Local Roots, based in downtown Wooster, embodies rhizomic growth. A small group of farmers, educators, artists, financiers, and consumers got together in 2009 with a vision for a retail local foods storefront in downtown Wooster. A year and a half later, they have 140 farmer-members and more than 400 consumer members occupying two previously vacant downtown storefronts in Wooster. Rolling up their sleeves, farmers and volunteers are busy at work expanding the store to include a certified kitchen space that can be used to prepare local foods for the in-store cafe or for use by the farmers that comprise the cooperative. Local Roots demonstrates a business model where a business can help to incubate other businesses and farm-based enterprises. Could this happen in your community?
Videos tagged as 'wooster'
The members of Local Roots received the 2010 Local Hero Award from Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Robert Boggs. Opening their doors for operations only in January of 2010, Local Roots has grown quickly from 12 to 500 members, including 110 participating farmers. Local Roots was established through a collaboration with the Wayne County Commissioners who made the empty storefront available to the establishment of the cooperative. Learn about how Local Roots all began when people were having trouble finding food for Thanksgiving dinner in farm country.
This video breaks down how local food operates. Hear operations manager Jessica Barkheimer describe the flow of activities that support this dynamic cooperative market space. Local Roots was established by and is run by all volunteers. Meet some of the youngest volunteers and learn about some of the financial and management background of the operation. Jessica shares her views on how the Local Roots model can be replicated.
This short film introduces some of the farmers around greater Wayne County to supply the Local Roots Cooperative in downtown Wooster. Farmers and consumers are both member-owners in this hybrid cooperative. The cooperative has 110 producer-members that provide a wide-range of products to the cooperative: produce, meats, processed and baked goods, fiber, personal care, and artisan goods. Farmers get to set-up their own display spaces within the cooperative and get to set their own prices. Local Roots also provides a year-round market which has enabled farmers to extend their growing season. Beyond a place for selling local foods, farmers participate in the many educational programs through Local Roots, ranging from cooking demonstrations to gardening workshops.
Casey Hoy, Kellogg endowed chair of the AgroEcosystems Management Program at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster, describes how agriculture in Ohio has had a historic orientation toward export-oriented production. While Ohio began as a largely rural and farm-based economy in the 1800's, Hoy notes that urban populations have since moved in. However, there are still many un-explored economic connections that can be created between Ohio's urban centers and the surrounding rural areas. Hoy looks to local food systems as creating a significant growth space in regional economic systems at a time that the global economy has become less stable and reliable. He describes the unique ecologies of Ohio and how they can support a wide variety of diverse foods.
Brian Gwin serves as a project manager for the Wayne County Economic Development Council. Gwin describes the importance of rural land-use and agriculture in shaping a stronger regional economy in Northeast Ohio. He talks about greater Wayne County, including the southern tier of counties in Northeast Ohio, as one of the most productive agricultural areas in the state. The diverse landscapes and prevalence of horse-drawn farm operations create a variety of agricultural products that could feed urban markets. He notes that every time a new barn gets built, the agricultural mystique of the area is preserved, benefiting both tourism and the agricultural economy. How can we connect stronger local food markets in cities like Cleveland with robust farm economies in rural counties like Wayne County?
This is a short clip from LESS Productions' feature length documentary PolyCultures: Food Where We Live. The movie is about the efforts to create a sustainable food production system in Northeast Ohio. In this clip, Harold Hartzler, the Hartzler Family patriarch, tells the story of how his dairy farm went from conventional production, using pesticide and artificial fertilizers, to an all natural approach.