Ohio

Meijer Expands Regional Footprint With Supercenters Opening in Ohio and Indiana

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 21:11:27 GMT

Meijer plans to officially open its doors to two supercenters in Indiana and Ohio on May 6.

Both stores will feature a wide assortment of fresh produce and grocery staples, the retailer says, including bakery, meat, seafood and deli departments, a floral area, garden center, apparel and home goods sections. The supercenters will also include a full-service pharmacy with a drive-through option, a health and beauty care section, a pet department, electronics, toys and sporting goods. More details about the stores will be shared closer to the grand openings.

By adding these locations, the family-operated retailer says it will increase its store count to 59 in Ohio and 44 in Indiana, continuing a long-standing commitment to regional growth and community partnerships.

Aurora, Ohio

Meijer, a privately owned, family-operated retailer, plans to open its new 159,000-square-foot Bainbridge Township supercenter at 7300 Aurora Road in Aurora, Ohio, on the site of the former Geauga Lake amusement park.

“The feedback we’ve received from customers about the value and convenience we offer is consistently positive, and we are excited to bring that experience to our neighbors in Aurora and Bainbridge Township,” says Todd Anderson, vice president of the Ohio region for Meijer. “Being part of this historic redevelopment at Geauga Lake is an incredible honor, and we look forward to serving customers at this location soon.”

Ohio was the first state Meijer expanded into outside of Michigan. The retailer employs more than 14,000 team members statewide at stores and its distribution and manufacturing facilities in Tipp City.

Since its first store opened in Ohio, Meijer says it has been committed to supporting the causes, events and teams that matter most to Ohioans. In northeast Ohio, that includes fighting hunger alongside the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, supporting community treasures like Cleveland Metroparks and partnering with fan favorites like the Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Guardians and Ohio State University athletics.

Brownsburg, Ind.

Meijer plans to open a new 159,000-square-foot supercenter at 9202 E. 56th St. in Brownsburg, Ind. A Meijer Express gas station will open on April 8 adjacent to the store.

“We know value and convenience are key for our busy customers who are stretching their dollars, and our supercenters are a one-stop shop that delivers both every day,” says Jess Murray, vice president of the Indiana region for Meijer. “We are excited to join the Brownsburg community and look forward to opening our doors to customers later this spring.”

Meijer has been a part of Indiana communities since 1994. The retailer employs more than 13,000 team members statewide at stores and its distribution and manufacturing facilities in Middlebury.

Since its first store opened in the state, Meijer says it has been committed to supporting the causes, events and teams that matter most to Hoosiers. This includes fighting hunger with Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, supporting community events produced by the 500 Festival and partnering with fan favorites like the Indianapolis Colts, Indiana University athletics, Notre Dame athletics and Purdue University athletics.

Used Farm Equipment Swindle Alert: BBB Warns Virtual Vendor Vehicle Scams on the Rise

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 16:50:12 GMT

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning used equipment buyers nationwide about another sophisticated scam involving used farm equipment.

This particular grift, according to a press release from BBB, involved a fake online heavy equipment retailer impersonating a legitimate Missouri dealership, Cook Equipment & Trucking (Marble Hill, Mo.).

Buyers from across the U.S., some even from as far away as California and Arizona, reported losing a total of $223,000 after attempting to purchase heavy equipment and farm machinery through fraudulent websites and Facebook Marketplace ads.

Related: Essential Advice for Safely Buying Used Farm Machinery

Victims say they were “ghosted” after wiring money for equipment that never arrived. The BBB does not say whether the victims were able to dispute the fraudulent charges and claw back the proceeds from the scammers.

The reported fraudulent transactions include:

$45,000 for a skid steer loader from a buyer in Oak Hills, Calif.
$32,000 for an excavator from a buyer in Hancock, Mich.
$29,500 for a trailer from a buyer in Amanda, Ohio
$29,000 for a trailer from a buyer in Greenville, N.C.
$28,000 for a skid steer loader from a buyer in Eastman, Wis.
$31,000 for an excavator from a buyer in Des Moines, Iowa.
$29,000 for a skid steer from a buyer in Blue, Ariz.

BBB says the real Cook Equipment & Trucking, a small business operating since 2010, confirmed it has no website and is not affiliated with any online sales. The impersonators registered three fake websites, the most recent on July 14, and continue to run deceptive ads on social media.

“Those shopping for heavy equipment and farm machinery online should do their due diligence so they don’t fall victim to a virtual vehicle vendor scam,” says Michelle L. Corey, president and CEO, BBB St. Louis. “If an item is priced well below market value, that’s a red flag.”

To avoid getting swept up in an online virtual vehicle vendor scam the Better Business Bureau offers these tips:

Research the business at bbb.org or call 888-996-3887
Be skeptical of deals that seem too good to be true
Verify the website and contact the business directly
Read all terms and understand refund policies
Use a credit card for added protection
Report scams to BBB Scam Tracker, your state attorney general, the FTC, and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center , and notify the social media platform where the fraud was discovered

To learn more about how to avoid online fraud in the used equipment auction world, check out BBB’s 2024 study on virtual vehicle vendor scams.

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Sowing Success: Growers Say the Buckeye State is an ‘Underrated’ Hub for Vegetable Production

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 19:23:35 GMT

While Ohio might be known for its corn and soybean production, those who work in the fresh produce industry say the Buckeye State is also well suited for vegetable production.

Laxmi Tota, marketing manager at DNO Produce, a family-owned provider of fresh-cut and bulk produce in Columbus, Ohio, said USDA data shows the state boasts about 14.9 million acres of farmland, with about 44% of the state’s total land in agriculture, making it one of the state’s top-performing industries.

“Ohio is an excellent place to grow vegetables thanks to its abundant farmland, favorable climate, and rich soil,” she said.

While agriculture might make up a significant portion of the state’s economy, consumers don’t think of Ohio as a vegetable-growing state, said Chad Buurma, president of Willard, Ohio-based Buurma Farms.

“Vegetables in Ohio is kind of underrated, where people don’t think about Ohio,” Buurma said. “You’ve got five months in June through November where you’re going to get a really fresh product, and it’s going to be in your backyard. And if we can get that image out there that, hey, Ohio is for real when it comes to vegetables, it’s going to be just great for the state. I think it’s going to be great for the growth of Ohio vegetables.”

Why Ohio

Tota said the Buckeye State’s temperate climate of warm summers and mild spring and fall seasons provides an extended growing period for a variety of crops.

