The Communicator - March 2005
3
Edward Bain, General Manager
During a recent evening out at Little Brothers' WCBE 90.5 Music Benefit, a good friend of
mine recently asked me where does your produce come from that you sell at the market?
During my lengthy answer and our ensuring discussion, it dawned on me that this would be
great info to share with you, our members and shoppers.
First, take into consideration that our market is a very small grocery. We sell and primarily
focus on organic produce. In addition, we feel it is part of our mission to encourage the
connection between local growers, businesses and producers, and our consumer members
and shoppers. This is not all that unique, yet we are definitely somewhat distinct given the
parameters of retail grocery and produce sales in Columbus, Ohio at this time.
Good quality organic and non-organic vegetables and fruits are grown literally all over the world and have found their way to our little
market through a distribution system that can be as complex and as simple as you can imagine. From harvested fields of red peppers
produced in Israel or Holland to trucks to cleaning, labeling, and packaging facilities, to trucks to planes, to trucks to wholesaling
facilities, to trucks to our door, to the shelf to your hand, to your mouth. Or, on the other hand, from harvested green houses and
plots of green peppers produced in Athens County from the field to the box, to the truck to our market, to the shelf to your table.
You only have to really look at our food sources to recognize the breadth, the depth, and the extent of our globally integrated world.
You might even be surprised to find out that you are living in the present and thinking in the past context. I frequently encourage my
contemporaries to just really look at "what is going on". It is a sobering and realistic picture of who and what we are and what we are
becoming. Something I try to reserve myself from judging, but have a very interesting time pondering why and how it all works.
Our produce comes from many sources. I will list distributors and growers in order of volume, largest volume first and describe each
vendor briefly.
·
Crosset Produce Co., wholesale distributor located in or near Independence, Kentucky. A highly sophisticated conventional
produce and organic produce distributor. Started as a family business over one hundred years ago. Very flexible, high
customer service standards, they understand and effectively implement the kind of service any size store can utilize to their
advantage. Acquires fresh fruits and vegetables from the global trade network.
·
Mainstream Farms in Plain City, Ohio, wholesale distributor organic only. Grows some produce in summer greens and corn.
Gordon Rhoades, longtime market supporter and vendor, small scale operation, high level customer service and dependability.
Acquires organics from the global trade network and local growers when in season.
·
B&B Organics in Mishawaka, Indiana, wholesale distributor, organic only. Small scale operation, high level customer service
and dependability. Acquires organics from global trade network. Receptive to dependable local producers.
·
DNO Produce, wholesale distributor of conventional non-organic produce. Owner Tony Donovo, long time market supporter
and vendor. Primarily integrates into global trade network. Highly supportive of local conventional seasonal produce grown
by local growers. Very dependable, delivery available seven days a week, excellent customer service.
·
Shade River Farms. Mike & Star Hamilton long-time market supporters and vendors in Athens, Ohio. Organic grower and
wholesaler. Very high level dependability in production and very good customer service. Primary vendor for registered market
"Fresh From The Farm" program. Pre-ordered fresh picked local organic produce program initiated 2004 by the market
produce and marketing team. Highest level volume production of any local organic grower. Quality very good to excellent.
·
Sunsprout Farms in Columbus, Ohio. Pat and Steve Sours, growers and wholesalers of fresh sprouts. Highly dependable and
excellent customer service. Long-time market supporters and vendors.
·
Ag Access in Streetsboro, Ohio. Grower and wholesale distributor Karl and Carol Knoff. Dependable, excellent customer
service. Act as distributor for locally grown produce and plants in season.
·
The Keim Family Amish Alliance and Merle Griffith in Ashland, Ohio. Growers and distributors of local and Amish products,
most chem.-free or organic. Dependable and reliable, customer service excellent.
·
Mushroom Harvest in Athens, Ohio. Wholesale distributor of organic mushrooms and locally produced greens. Dependable
and reliable, excellent customer service.
·
Just This Farm. Gary Cox and Kevin Eigel small local grower in Galloway Ohio. Specializing in salad greens and garlic.
Dependable. Seasonal product, good quality, certified organic.
·
Moonflower Man. Mark Levine in Ray Ohio. Long-time market supporter and vendor. Grower and distributor of chem-free
shitake mushrooms. Excellent quality. Dependable. Seasonal production.
·
Jandys in Bellefontaine Ohio. Jan and Andy long-time market supporters and vendors. Local growers and vendors of the very
best Ohio chem.-free onions.
·
Pam and Jeff Lanum in Sunbury Ohio. Small scale growers.
Excellent quality and service. Selective seasonal products.
(see page 5)