Toledo City Paper

Do you know where your food comes from? Before it gets to your table, before it sits on the grocery store shelf, before its truck ride — do you know where your food was grown? In a time of product recalls and international trade of commodities formerly known as “food,” consumers are hungry to know more about what’s on their plates.

A sprouting movement

Like other social movements, concern for locally-based, seasonal food first began in California.  Pioneering chef Alice Waters founded a restaurant in the 1970s, and began to promote the benefits of using local fruits and vegetables in their peak season.  Her influence on chefs and other food professionals led to an interest in seasonal menus across America.
More recently, author Barbara Kingsolver wrote about her family’s attempt to eat only the food they could grow themselves, in Animal Vegetable Miracle.  An interesting challenge for locavores, people who prefer local foods, is to eat only food produced within a 100-mile radius.   Such a dietary restriction might make sense in California — home of America’s most abundant supply of salad greens, vegetables, and citrus — but don’t try this in Ohio in midwinter, unless you plan to eat a lot of cabbage.
Toledo shoppers can usually buy local strawberries, apples, peaches, tomatoes, squash, and pumpkins in season.  Residents of Northwest Ohio also have easy access to Michigan asparagus, mushrooms, potatoes, and sugar.  But the decision to “buy local” often involves visiting dozens of different roadside stands, farmers’ markets, and specialty grocery stores.  Shoppers who want to support the local economy don’t always have time to embark on a research project: sometimes they just want a quick meal.

Preserving the Bounty

In Ohio’s early history, all food was “local”.  If farm families didn’t shoot it or grow it, they didn’t eat it.  Food crops that produced a bountiful surplus in summer would need to be preserved through drying, canning, or traditional pickling methods to feed a family throughout the year. Jams, jellies, dried fruits, and pickles are still valued parts of the modern diet.  Northwest Ohio has a number of food producers that continue the tradition, drawing on local resources.
The Hirzel company uses Ohio tomatoes in its Dei Fratelli brand product line, and local cabbage in Silver Fleece canned sauerkraut.  The Michigan Sugar Company manufactures Pioneer Sugar and molasses at factories in Croswell and Fremont from locally-grown sugar beets.  Dozens of smaller-scale food producers in the Toledo area include Sweet Louise sauces, Stadium Salsa, and PitaKrunch chips.   A number of Mexican and Mediterranean bakeries supply restaurants and grocery stores, but not all food producers use local ingredients. 
The Ohio Department of Agriculture created the OhioProud program to help consumers find local food products that contain at least 51 percent locally-sourced ingredients.  At www.OhioProud.com, a searchable database provides information on food products, retailers, farmers’ markets, and individual fruit and vegetable crops.
Another way to find locally-grown produce is to drive to farm markets and orchards, generally located outside the city limits.  Farm stands have seasonal produce, beginning in early summer, and ending the season with gourds, Indian corn, and pumpkins.  Fresh eggs from free-roaming hens can also be found at farm stands.

