Anita & Tom Dunderman – The Basketeria

(Nominated by: Kathleen Webb)

Please consider Tom and Anita Dunderman as candidates for the Champions of Sustainability Awards. Tom and Anita operate `The Basketeria` produce stand at Cleveland`s West Side Market. From Spring through Fall, they also sell produce at Coit Road Farmers Market in East Cleveland.

Tom and Anita have taken a revolutionary and radical approach to being produce vendors. Beginning in January and February each year, they start to meet with area farmers who grow for The Basketeria to review seed catalogues, planning for the coming harvest. Four Amish farm families have been growing for Tom`s customers, with hundreds of acres in cultivation specifically for The Basketeria. Tom selects certain varieties of squash, for instance, preferred by his Middle Eastern customers. And for the Russian customers who shop at Coit Road Farmers Market, black radishes and pickle cucumbers.

Tom and Anita want their customers to leave The Basketeria produce stand with bags bulging with fresh vegetables, enough to feed the customers` families, and having spent $10 or $15, maybe $20. Because they sell produce all year round, Tom begins buying vegetables from outside our region as our growing season comes to a close. He has an eye for organic, and will purchase organic vegetables whenever they are available at good prices and good quality. Tom and Anita could charge a premium price for these organic goods, but they choose to pass the savings and value along to their customers. In their opinion, fresh local and organic produce should be available to all.

Tom and Anita and their children often go out to the fields planted for Basketeria customers and do the harvesting. Tom can usually tell his customers where a vegetable was picked, and when — usually within 24 hours of being on the stand. The farmers who grow for The Basketeria are guaranteed the sale of the harvest, a benefit to the farmer.

While I describe Tom and Anita`s approach to selling produce as radical and revolutionary, Tom shrugs off the description. He says, "That`s the only way to do produce — sell local whenever it is in season. One definition of radical is `back to the root,` and Tom and Anita are taking produce vending back to what it`s all about, fresh seasonal vegetables from local farms. Their method is revolutionary, in my opinion, because it could be followed by other entrepreneurs and ultimately change how and when food comes to our tables. Tom and Anita Dunderman are heroes of sustainablity to me, and I am happy to share their story.