Appalachian Ohio Farmers Key to Local Food Economy

On the heels of the very successful 30 Mile Meal Month, Athens, Ohio is getting some more great press about its thriving local food economy. AthensOhioToday recently featured a story about the area's farmers and the risks and rewards of being part of the local food movement. 

From small garden yard plots to large greenhouses full of vegetables, the land of Athens County and the hands of the farmers that tend the soil are the backbone of the local food economy.

 

Taking a major gamble with mother nature, farmers put their blood, sweat and tears into their livelihoods to grow the local produce that is so cherished by the Athens community. Many of those farmers sell their wares at the Athens Farmers Market, making it one of the top farmers markets in the state — if not the nation.

 

Dozens of farmers sell their products at the Athens Farmers Market, from city folks who recently found their calling in the Appalachian soil to those whose families have been growing vegetables for generations.

 

“Each farm does things a little differently and that’s OK,” said Becky Rondy, who owns Green Edge Organic Gardens with her husband Kip in Amesville.