Ohio Local Food Resources

I know that there are a couple of other bloggers out there who are taking up the August Eat Local Challenge, and I thought, just for them, I would share a few internet resources I have found over the past couple of days which might help them locate locally grown and produced foods.

The first link I will point you to is a great resource for finding organic farmers who produce vegetables, fruits, meat, dairy products, grain and eggs in your local area. The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association is a grassroots organization that was formed in 1979 to bring together farmers and consumers to promote a healthful, ecological form of permanent agriculture in Ohio and beyond. In addition to making available a searchable list of member farmers who produce organic foods, the OEFFA is very active in helping farmers switch over from conventional agricultural methods to organic, in educating the public in the value of organic methods of food production and in monitoring legislation that affects organic farming and public health. In the political realm, they promote farmer and consumer activism by providing news on relevant national and state legislation as well as contact information for various governmental officials.

The site is packed with information and links to more information, and, through the OEFFA, I may have found a source for locally (Licking County, Ohio) produced wheat flours! I am currently in contact with the farmer, and we are trying to figure out if he will be able to mail order some flour to myself and other Ohio locavores in this coming month. As soon as I have an answer, I will post his information.

If you don’t know where the closest farmer’s market is to you, you can always check out the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service–they maintain a list of farmer’s markets across the USA. Here is the link to the listing of farmer’s markets in Ohio. (And if you are wondering, yes, all of the vegetables and fruits I photographed for this post came from the Athens Farmer’s Market.)

Another source to find Ohio-produced food is the site for OhioProud, which is the signature marketing program for the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Division of Markets. A word of caution–the farmers and producers listed on this site are not necessarily using organic methods, and many of the foods are processed in a very conventional fashion, meaning, they include lovely ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and the like. However, it is a good resource for finding local dairy products, or at least, ones produced in Ohio. There seem to be no dairy producers within one hundred miles of Athens.

Finally, I found a listing of Ohio farmers who pasture raise their animals at Eat Wild, which is a clearinghouse of information on pasture-based farming. Not only do they supply a state by state index of information on farmers who pasture raise meat and dairy animals, but they also provide health and ecological information on why pasture farming is such a good idea as compared to the standard modern feedlot or factory farm model.

That is what I have found so far; of course I will keep exploring and post information as I find it to help out any other Ohio folks who want to try and start eating locally.

14 Comments

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1. Ohio Organic Family Farms, P.O.Box 646, Utica, OH 43080 is the only dairy in Ohio bottling organic milk.It is new and a small plant/business. They distribute in the Columbus area. I’m not sure about Athens. I think Utica and Columbus are within 100 miles of Athens.
   Their organic cottage cheese is great!

   Comment by gene — July 27, 2005 #

2. Thank you, Gene! I will look into it!

   Comment by Barbara Fisher — July 27, 2005 #

3. I think that I’m going to use Hartzler’s Dairy products:

   http://www.hartzlerfamilydairy.com/

   Though their farms may be just outside of 100 miles from you, they have a list of stores that carry their products (milk and butter). I’m also going to try to find a source for local cream and try my hand at making my own butter.

   They don’t call themselves organic, but seem to farm with sensitivity to the environment and the product. The stories about the dad and the brothers were interesting.

   I found a beef producer via the Eat Wild site and may be pursuing that as a resource for products for my dogs (they love eating locally – though they’re going to miss their Trader Joe’s rice!)

   Comment by Mary — July 27, 2005 #

4. Thanks, Mary–if I hear back from the farmer in Licking county about mail order, I will post about it so you can get some Ohio flour, too.

   Comment by Barbara Fisher — July 28, 2005 #

5. Excellent! Thanks for the very useful info!

   Comment by ladygoat — July 28, 2005 #

6. Hey, no problem, Ladygoat–as I get more information, I will keep posting it.

   Comment by Barbara Fisher — July 28, 2005 #

7. I hear that Ohio Organic Family Farms organic milk available in Granville, OH at Granville Market,

   Comment by Gene — July 30, 2005 #

8. Ohio Organic Family Farms organic milk is also available at the Clintonville Community Market in Columbus. They also carry their whipping cream, raw cheeses (mozzarella & cheddar), and cottage cheese.

   Comment by Anonymous — November 24, 2005 #

9. Does Ohio Organic Family Farms have a website?

   Thanks

   Comment by Gene Smith — October 16, 2007 #

10. Not that I have been able to find.

    But, they are available in Athens, both at the Village Bakery and Kroger’s.

    Comment by Barbara — October 16, 2007 #

11. Hi Guys

    does anyone know if there is a cheese maker ( farm) near Oxford Ohio?

    Thank you

    Comment by Antsa — April 7, 2008 #

12. Antsa: if you visit the Oxford Farmers market there is a local goat cheese maker.

    However I have had TERRIBLE luck finding any kind of local cow’s milk. If anyone knows of milk anywhere nearish to me (Oxford), I’d love to hear about it.

    Comment by Laura — May 16, 2008 #

13. hey! I was formed in 1979 in Ohio too! love Hayley

    Comment by Hayley — June 28, 2008 #

14. Does anyone have a phone number for Ohio Organic Family farm?

    Comment by Geneva Schlabach — September 28, 2010 #

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