had already gone. [Cherries] also like dry weather, and it’s been really dry this spring. Usually if there’s too much rain they’ll rot on the tree. They grow in clusters. They’re close to each other so when that moisture gets between them, they grow fungus and the whole batch will be lost,” Ryan said.

However, Ryan said it can be exciting when the cherries start to grow because they “go all winter long without any fresh fruit.”

By Madison Vydareny

Small business owner and jack-of-all-trades, Jerry Fields, opened Jerry’s Gourmet Berries & Ferments following his retirement from being an aerospace engineer. Every Tuesday and Saturday he resides in the Harrisonburg Farmers Market to sell his berries and fermented goods.

“They are two things that are very effective on the human immune system. It takes a long time to lay the stuff out and set it up [for the market and] the ferments take about four weeks,” Fields said.

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