Community Resources

Last year, organizers at Northwest State Community College in Archbold sponsored Everybody Eats, a conference focused on developing a local, sustainable food supply.   A second conference followed, and program coordinator Robin Weirauch has begun to organize interested parties.  “We intend to form a network, to gauge the level of interest ...to connect folks and set some goals.  Everything centers around food.  When I say ‘We’re building a sustainable food network,’ people’s eyes cross ... if I refer to ‘local foods’ then people get it, they already know about farmers’ markets, that we need to be supporting local farmers.  People want to have more sources, more options.  Some people have allergies; for some people it’s a passion.  We have a full range of people involved,”  including local farmers, meat and cheese producers.
The Center for Innovative Food Technology (CIFT) (5555 Airport Highway) provides technical assistance and information to area farmers and food producers. Louise Mikesell-Wireman, CIFT’s Direct Marketing Specialist explains, “To me, ‘local food’ means you buy it from the guy who grew it. Our local strawberry crop sums it up. It smells of the earth, and I don’t mind waiting for the ripe berry.”
CIFT’s farm-to-chef program connects growers with local restaurants and produces a weekly “Fresh Sheet” to help chefs plan menus that include produce as it ripens.  Ohio MarketMaker is another resource that links retailers and the food industry to farmers and small businesses.  Both programs are available through the website www.cift.eisc.org.
CIFT also helps farmers extend the growing season with hoop houses and hydroponic operations.  With low-cost Crplastic weather protection, crops that traditionally do well in Ohio can be harvested a full month earlier, and grown a month later into fall.   An alternative growing system of vertical hydroponic pots is also available, so that vegetables can be grown in parking lots.  The center operates a quick freezing facility to help preserve an oversupply of produce for sale during the off-season.  Its cooperative kitchen helps small food producers make and market specialty foods.  CIFT recognizes the economic impact of localized food production: they’ve sponsored a recipe contest to choose the next successful product, and will provide manufacturing assistance and marketing services to the winner.
According to Mikesell-Wireman, “Farmer’s markets have increased 50 percent since 2007. We’ve helped to start a lot of different markets. I go out, look at the area, help with rules and regulations; basically give them ideas.”

The Meat of the Matter

Chefs, consumers, and farmers now recognize the benefits of providing a better lifestyle for farm animals.  In recent years, chefs have begun to promote the benefits of using meat from animals raised on natural pasture instead of fattened in feedlots.  Small herds that feed on grass in pastures enjoy fresh air and exercise during their lifetimes, which improves the flavor and texture of their meat.  Farmers who manage smaller herds can choose less-traumatic methods at the time of slaughter.
Local meat from area farmers is available at city farmers’ markets and outside town.  St. Mary’s Meats in Swanton stocks locally-raised beef and pork; lamb, fish, and buffalo appear seasonally.  Pioneer Bison Farm in Montpelier ships frozen buffalo steaks, roasts, and burgers.  Their website includes a map to the buffalo pasture (www.pioneerbisonfarm.com).  In Elmore, Tank’s Meats on Route 51 offers fresh cut local beef and pork; they also provide frozen meat to some Toledo-area specialty grocers.
The Sterlena Pride Dairy Cooperative in Wauseon sells milk, sour cream, and cottage cheese.  The cooperative is owned by dairy farmers and local residents; they do not use synthetic hormones in their herds.  Shorlings, Stanley’s, and Kazmeier’s, in addition to a dozen smaller stores in the Toledo area, carry Sterlena products.  The complete store list is available at sterlenapride.com, or call 877-330-2015.

Local vs. Organic

Organic groceries and their clientele are concerned about chemical exposure; store managers tend to be very strict about excluding local foods that are farmed conventionally, using fertilizer and pesticides.  The high price of produce prevents some people from buying organic. Those who are concerned about their carbon footprint also find it hard to justify purchasing organic fruits that have been flown or trucked to Ohio, when local (but not organic) fruits and vegetables are in season.
At Claudia’s (5644 Monroe Street), general manager Jennifer DeBacker says “Our preference is local organic. We don’t carry any items that have been sprayed with pesticides; we wouldn’t carry anything sprayed, even if it was a local product.  We do offer assistance to farmers to transition to organic produce and livestock.”  Local products currently available include Ohio organic grass-fed lamb, free-range chicken, and organic eggs.  In the future, Claudia’s will carry local grass-fed beef.
Phoenix Earth, a co-op food store at 1447 W. Sylvania, carries local organic produce in summer.  Radishes, tomatoes, herbs, and blueberries are available in season.  The store sells many different heirloom vegetables – old-fashioned varieties that were favorites of farmers and pioneers.  In modern agriculture practices, heirlooms fell out of favor because their best traits (superior flavor, reliability, unusual color) were not compatible with machine harvesting or long-distance shipping.  Heirloom varieties have not been genetically modified.
Organic Bliss Deli and Bakery on Secor plans to expand to meet consumers’ increasing desire for local produce and humane dairy, eggs, and meat.  The deli, coffee bar, and bakery business is converting a neighboring storefront into a local foods market.  One of the owners, Dave Thomas, has visited potential meat suppliers in the area, to see the animals and to speak to farmers about their philosophy regarding slaughtering procedures.