“The state’s fertile, well-drained soils further support healthy plant growth and high yields,” she said. “These conditions are especially well suited for cool-weather vegetables like onions, lettuce, carrots and other root vegetables, which thrive in Ohio’s environment.”

Kirk Holthouse, director of sales and purchasing for Willard-based Holthouse Farms of Ohio, said the state’s various soil types suit different crops grown, such as muck soil for wet crops and heavier soils for vine crops.

“We have a good water supply, and it’s not too hot. It’s just about right,” he said. “We are extremely proud of being in the state that not only produces the best college football, but we feel like it’s some of the best produce in the country.”

Buurma said the Ohio’s location and proximity to so many locations is an advantage when it comes to freshness.

“We’re an overnight delivery for about 70% of the population,” he said. “I’m going to be three days fresher locally here or even going to the East Coast or maybe down into Georgia or even up to Chicago and the Midwest than California.”

Buurma said a majority of his farm’s customer base is local, and those local retailers do a great job of promoting Ohio-grown produce as well as understanding its benefits.

“I think it’s because they realize that they have the freshest product available to them in their backyard, and they do a great job of supporting us,” he explained. “We have a pretty good relationship with all of our local, regional chains. We do some food service, too, and they see that freshness is important.”

Nick Middleton, vice president of supply chain for DNO Produce, said he’s seen an increase in demand for Ohio-grown produce, especially as consumers continue to be more aware of supply chains and where their produce comes from.

“Institutional buyers like schools and hospitals are actively working to meet ‘Buy Local’ goals, further boosting demand,” Middleton said. “Across both retail and wholesale markets, consumers are prioritizing freshness, sustainability and community impact, making local produce more desirable than ever.”

Kirk Holthouse, director of sales and purchasing for Holthouse Farms of Ohio, said customers like to buy vegetables that are locally grown because they know they are fresher.

(Photo courtesy of Holthouse Farms of Ohio)

Changes in Planting

Buurma said he and his team tweak planting schedules from year to year based on a five-or-six-year history of trends.

“We’ve increased a few items like napa and bok choy over the last couple of years,” he explained. “We’ve dropped white corn, but we still continue to grow bicolor and yellow corn, and those were always our bigger movers.”

Buurma said the move was also a way for crews to be more efficient, with the rising cost of H-2A labor.

“When you have one corn crew and you’re moving them over for a few 100 cases of white, and then you can sit there and pull a few 1,000 cases of bicolor and yellow, that move to white [harvest] sometimes cause some inefficiencies.”

Middleton also said he’s seen a change in demand from consumers and a shift in demographics.

“Ohio growers are responding to shifting demographics and culinary trends with increased interest in ethnic and specialty vegetables like Asian greens, specialty peppers, and heirloom tomatoes,” he said.

Middleton said growers have also added high tunnels and hoop houses to offer almost year-round production of spinach, kale and lettuce.

“Some growers are experimenting with value-added crops — including baby root vegetables, microgreens and snack-sized produce — to better serve foodservice and retail markets,” he said.

Holthouse, whose farm offers a full line of vegetables year round, said there’s a balance when it comes to changing consumer preferences.

“We really try to grow what we can sell, what we know we can sell,” he said. “People like to buy product that’s grown in their backyard because they know it’s fresher. It’s grown in the morning, and they can pick it up or they can buy it the next day, off the store shelves or at the restaurants or wherever, and it just tastes better. It’s better for you. And if you’re buying it in the store, it will hold up longer in your in your refrigerator.”

Challenges

Rising costs of everything from vegetable seeds to inputs have impacted Ohio growers, said Tota, who added that local food purchase programs such as Ohio CAN (community, agriculture and nutrition) help support the long-term viability of Ohio’s agricultural economy.

“Farmers across the country — including right here in Ohio — are facing increasing challenges as the cost of doing business continues to rise,” she said. “It’s becoming harder for small and midsized farms to stay afloat, which is why programs that support local sourcing are so critical.”

Middleton said labor availability is another major issue for growers in the state. Other challenges such as weather and the pest pressure that follows can also be a lot for growers to handle.

“Unpredictable weather patterns, including drought and late-season storms, can negatively impact crop yields and quality,” he said. “Additionally, growers must contend with disease pressure and pest management issues, particularly in sensitive crops like tomatoes and peppers.”

And while tariffs haven’t made a significant impact, Middleton said it is something he is monitoring.

“A lot of chemical and fertilizer prices are back down near COVID levels,” he said. “Will they creep back up? That remains to be seen, so we’ll just keep an eye on that.”

Current Season Outlook

While it’s early for a lot of vegetable crops, growers say this season is shaping up well.

Holthouse said the season started a little slow with a cold and wet end of May.

“The first couple weeks of June have been very nice, warm, and stuff is coming along,” he said. “We’re happy with where things are at.”

Holthouse said some crops that are starting to come online are zucchini, yellow squash, radishes and some lettuce, but it’s a small amount right now; that’s a good thing, he said, as other parts of the country have had some good production, and the marketplace is currently full.

“There is an absolute oversupply of product in the United States, especially east of the Mississippi right now,” Holthouse said. “Every state — Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, Kentucky — they’re all going with some of the same items, and it’s just so much excess product that it makes it tough to sell anything profitably.”

Buurma said crops look like they’re on schedule. He said his farm has been dry, but not too dry, with timely rains that have set everything up well.

“We’re right on schedule,” he said. “As far as harvesting and planting, we’re in good shape. We’re right where we want to be.”

Although it might have been a slow start in spring, with a warm June, Buurma said crops have caught up.

“If you can catch a warm June, you catch right back up, and that’s what’s happened with us,” he said. “Quality looks good. Supplies look good on everything right now.”

Why growers say it's all about location in Ohio

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 17:27:30 GMT

When it comes to the advantage Ohio growers have over other growing regions in the country, Chadd Buurma, president of Willard, Ohio-based Buurma Farms Inc., says it’s location, location, location.

“We’re overnight delivery or 24-hour delivery away from 70% of the U.S. population,” he said. “I can get an order from a customer in the morning, and it can be going to Atlanta or Tennessee or up to the Northeast ... I can go as far west as St. Louis and Wisconsin, and I can do that all overnight delivery.”

Less time in a truck also helps give Ohio-grown produce a little more shelf life.

“Nothing against the California or Mexican produce, but you’re not going to get from California to New York City in 12 hours, and I can do it,” Buurma said, adding that the shipping time saved makes the product a bit fresher when it reaches the store shelf.

