Owens Fresh Meat Market should open soon at 6287 SR 15, Leesburg. InkFreeNews photo by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

LEESBURG — Owens Fresh Meat Market is meant to be “a year-round farmers market,” said Mark Owens.

He co-owns the market, located at 6287 SR 15, Leesburg, with his wife, Kristy Owens.

Plans are to open the store on Thursday, Feb. 1, said Mark.

The couple hasn’t decided yet on the exact hours for the business, but it should be open Monday through Saturday, said Mark. People may check out the market’s Facebook page for updates on the business hours.

Mark said it was the COVID-19 pandemic which motivated the couple to start Owens Fresh Meat Market.

The Owenses have a cattle and hog farm at Argos and struggled to have their meat butchered during COVID.

“Every butcher around here forgot that we sent in stuff every month, and here we were stuck with a whole bunch of cattle,” said Mark.

That led to the couple seeking out a spot for their own meat processing. They tried for several other properties before they got the building in Leesburg.

Frank and Becky Levinson are renting the building to the Owenses until the Levinsons can move the other businesses which are in part of the building to a new one next door. At that point, the Owenses will own the property, said Mark.

Plans are to start out with the store, followed by an ice cream shop set to open in April. Martin’s Custom Butchering in Elkhart County is processing meat for the market until all federal inspections are done for butchering to be done at the business, he said.

Mark estimates butchering to start around September. The last market element is a bakery, which Mark said should be open in a year.

As for products, the market should have deli meats, cheeses and other dairy items, candy, breads, fresh fruit and cookies, among other things.

“We’re going to have fresh turkeys for Thanksgiving,” said Mark.

“The goal behind this is to be a year-round farmers market, so you don’t have to wait for the market to open in the spring,” he said. “We’re trying … to source everything from Indiana.”

That will include items from Kosciusko and Marshall Counties, with some from the Owenses’ own farm, said Mark.

He said meat would be sourced from several local farmers. Although the meat won’t be organic, it will be hormone-free.

“We’re not organic, but we are natural,” said Mark.

The market will also have baskets for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, Christmas trees and wreaths and flowers. There will be hot foods, with barbecue available a few days a week.

The market will offer delivery and online orders through Barn2Door. Mark said delivery “will probably be within a 20-mile or less radius.”

Mark said he wants the market to have a neighborly feel.

“When somebody walks in here, I want to know their name,” he said. “I want to know that they just had a baby, or they went to the dentist today, more of that hometown back to we care about our job.”