Fresh Fork Market: EEC Sparked an Idea that Turned into a Thriving Venture

In this issue, we look back on the impact EEC has had on an Immersion Week alumnus and his entrepreneurial idea.  Trevor Clatterbuck was a student at Case Western Reserve University in 2007, when as a rising senior, he signed up for EEC’s very first Immersion Week.   This is his story and reflection on the launch of his business and its growth since those early days.  ​

Trevor Clatterbuck:  “To this day I get asked almost weekly if I grew up on a farm or worked as a chef. I chuckle and say no. In fact, I never even washed dishes in a restaurant. I grew up in a small steel town in northern West Virginia, worked at a gas ​​station and a model train store, and played roller hockey in my spare time. I first came to Cleveland in 2004 as a freshman at Case Western Reserve University. There, I studied Business Management and Political Science. I was expecting to go to law school. Then in the summer of 2007 I attended the Entrepreneurship Education Consortium Immersion Week. Myself and three other students – not even friends at that point – were challenged to come up with a business idea that was viable for Northeast Ohio. We did and upon graduation I stuck with the business, through its many challenges and changes. So to sum it up, all I know about farming, cooking, and food distribution is purely from hands-on experience. I work daily with the most passionate people I know – small farmers, talented chefs, and retail customers who care. I learn something from all of them, and find answers to my questions as they pop up.” 

Today, Fresh Fork Market is a Farm Buying Club, providing members with a weekly subscription service to fresh and local foods.  Fresh Fork operates throughout the year with a Summer and a Winter season, connecting members to Ohio's bounty, including just-picked-this-morning produce, meat, eggs, dairy, breads, canned goods, pastries, granolas and more. Every week, members meet one of Fresh Forks’ refrigerated trucks in their community and pick up their grocery grab-bag filled with local food. All of this comes from 100+ local, small family farms and producers within 75 miles of Cleveland.

Congrats from EEC to Trevor and the Fresh Fork Market!