It can grow here

Megan McMaster of McMaster Farms in Columbiana, Ohio, says Ohio growers can grow almost anything thanks to the rich diverse soils in the state. She says the soil profile in the Buckeye State helps boost her family’s sweet corn production.

“A lot of sweet corn varieties just grow well here versus other places,” she said. “The nutrients and how they’re different in the soil, I think is why ... Ohio corn is just good corn.”

Kirk Holthouse, co-owner and director of sales and purchasing for Willard-based Holthouse Farms of Ohio Inc. agrees. Holthouse Farms grows squash, bell peppers, chili peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, hard squash, sweet corn and cabbage.

“We have the right kind of climate, the right kind of soil and then we have a good amount of customers here in Ohio that are looking for those items, so it’s something that we feel we do pretty well,” he said. “When you’ve got a ready market with a makeup of retail, wholesale and foodservice right in your backyard — all within basically 150 or 200 miles — that’s a good setup for success. We really liked the fact that we can keep a good amount of produce within the state of Ohio.”

Got a market

Holthouse Farms works with retail, foodservice and wholesale customers, and different markets have different preferences for the farm’s crops, Holthouse says.

“The chain stores like the bigger peppers and the wholesalers like the large and the extra-large and then the foodservice community like the off-grades — the top and dice pepper, the suntan pepper, the red pepper,” he said.

Buurma Farms grows about 35 different crops for retailers, foodservice and wholesalers, and what Buurma says makes his family’s farm unique is the ability to offer so many different crops from one grower.

“That gives the customer — whether it’s a retailer, whether it’s a wholesaler, whether it’s foodservice — almost this expanded menu where they can look at what we have to offer, and they could order so many different items to help fill a truck, whether it be cabbage and corn to cucumbers, zucchini to lettuce to radishes, the green onions, any of the variety greens,” he said. “We’d like to think that we specialize in 35 different crops to make that menu so expanded that it makes it attractive to the customers.”

Buurma says working with wholesalers, too, helps the farm balance out if there’s an oversupply of a particular crop.

“There are always periods where you might be long on one particular crop, and you’re not going to get your retailers, your grocery stores to move a bunch of additional product,” he said. “That’s where you need that wholesaler to be able to step up and maybe help you out by moving on a little bit of glut of product.”

And with growing 35 crops, Buurma says the farm constantly evaluates its crop mix for the next season, with the help of feedback and requests from customers, and it has added to the crop mix over the years based on that feedback.

“We’ve added napa cabbage. We’ve added bok choy. Those were items we didn’t grow five years ago, and our customer said, ‘Let’s do that,’” he said.

McMaster Farms sells into distribution centers and to restaurants and retailers such as Marcs, Giant Eagle and Sparkles.

McMaster says her family’s farm originally transitioned from potatoes to sweet corn. The family tried growing tomatoes a few years ago but found it challenging to balance the demands of tomato production with growing sweet corn. She says her family has found a niche with sweet corn.

“I definitely feel the sweet corn market is still really good for Ohio,” she said. “I’m noticing more that everyone does want local. I feel like the market is still good so far with sweet corn. We’re holding on and, hopefully, that it’ll stay that way.”

Bountiful summer harvest anticipated for Ohio

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 13:21:03 GMT

The second half of summer seems promising for Ohio produce growers and distributors as nearly all the state’s seasonal fruits and vegetables come into production.

Cabbage, chili peppers, bell peppers, eggplant and potatoes are some of the commodities now available from the Buckeye State.

Food and agriculture is Ohio’s No. 1 industry, said Bryan Levin, public information officer for the Ohio Department of Agriculture .

Nearly 3,000 Ohio farms grow vegetables, melons, potatoes and sweet potatoes, according to the latest USDA Agriculture Census. Annual category sales were nearly $149 million. The state ranked eighth in the country in the vegetable category.

Ohio also had nearly 2,000 farms growing fruits, tree nuts and berries with sales of about $44.5 million, putting the state at No. 11 in production of those items, according to the report.

Ohio is in a good place when it comes to supplying the nation with fresh produce.

Doug Walcher Farms in North Fairfield, Ohio, is within 500 miles of 70% of the U.S. population, said Ken Holthouse, general manager and partner.

“It’s a pretty big market, and we can get almost anywhere in that range overnight,” he said.

By late July, the company will be shipping yellow squash, eggplant, specialty peppers, possibly bell peppers and several other commodities.

“The quality has been really good because we had a good, hot, dry spell when things were getting planted,” Holthouse said. “It took a little bit of time for the growth to catch up, but vegetables always like drier weather [more] than wetter weather.”

The company plans to begin its fall offerings in early September, including winter squashes, miniature gourds, mini pumpkins and jack-o-lantern pumpkins. In all, Doug Walcher Farms will have about 20 kinds of squash, ornamentals, Indian corn and similar items.

“We’ll have just about everything you can imagine in the fall,” Holthouse said.

The company has retail and foodservice customers in numerous cities east of the Mississippi, on the East Coast and in the Southeast.

Business has been brisk at Willard-based Holthouse Farms of Ohio Inc. this summer, said Kirk Holthouse, director of sales and purchasing and one of four owners of the family business.

The company grows zucchini, yellow squash, green bell peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, chili peppers, hard squash and mini peppers during the summer and will add gourds in September. In all, the firm will handle about 30 items.

Growing conditions and product quality have been good this summer, he said. Holthouse expects to see an uptick in sales as Labor Day approaches in early September.

“All the holidays, to an extent, are good vegetable holidays,” he said.

Willard-based Buurma Farms will be in full swing on all its commodities by the last week of July, said company President Chad Buurma.

Weather has been good, and quality has been good on the company’s more than two dozen products, including radishes, dill, cilantro, lettuces, green onions, parsleys, zucchini, cabbage, yellow squash and cucumbers.

Related: Ohio growers say dry conditions helping vegetable quality

Buurma said sales for summer holidays, like the Fourth of July and Labor Day, remain steady, but he doesn’t see much of a spike.

“It seems to me that all of the holidays don’t have the pull that they used to,” he said.

“You see pretty consistent pull from retailers and foodservice,” Buurma said. “I can’t say that I’ve seen a noticeable increase in business.”

In past years, sales of sweet corn have gone up for Labor Day, which consumers consider the last summer holiday, he said.

“The last four or five years, we haven’t necessarily seen a spike, he said.