Local Choices at Grocery Stores

Locally-owned grocery stores can be good sources of locally-grown food.  At The Andersons, produce buyers try to get everything they can from local farmers. A weekly conference allows workers at all three Toledo-area stores to learn which seasonal items are local, and to post that information on signs. 
Churchill’s at 2845 W. Central has two local sources for eggs from free-roaming hens.  They also carry local produce, some purchased from the Toledo Farmer’s Market.  In summer, they aim for up to 40 percent of the store’s fresh produce to be locally-grown.
Sylvania’s Sautter’s Food Center at 5519 Main St. also has an abundance of local sources for their selections. “We buy locally whenever we can,” says owner Jim Sautter. In addition to homemade produce like tomatoes, melons, peppers, corn and strawberries, they offer locally-made ketchup, BBQ sauce, bread, wine and hand-rolled crackers. Many times, local farmers and entrepreneurs will walk in with their local food item, and Sautter’s is happy to give them a try.
Farm markets and local greenhouses are another source for locally-grown food, garden plants, and flowers.  Rhodes’ Garden Fresh at 4171 Monroe Street carries local produce in season, as well as locally-grown herb and vegetable plants.  As a member of the Maumee Valley Growers group, they promote the benefits of choosing local growers for landscape products and fresh produce.  The MVG website (www.maumeevalleygrowers.com) includes several local farm market members, including Bench Farm on State Route 2 in Curtice, and the Ohlman and Tom Strain markets on Hill Avenue.

Other Sources Close to Home

There’s no food fresher or more local than what you grow yourself.   ToledoGROWS plans and installs community vegetable gardens all over Toledo.  Successful gardens can become vibrant, friendly social spaces as neighbors pitch in to nurture the food crops and flowers. In addition to providing fresh food, community gardens have been shown to reduce vandalism and litter in public areas.  Call 419-936-2975 for information about visiting some of the 50 northwest Ohio gardens, or creating your own neighborhood garden.  Information is also available at www.toledogarden.org under ToledoGROWS.
Another option is to participate in a CSA.  For a flat fee, customers buy shares in a Community-Supported Agriculture farm’s harvest.  Customers can pick up their produce at the farm, or at farmers’ markets.  Local farmers benefit by having a guaranteed income to cover farming expenses, while members receive fresh produce throughout the year.
To learn more about CSA farms, read  TCP’s previous article  “Knowing the Hand that Feeds” (January 7 - 20, 2009) at www.toledocitypaper.com under Cover Stories.

Why Buy Local?

Locally-grown food is fresher and more flavorful because it’s harvested close to home.  Local farmers harvest their crops for ripeness and peak flavor, instead of shipping convenience. 
Buying local food also supports the local economy.  According to the Toledo Choose Local website, if each household in Lucas County redirected $100 of spending to a locally-owned store, nearly $8 million in annual revenue would flow into the local economy. Dedicating a portion of the food budget to local food producers would have a tremendous impact on the economy in Northwest Ohio.
Toledo-area shoppers are lucky to have some independent choices in the grocery market.  Local businesses like the Andersons and Churchill’s, with local owners and buyers, can be especially responsive to customers’ preferences.  If you want to find more local produce in other stores, take time to ask which fresh fruits and vegetables are locally-grown.  And remember to read the labels on prepared foods.  Fresh, locally-produced food that provides employment for Ohio workers and revenue for local businesses — that’s a dish that everyone likes.
 

Freelance writer Cynthia Poe is working on a guide to local food. To be included, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .