Small Business Food Heroes Drive Our Local Food System

This week newsletter profiled local food businesses as well as threats to SNAP, Tony Halls role in creating the National Day of Prayer and some lively community events. You can read the newsletter here (7 minute read). Be sure to sign up by emailing mark@hallhungerinitiative.org

Thanks to Kent’s Feed Barn for the donation and introducing the world to Speckles the chicken!

We walk into the Gem City Market, fill our cart with lots of fresh food, go home and feast without ever thinking about where our food comes from. Those feasts don’t happen without all the folks in the Miami Valley's vibrant local food system, bringing us fresh food while creating jobs and building our local economy.  

Take our feather friend, the chicken. Whether you want an omelet or a couple of drumsticks, it takes the support of lots of people to make that meal happen. Since we promote local food, the Hall Hunger Initiative has a very small local growing project located at Agraria Center for Regenerative Practice, a farm near Yellow Springs promoting healthy farming practices. We started by getting our chicks from Crosshatch Farm, a family owned operation near Xenia focused on heritage breeds of chickens. They not only help determine what works best for us but also guide us with the challenges of raising chicks.

And our chickens need to eat! Fortunately, we discovered Kent’s Feed Barn in Cedarville. They have everything we need but most importantly, they give us advice and all kinds of support. Small businesses such as Crosshatch and Kent’s are a vital part of the local food system and key to the success of our local growers. Because of their work, shoppers can stop by area farmers markets and buy the freshest, healthiest local food while supporting jobs in our community.

From baby chicks to omelets with all the fixings, hard working small business owners are dedicated to providing fresh, healthy food and building a self-reliant Miami Valley.