Suppliers and retailers help promote Ohio produce through the state’s Ohio Proud program.

“Ohio Proud helps consumers find food and agriculture products made and grown in Ohio,” said Levin of the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

“Every dollar spent on Ohio Proud products reinvests in the state’s local economy,” he said. “Ohio Proud distinguishes products in the crowded marketplace and can increase sales for companies and retailers.”

Ohio growers have optimistic outlook

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 15:42:02 GMT

Good weather and timely rains should result in some good-quality Ohio vegetables kicking off right on schedule by the end of June, grower-shippers say.

“Everything is looking good right now,” Chad Buurma, president of Willard, Ohio-based Buurma Farms Inc. said in early June. “We’ve had good growing weather and decent but not excessive moisture.”

Buurma Farms grows about 35 commodities, including radishes, greens, green onions, several kinds of lettuce items, beets, cucumbers and green and yellow squash.

“We like to think that our customers can come to us and fill up a truck with a variety of different things rather than have to make multiple pickups,” Buurma said. “They can stop here and get nearly everything they need in the vegetable department.”

All the commodities should be shipping by the end of June except sweet corn, which will kick off by mid-July.

Wholesale or retail customers also can throw a few pallets of sweet corn on to fill up a truck, he said. “It’s something everybody can use.”

The company serves customers up and down the Eastern Seaboard, as far south as Florida, into the New England area and west to Chicago, Wisconsin and Memphis.

“By keeping it east of the Mississippi, the freight is a savings, compared to western growers,” Buurma said.

The past 11 months have been a busy time for Ravenna, Ohio-based Sirna & Sons Produce, said Vince Sirna, vice president.

The company was acquired by Indianapolis-based FreshEdge last July and has added new computer and phone systems, upgraded GPS systems in trucks, conducted training programs and is preparing to implement a warehouse management system, Sirna said. All the changes should help the company better serve its customers, he said.

Sirna & Sons offers a variety of local products, such as peppers, squash, tomatoes and greenhouse lettuces.

“We look forward to bringing those items in,” Sirna said. “People love homegrown.”

Most items will be available by the end of June, with local sweet corn starting in early July.

Local weather has been “very inconsistent,” he said, with high temperatures in June ranging from the low 50s to well into the 80s. Rain has been decent, Sirna said, and product quality should be good.

Sales have been strong after a slow start at the beginning of the year.

“We started the year a little flat in January, but from February on, it’s been very, very good,” he said. “We continue to add new customers weekly.”

Willard-based Holthouse Farms of Ohio Inc. will start its harvest of squash, bell peppers, chili peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, Ohio green beans, hard squash, sweet corn and cabbage by the end of June and will have all commodities moving by mid-July, said Kirk Holthouse, director of sales and purchasing and one of the owners of the family business.

Growing weather has been good, and Holthouse said he expected good quality on all commodities this summer. Volume should be the same as last year.

Holthouse Farms has a number of retail, foodservice and wholesale customers in the Ohio Valley and in western Pennsylvania to New Jersey, New York City and into Detroit, Chicago and Kentucky.

Inflation and a volatile economy have made an impact throughout Ohio’s vegetable industry.

“Prices definitely were outrageous during the whole COVID period, but they seem to have stabilized,” Buurma said. “Unfortunately, they stabilized at a higher rate than we would like to see them.”

Costs of packaging, materials and freight seem to have leveled off from last year, but they’re still pretty high, he said.

Finding workers has not been an issue, “but the labor cost is certainly high.”

The company has not experienced a drop in sales.

“We’re fortunate to have some good retailers locally in Ohio and Michigan who promote homegrown really well,” he said.

“They know that it’s fresh,” he added. “I can cut product today and have it at a retailer’s warehouse by first thing in the morning.”

Sirna & Sons also is doing well.

“Business has been good, even with the economic uncertainty,” Sirna said. “Labor has impacted us, but we have learned to work as efficiently as possible.”

Up to 80% of the company’s business is with foodservice, and the firm is keeping price increases at a minimum so as not to disrupt customers’ operations, he said.

Holthouse Farms also has had to contend with inflation.

“The cost to produce an item never goes down,” Holthouse said. “It continuously increases.”

The cost of labor, containers, health insurance and all input costs continue to rise.

The company has been able to raise its prices in recent years, “but they’re not as proportionately higher as we would like,” he said.

Holthouse said a key to a successful produce operation is to not grow a product unless there is a customer for it.

“That’s when you have bad markets,” he said.

Ohio growers say dry conditions helping vegetable quality

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 18:30:04 GMT

The Willard, Ohio, growing area had some extremely dry growing conditions this spring and early summer, but local growers say that helps them produce the best quality vegetables for their customers.

Willard-based Buurma Farms Inc. offers a selection of more than two dozen vegetables, most of which will be available by the end of June, said company President Chad Buurma.

The company doesn’t focus on any particular commodities.

“I like to think we specialize in all of them,” Buurma said. “It gives our customer base the opportunity for almost one-stop shopping.”

He did say that a couple of items introduced about three seasons ago — napa cabbage and bok choy — seem to have found favor with consumers and continue to experience sales growth.

Throughout June, Buurma Farms was introducing items like radishes, dill, cilantro, lettuces, green onions, parsleys, zucchini, cabbage and yellow squash. Cucumbers were expected to be available by June 26.

The last volume item will be sweet corn, which should be available around July 20.

The 127-year-old family-owned company serves retail, foodservice and wholesale customers primarily east of the Mississippi and prides itself on speedy deliveries.

“We can get to our customers overnight almost anywhere,” Buurma said.

Willard-based Holthouse Farms of Ohio Inc. offers a full line of vegetables year-round, said Kirk Holthouse, director of sales and purchasing and one of four owners of the family-run business.

The company’s lead items include dry vegetables, like bell peppers, cucumbers, squashes, eggplant and green beans, and a full line of chili peppers.

The company has been expanding its organic footprint over the past five years.

Four or five customers are interested in the grower’s organic cucumbers, bell peppers, zucchini squash and yellow squash, which are available from May into fall, Holthouse said.

The company learned in the late 1980s that it pays to offer vegetables year-round from Mexico, Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey and Michigan, as well as Ohio, he said.

“During the non-Ohio season, we can keep a number of people employed and keep a portion of our customer base going,” Holthouse said.

The company’s ability to offer year-round, one-stop shopping for retail, foodservice and wholesale customers for many items has been increasing every year, he added.

Willard-based Wiers Farm Inc. has a diverse lineup of products grown, packed and shipped in Ohio, said Hunter Wiers, who handles fresh produce procurement and sales.

Dry vegetables include bell peppers, slicer cucumbers, pickles, summer squashes, eggplant, specialty and hot peppers, and sweet corn. Wet vegetables include lettuces, greens and herbs.

“In total, we are harvesting over 30 different vegetable commodities in Ohio,” Wiers said.

The company has made several significant upgrades to its Ohio facility over the past few years to “provide value to our customers 12 months a year,” he said.

The firm’s Ohio location acts as a consolidation and cross-dock facility for its other growing locations in Georgia, Florida and Mexico.

“We are now shipping a full lineup of dry vegetables and a limited lineup of wet vegetables 52 weeks a year, executing unique delivered programs across the Midwest and East Coast,” Wiers said.

The fifth-generation family-owned company was established in 1896 and serves retail, foodservice and wholesale customers.

“Doing business with Wiers Farm allows for customers to deal directly with the grower for over 30 commodities,” he said.

Good news from dry conditions

Growing conditions in Willard were extremely dry this season, growers said. But they’re not complaining.

“We’re better dry farmers than we are wet farmers,” Buurma said. “We can control the water and the quality a little bit better.”

But he said he did not recall such dry conditions in early June in past years. June weather this season was more like August or September.

“We’re in near-drought conditions,” he said.

Temperatures were not excessive, despite the dry weather.

“It’s been in the mid-70s every day,” Buurma said.

He was pleased with the condition of the crops, saying that “the quality is outstanding right now.”

Holthouse Farms also experienced dry growing conditions, Holthouse said, “which is a good thing.”

“We are much better off being dry than we are being wet, because we can always add water,” he said. “It provides a much better quality for us.”

Vegetables coming in from other growing areas were looking good in early June, he said, as the company awaited the harvest of its Ohio-grown commodities.

“This year was unique in that we had a very dry start to the year,” Wiers said. “We typically see wet weather during our planting window, but were blessed with ideal conditions.”

All crops were on schedule for typical harvest, he said.

“In particular, our plastic culture items have responded well to the dry, warm weather,” he added. “Quality looks excellent across the board.”

Ohio groups seek support for growers in COVID-19 Crisis

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:37:05 GMT

Giving farmers and farmers markets the ability to fulfill Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) purchases online is one recommendation presented by a group of Ohio farm organizations in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

An 18-page report by the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association , Ohio Farmers Market Network, Ohio Food Policy Network and Produce Perks Midwest reviews how local and regional food systems and nutrition assistance were hurt by COVID-19.

The report, called “Opportunity in a Time of Crisis: Recommendations for building a more resilient Ohio food system,” gives eight recommendations that the groups say will increase the capacity of Ohio’s farmers and farmers markets to serve a changed market and also will contribute to food security for vulnerable families.
They are:

Create a food work group to identify strategies to fund and build farmers market capacity including technical assistance and infrastructure development for online purchasing platforms for farmers markets, direct-to-consumer producers and local retailers;
Create a food work group to identify areas where creation of food preservation, processing, and distribution facilities are needed and how they can be financed;
Passage of the HEROES Act by Congress, with aid for under-served farmers and those selling into local food systems;
Passage of the Ohio Family Farm ReGeneration Act ;
Changes to state contract bidding requirements for local food purchasing;
Online infrastructure development for SNAP nutrition incentive programming, like Produce Perks;
Support of the SNAP Online Expansion and Delivery Act; and
Passage of Ohio Senate Bill 121, which supports nutrition education.

Some local and regional farmers and farmers markets have put in place online ordering, drive-through markets and other methods to deal with the COVID-19 crisis, Amalie Lipstreu, policy director of the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, said in a news release. At the same time, they experienced higher labor costs and have lost substantial revenue compared with pre-COVID-19 conditions.

Some markets were closed and many lost income from vendor fees and cancellation of eduction or entertainment activities.

“While this response (to the crisis) has been remarkable, it is ultimately unsustainable without leadership and investment,” she said in the release.

The pandemic has strained nutrition assistance programs, the release said, as more Ohio families are struggling to afford food and grocery sales have shifted online.

Record unemployment and the closure of schools has increased the demand for SNAP benefits. With expanded unemployment assistance scheduled to end on July 31, the release said many Ohioans may be left with limited resources for purchasing food, potentially driving more people to the emergency food system.

“Local food systems have the potential to address many of the needs of food insecure Ohioans while at the same time generating real economic benefit to farmers and local communities,” Tevis Foreman, Produce Perks Midwest executive director, said in the release. “We must invest in online infrastructure development for SNAP nutrition incentive programming and address barriers to ensure that those purchases can be made from farmers, farmers markets, and local retailers, not just big box retailers such as Amazon and Walmart.”

In a June 30 news conference about the report, Foreman said the challenges of building the online sales capacity of local producers and farmers markets will be complex.

“I think (the challenges) will vary from market to market and from retailer to retailer,”he said. “I think part of the recommendation around the investment at the state and federal level is to work collectively and collaboratively with our farmers our direct-to-consumer producers and small scale retailers to navigate those individual challenges and also work towards collective solutions.”

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The Packer launches pilot for online SNAP

Buurma Farms upgrades equipment, adds partner

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:36:54 GMT

Willard, Ohio-based Buurma Farms Inc. added some new equipment for this year, said Loren Buurma, partner.

“We had some wet weather last year and (were) looking for additional help with our spray program. We bought a new tractor — a front-wheel assist spray tractor — better with wet weather,” he said.

The new vehicle has “more pulling power,” he said.

The company also purchased new drill for “better placement of seeds,” Buurma said.

The company also went to a wider, raised bed for planting hard squash, kale, beets and collard greens at its Ohio operation this year, Buurma said.

“We already used that style of bedding in Georgia for planting carrots, and we switched that to our Michigan op-eration,” he said. “In Ohio, we use a narrower bed, but we’ll experiment with this wider bed — probably twice as wide. Instead of getting two rows in a bed, depending on the crop, you’re gonna get three to four.”

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Ohio groups seek support for growers in COVID-19 Crisis
Ohio businesses rise to meet COVID-19’s challenges
Local product, convenience drive produce sales in Ohio

DNO Produce adds cooler space to distribution center

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:36:54 GMT

Columbus, Ohio-based wholesaler DNO Produce is in expansion mode, said Alex DiNovo, president and COO.

DNO is adding a cooler to its distribution center, DiNovo said.

