Ohio Provides Local, Fresh and Value-Added Produce

Retailers, growers and wholesalers are navigating labor shortages, rising costs and changing demand.

The Ohio produce sector is adapting to meet the demands of today’s market and the desire in the Buckeye State for local fruits and vegetables.

Local is important to Ohio consumers, says Jeff Tomassetti, produce/floral director at Buehler’s Fresh Foods, Wooster, OH, which operates stores in northeast Ohio. “Ohioans love our Buckeye State, and we love supporting our local farmers. We see many new products being produced or grown in Ohio each year.”

“We are very lucky here in Ohio to have so many amazing, locally grown products, and we partner with some of the best growers and have been partners with many for over 50 years now,” he says. “We also support a local Amish produce auction, which we attend two days per week from June through October, sometimes filling a full semi twice per week.”

In addition to the Amish auction, Buehler’s sources local fruits and vegetables whenever possible, says Tomassetti. “We believe that local is a great way to offer healthier options at a more affordable price, especially right now with the cost of freight on everything we import and move across the country.”

Buehler’s No. 1 SKU in the bag or packaged salad category, is a local greenhouse-grown variety of lettuce called Buckeye Blend from Buckeye Fresh in Medina, OH. “We carry locally grown microgreens also from an indoor greenhouse facility, which is something we hardly heard of a few years ago.”

It’s all in response to evolving consumer demand, he says. “We offer a vast variety of pre-cut or convenient items and always strive to continue to create new offerings each year.”

One of Buehler’s most successful programs is its fresh fruit and yogurt parfaits — low-fat vanilla, Greek or strawberry yogurt with an array of fresh fruits. “We sell over 3,000 per week, and we make them fresh at our stores each day.”

He says they also started making acai bowls with fresh fruit and granola a few years ago and are currently selling about 300 per week.

Although Buehler’s has seen gains, Tomassetti says challenges remain.

“The biggest impact on operating a retail store in Ohio is probably no different than anyplace,” he says. “It is labor, finding people with a passion for serving people and taking pride in quality and service. Packaging supply cost, tariffs and fuel surcharges are other obstacles we face each and every day in operating a grocery store.”

Ethan Stuckey, with the market at The Pickwick Place, sees demand for Ohio produce growing. From his perspective at the Bucyrus, OH, farmers market and cafe, which has its roots in his family farming history, the crop mix has stayed steady.

“The biggest changes were post-COVID: a high uptick in local produce sales with a leveling off to slight retraction. Recently, things have remained steady,” says Stuckey. “Berries of all types always seem to be much higher in demand than what we can grow in Ohio.”

KEEPING PACE

Even if the market isn’t changing radically, gradual shifts prompted some changes in the produce sector. Chadd Buurma, president of Buurma Farms, Willard, OH, says he is open to considering the planting of new crops if customers approach him, and a market is opening up. For example, Buurma added bok choy and napa in a new product initiative a couple of years ago.

“It’s taken off well for us,” he says. “But with most of our crops, we just look at history. We watch our history and what trends there are, and certainly crops, like cilantro, dill and bok choy, those are the three that have really taken off.”

Prospects for Ohio produce looks good, says Buurma. “The weather didn’t stop us from planting a regular rotation of crops.”

Alex Buck, president of growers cooperative Fresh Forward, Newcomerstown, OH, formerly the Fruit Growers Marketing Association, says circumstances were positive as winter transitioned into spring. “We had a normal winter that was ideal for the tree fruit. Early spring had some warmer days that brought on apples and peaches two to three weeks ahead of schedule.”

Pickwick Place’s Stuckey notes the change of season was a bit rough on some perennials in his region, with peaches getting roughed up a bit.

Buck says the economy is having more of an impact on consumer demand, with local remaining important, but shoppers concerned about finding the best prices.

“Locally grown and farm-to-table may have peaked as the main emphasis has been on affordability for the consumer. Retailers and restaurants still have a strong partnership with local farms, but it still must be competitive with the current market pricing.”
— Alex Buck, Fresh Forward, Newcomerstown, OH

Still, Buurma says that local, which he defines as a 400-mile radius around the company’s Willard, OH, and Gregory, MI, farms, continues to get a lot of support at retail, including from the region’s chain operators.

“We’ve got great partnerships with many retailers, and they support homegrown. They promote homegrown,” he says. “When you walk into a store in the summertime, and you see pictures of my family, they’re trying to relate to consumers that this is grown right here locally.”

SUPPORT SYSTEM

Buurma says growers get research support from Ohio State University, where seed, plant, and disease trials are ongoing.

“That support is huge,” he says. “If we see a problem in a crop that we maybe haven’t seen before, we can bring that to Ohio State, and they can get on it. They can start researching it, and they can start to pinpoint what the problem might be. With that, they can help us take on that problem so we can solve it, continue to have a new crop, and move forward.”

“If you’re shopping in Cleveland and you see something that’s grown two counties away from you, you know it’s fresher.”
Chadd Buurma, Buurma Farms, Willard, OH

However, another source of support for growers and retailers — the Ohio Proud program — has been shelved, at least for now, says Ashley McDonald, marketing specialist, Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA), Reynoldsburg, OH.

The Ohio Proud program was ODA’s signature marketing initiative, promoting food and agricultural products that are 50% raised, grown or processed in Ohio.

“Unfortunately, Ohio Proud’s funding was eliminated from the state budget last year. However, we are applying for a specialty crop block grant this year to increase consumer promotions and product placement for produce in small- to medium-sized specialty grocery stores and restaurants for 2027 and 2028.”

ODA did make an early contribution to promoting Ohio agriculture this year. “We did do a large event for Ohio Agriculture Month in March with Kroger called the Supermarket Showdown, where several local celebrities, including ODA Director Brian Baldridge, raced through the store to shop for local products. All items collected were donated to a local food bank in Perrysburg, OH, by Kroger.”