“It’s only about a 4,000-square-foot cooler, but it’s extra space,” he said.

The company also is connecting one building to its main distribution center, DiNovo said.

“We’re going to have another set of docks and also getting drawings made to have a 12,000-square-foot addition to our processing center,” he said. “The plans are being made now and have to get all that done. We might break ground on that this year. We are aggressively looking to expand our market share.”

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Ohio suppliers ready for heavy retail sales this season

D.R. Walcher halts expansion

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:36:54 GMT

The COVID-19 pandemic has put some expansion plans on hold at D.R. Walcher Farms in North Fairfield, Ohio, said Ken Holthouse, partner.

“We were planning an expansion at Walcher, adding onto the building and getting into some bagged product eventually, but the way the COVID thing has hit, we’re waiting,” he said.

“We need to get this season behind us. The whole world wants 2020 to go into the history.”

The planned expansion includes a 20,000-square-foot canopy at Walcher’s 10-year-old packingshed, Holthouse said.

“We’re pretty large into the fall squash and fall decorative items; you have to get it out of the sun as much as pos-sible and we don’t have a whole lot of space,” he said.

“We’re going to wait on that for the time being.”

Sister company Holthouse Farms in Willard, Ohio, has added about 15,000 square feet in the past three years, Holthouse said.

“There’s a new loading dock extension, a new office complex and a box storage barn,” he said.

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Ohio suppliers ready for heavy retail sales this season

Fruit association partners on organic vegetables

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:36:54 GMT

The Newcomerstown, Ohio-based Fruit Growers Marketing Association has partnered with Fremont, Ohio-based Great River Organics to launch a local organic line of vegetables, said Alex Buck, president of the Fruit Growers Marketing Association.

“Organic is an important and continuously growing part of the industry, and we need to be a part of it,” Buck said.

The association also has hired 25-year food-industry veteran Jeff Givens as its new quality assurance manager, Buck said.

“His focus will be on maintaining high quality for our customers and along with several field/orchard manager du-ties,” Buck said.

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Ohio suppliers ready for heavy retail sales this season

Ohio Restaurant Association launches COVID-19 efforts

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:36:54 GMT

The Columbus-based Ohio Restaurant Association has launched a couple of initiatives stemming from the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, said Homa Moheimani, director of communications.

The first is the Ohio Restaurant Promise, which the association created as a pledge from restaurants that they are focusing on safety and sanitization, she said.

“Restaurants can take the pledge that this is our promise to you,” she said.

The promise says restaurant owners/operators will commit to adhering to state and local health, as well as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. The promise includes maintaining social distancing and a regimen of regular sanitization; it also assures that all employees wear masks and wash their hands regularly.

Details are at ohiorestaurant.org.

“They can download materials, find PPE supplies, best practices,” Moheimani said.

The promise launched in May, she said.

The association also is working to help restaurant workers who have lost their jobs in the COVID-19 pandemic, Moheimani said.

The association, in conjunction with the Ohio Restaurant Association Education Foundation, has formed the Ohio Restaurant Employee Relief Fund “to activate emergency funding for personnel in the foodservice industry who have been affected by COVID-19,” the organization announced on its ohiorestaurantsrelief.org website.

The effort seeks public and corporate donations.

More information is available at ohiorestaurantsrelief.org.

Related:
Know your market | Ohio
COVID-19 news and updates
Foodservice news

Sanfillipo Produce sees more online orders

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:36:49 GMT

Columbus, Ohio-based wholesaler Sanfillipo Produce Co. has upgraded its online ordering system, said Jamie Sanfil-lipo, partner and sales manager.

“It’s picking up a little bit each month,” he said.

The company started it with a “small home-delivery thing,” called Sanfillipo Direct, and it grew, Sanfillipo said.

“We put up a separate website where people can order a minimum of $50 and we’ll deliver it for them,” he said.

Sanfillipo Direct started early in the spring, launching on Facebook, Sanfillipo said.

“We’re getting orders every week,” he said. “We said if we saw an increase, we’d do some marketing. But every-body’s doing it. We’re fighting for the same dollar.”

Related news:
Buurma Farms upgrades equipment, adds partner
Ohio suppliers ready for heavy retail sales this season
Ohio groups seek support for growers in COVID-19 Crisis

Sirna & Sons Produce adds a 'pick-up' program

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:36:49 GMT

Ravenna, Ohio-based Sirna & Sons Produce has brought in Allie Sirna as the second member of the Sirna family’s fourth generation to join the company, said Tom Sirna, president.

Allie Sirna is Tom Sirna’s daughter. Her brother, Anthony, also works for the company.

Sirna also recently started a “pick-up program” at its two main, as well as satellite locations, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Tom Sirna said.

“It has gone very well and, most importantly, the public and our neighbors have embraced it and thanked us,” he said.

“We have started a grab-and-go program for safety purposes and, while still new, I believe will find a niche for cer-tain concepts,” he said.

“We have always been good at looking down the road, stay the course on what we do best, but rein-vent yourself where it makes sense.”

Related news:
Ohio suppliers ready for heavy retail sales this season
Ohio groups seek support for growers in COVID-19 Crisis
Ohio businesses rise to meet COVID-19’s challenges

Great Lakes Growers continues to expand greenhouses

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:39:35 GMT

Greenhouse company Great Lakes Growers , Burton, Ohio, recently broke ground on a 100,000-square-foot expansion that will boost production capacity to 12 million heads of leafy greens.

The expansion will bring the company’s capacity to 260,000 square feet, according to a news release.

“This most recent expansion project is a real testament to the acceptance of our new fresh cut salad line at retailers across the Midwest and the continued adoption of our foodservice lines,” John Bonner, owner and CEO, said in the release.

The company’s customer roster has grown, and that’s a trend Bonner expects to continue as the new construction project is completed in November.
“We are expanding our offering to match that demand and we expect exponential growth to continue over the next half decade and probably well beyond that,” he said in the release.

An 80,000-square-foot expansion in 2019 included an investment in water sanitation and monitoring technology, according to the release, and the new construction includes further automation.

“We also will now be able to streamline our cooling, harvesting and packing processes to further mitigate the risk of foodborne illness to our customers while continuing to deliver the freshest produce in the Midwest,” Bonner said in the release.

The company has plans to expand the Ohio facility to 10 acres, starting with construction late this year.

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236 employees at Ohio Dole plant are COVID-19 positive

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:28:12 GMT

More than 235 employees of Dole’s salad processing plant in Springfield, Ohio, tested positive for COVID-19.

A mass testing event collected 829 test samples from employees on June 13, Emma Smales, health planning supervisor at the Clark County (Ohio) Combined Health District, said in a statement.

“We are somewhat surprised at the large number of positives from the testing event,” Smales said in the statement.

Dole Fresh Vegetables is following the health district’s recommendations to further protect the health of employees, contractors and community, according to a statement from Bil Goldfield, director of corporate communications at Dole Food Co. Inc., Westlake Village, Calif.

All Dole employees who tested positive were asked to self-quarantine.

While away from the plant, they will continue to receive pay and will return to work once authorized by the health district, Goldfield said in the statement.

The Springfield plant continued operations with all cleared personnel.

“We are striving to get salads to people around the country but are focused first on providing a safe and healthy workplace for our employees and their respective families,” Goldfield said in the statement.

The county health department hired 14 additional contact tracers and by June 23, found 281 total confirmed cases related to the outbreak at Dole’s plant, according to the statement.

Another complicating factor is that Spanish is the primary language for about half of the employees, and Haitian-Creole for about a quarter, Smales said in the statement.

The district is adding interpreters to its rosters and collaborating with the state department and local leaders “to provide effective and culturally appropriate communication and education to all Clark County residents,” Smales said in the statement.

In Clark County by June 22, there were 627 confirmed cases and seven confirmed deaths from COVID-19, according to the county health district. The average age of those with the new coronavirus is 38.

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COVID-19 News Updates

Ohio suppliers ready for heavy retail sales this season

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:36:53 GMT

There may be a pandemic on, but produce growers and distributors in Ohio say they’re in robust health.

“I’m really happy with where we’re at,” said Alex DiNovo, president and COO of Columbus, Ohio-based wholesale distributor DNO Produce .

The company, which serves schools and other foodservice clients, has had to adjust since the new coronavirus COVID-19 brought its full fury to the Buckeye State in late March, but it’s on the right path, DiNovo said.

“We’re going to be in an excellent position when schools come back, whether it’s regular, remote or some sort of hybrid,” he said.

“We’re well-positioned (so) that we’re going to be in a good position when school comes back in the fall.”

School clients include universities, DiNovo said.

“Universities are going to be looking to get labor out of their own cafeterias; we’re standing by, ready to provide grab-and-go items there. We’re in the right place at the right time, I think.”

Ohio-grown produce always has been a big seller, but in the shadow of a pandemic, local means even more to consumers across the state, DiNovo said.

“I think that people want to help out their neighbors,” he said.

“Eating local” is like “compound interest,” because consumers are spending money that stays close to home, DiNovo said.

“If you’re buying from a farmer 50 miles down the road, he’s paying his associates, and they’re going to shop locally; there’s gonna be tax dollars that flow back into the economy,” he said. “It’s almost a flywheel-type effect.”

Proximity important

Another benefit of local produce is that it is grown nearby, DiNovo said.

“I think people also noticed some supply disruptions from markets from stuff grown farther away,” he said. “People want to keep things closer.”

Ohioans seem to be buying local in increasing volume, said Loren Buurma, partner in Willard, Ohio-based Buurma Farms Inc .

“Chain store traffic seems to be up; demand has been good,” he said.

That’s good news for all local growers, said Alex Buck, president of the Fruit Growers Marketing Association , Newcomerstown, Ohio.

“Local is by far the leading driver of sales,” he said.

“More and more retailers are wanting to share our growers’ stories with consumers and embrace the farmers in our communities. Local distributors are shipping our fruits and vegetables to restaurants within 24 hours of harvesting. We love how much our communities care about supporting our farms and communicating how important it is to have fresh local produce.”

Buurma’s summer deal got underway early in June — about a week late, due to weather issues — with radishes. Zucchini, squash and cilantro followed. Sweet corn was scheduled to get underway around July 20, Buurma said.

The pandemic did cause a bit of a cutback, though, Buurma said.

“We reduced things a bit this year because of fears from COVID,” he said. “Any excess acres, we cut. We have enough to cover contracts.”

It’s a time to “play to the vest,” he said.

“Nobody really knows what’s gonna happen, and it’s not over with,” he said of the pandemic. “Just about the time things start opening up, they shut bars in Florida.”

Everything at North Fairfield, Ohio-based D.R. Walcher Farms and Willard-based Holthouse Farms was looking good, said Ken Holthouse, general sales manager and co-owner of both operations.

“Everything is looking healthy; we’re getting adequate rainfall,” he said. “From the vegetable-growing side, the start is normal — maybe a week behind.”

If there is any difference, it may be a bit more packaged product, due to COVID-19, Holthouse said.

“There’s a leaning towards that,” he said. “We heard some saw an uptick in bagged product and less in bulk.”

However, store employees with whom he has conversed have said it has been “kind of business as usual,” Holthouse said.

High demand

Demand for zucchini, cabbage, yellow squash, cucumbers and sweet corn “has been outstanding,” said Kirk Holthouse, partner at Holthouse Farms.

“Prices are well above normal,” he said.

Higher prices came as a surprise, particularly with COVID-19 around, he said.

“Everybody kind of thought demand for fresh vegetables would be down during this time,” he said.

“I think there’s kind of a combination of less merchandise being grown and more cooking at home.”

The pandemic has impacted foodservice-heavy suppliers, and a thinner retail field has left fewer sales alternatives, said Jamie Sanfillipo, partner with Columbus-based Sanfillipo Produce Co. Inc .

“It’s a weird time,” he said. “The problem is, the days of the IGAs are gone. Everything now, when it comes to regular grocery stores, you have to run everything through a commissary and they do their own buying. The days of the store drops are all gone.”

Buck agreed that packaged product seemed to be gaining momentum.

“Retail is still very strong but consumer demand is toward packaged products rather than bulk items,” he said.

“We had several promotions set up in April/May for our club varieties that retailers had to postpone to focus on replenishment of consumer panic buying. Our club apples had to be redirected to alternative markets instead of fresh market retail that should have been a great source of late season income for the growers. However, we are very optimistic that this will turn around for next apple season.”

Wholesalers count on Ohio product, said Tom Sirna, president of Ravenna, Ohio-based distributor Sirna & Sons Produce .

“Our area has provided us with access to many growers who can supply us with local product during that season — we are very fortunate to be able to extend our product lines with these options during the summer months,” he said.

“Additionally, Ohio has a large Amish settlement who can supply exceptional products to us as well that our customers enjoy.”

That seems to be the case this year, too, Sirna said.

“We see the interest of consumers in produce continuing to grow, with people looking for healthier food options at restaurants, grab-and-go stands, and other outlets,” he said.

“We can only hope that this interest continues to increase in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.”

Kroger (53 stores), Meijer (17) and Walmart Supercenters (30) remained the dominant grocery chains in the Indiana-Ohio region, with respective market shares of 38.5%, 27.6% and 19.85%, according to the Shelby Report.

Whole Foods (three stores) was next, at 2.82%.

The Packer’s COVID-19 Coverage

The Packer’s Wholesale Coverage

The Packer’s Produce Retail Coverage

Weather delays Ohio vegetables, but growers optimistic

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 18:55:55 GMT

A cold, wet spring may have gotten Ohio vegetables off to a slow start, but growers look forward to warmer days ahead and strong demand for local produce.

“Despite a cool April and May we’ve been able to keep our normal planting schedules and expect to have consistent supplies once we get started,” said Chadd Buurma, president of Buurma Farms in Willard, Ohio.

“In early June we’ll start with both cello and bunch radish, followed by dill, cilantro, turnip greens and mustard greens,” Buurma said.

“Mid-June will bring on the variety lettuces and by the end of June we will add parsleys, collards, kale, green onions, beets, cabbage, zucchini and yellow squash.”

Ben Wiers, CEO of Willard-based Wiers Farm Inc ., said his family’s season is also shaping up nicely after battling unusually high rainfall in mid-May and a hard frost May 9.

“We had a slow start getting seed and transplants in the ground,” Wiers said May 26, “but have now caught up on our transplanting schedule.”

He expects harvesting of cucumbers, pickles, sweet corn, leeks, bell peppers and chili varieties and eggplant to begin in July.

“So far we are looking at excellent quality on all items,” he said.

Scott Michael, CEO of family-owned Michael Farms in Urbana, Ohio, said he thought keeping his labor force safe from COVID-19 would be his biggest challenge this spring. Instead, the cold weather took center stage.

“This could be one of the latest years we’ve had,” said Michael, who expects to begin harvesting 10 days later than usual.

“We usually start cabbage first, around June 16 to 18, but this year it may be more like June 28,” he said. “And I don’t think we’ll have beans in early July.”

Michael Farms’ sweet corn may be ripe at best in mid-July, but more likely July 20, he said.

“We’ll probably harvest a little extra each day and we may extend our season a week or two into the fall.”

The family’s Buckeye brand potatoes are also a little behind, but still expected in August.

“We should be strong in production once we get going,” he said.

Holthouse Farms co-owner Kirk Holthouse, who grows cucumbers, peppers, chili peppers and summer and winter squash between the family farm in Willard and growers across the state, was planting where he could in late May while waiting for the weather to improve.

Despite all the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, Holthouse and other growers say they haven’t cut back on their planting this year.

“We’re not sure if there’s going to be an over or undersupply, as we’ve heard some pockets are cutting back on what they’re growing, and there’s no questions foodservice will be down,” he said.

“But we’re doing what’s been working and we’re going into it with faith that business will be there and things will bounce back.”

While the closure of restaurants, schools and businesses impacted several wholesalers who buy from NatureFresh Farms in Delta, Ohio, Sarah Krzysik said she’s seeing increased demand, and slightly higher prices, from the retail side.

“With the year-round availability of greenhouse tomatoes and with our Ontario production, we’ve been able to manage this increase well with no interruption of supply and service to our retail customers,” said Krzysik, public relations coordinator for the Leamington, Ontario-based company.

She said demand is strong for greenhouse peppers and cucumbers and very high for tomatoes, expected in mid- to late June. In fact, she said retailers are asking NatureFresh to increase production of Ohio tomatoes.

Traditional growers are also optimistic about the demand for locally grown produce.

Wiers said the supply chain has made rapid adjustments in the past few months and may have to make a few more before everything settles down.

“It is early to say,” he said, “but we expect strong demand on most of our products.”

Buurma is looking forward to the months ahead.

“Our local chain stores are really excited to get going with home-grown product as it signals the start of summer,” he said.

“And maybe the thought of what happened this spring can start to fade some.”

Related:
Organic growing in Ohio
Weather slows Ohio’s start, but crops are catching up
Wiers Farms adds to packinghouse space

COVID-19 closures take their toll on Ohio’s foodservice business

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:36:49 GMT

Highlights:

Companies have been forced to adjust to the restirctions brought on by the pandemic, including resturants and school closures.
A large majority of the Ohio foodservice sector (approx. 80%) won’t break even this year.
The pandemic already had forced about 3% of Ohio’s restaurants to close by the end of June.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box program has kept a number of Ohio suppliers busy.

For Ohio produce suppliers and their foodservice clients, things were going — and growing — smoothly through the winter months.

Then, as spring dawned, the new coronavirus COVID-19 swept across Ohio, as it also did the nation and the world.

“Pre-COVID, produce sales were continuing to grow, as well as many more varieties were being asked for from customers,” said Tom Sirna, president of Ravenna, Ohio-based wholesaler Sirna & Sons Produce .

“Ohio has a rich, diverse population filled with casual dining, mass feeding and independent chef-driven concepts throughout the state. There is something for every diner to choose from. Through March of 2020, it was vibrant, growing, and ever-changing.”

But COVID-19 changed everything for the worse, with little or no advanced notice, Sirna said.

Everything froze. Restaurants shut down. Diners flooded grocery stores and stocked up. And produce wholesalers who had relied on foodservice sales saw that end of the business suddenly wither.

“With the COVID virus, foodservice came to a screeching halt and is still attempting to rebound from the economic damage that it has caused,” Sirna said.

“While independent restaurants always look to explore new products and create fresher dishes with many ingredients, many multi-unit restaurants also continue to put different fruits and vegetables on their menu.”

While Ohioans struggle to stay healthy amid the pandemic, produce suppliers say they’re wrestling with new ways to keep their businesses breathing.

Wholesalers who deal heavily in the foodservice sector are particularly susceptible to economic maladies, said Alex DiNovo, president and COO of Columbus, Ohio-based distributor DNO Produce , whose business is about 85% foodservice , including schools.

Related: DNO Produce adds cooler space to distribution center

DNO has adjusted to the restrictions brought on by the pandemic, including restaurant and school closures, DiNovo said.

“You’d think this would be a huge negative, but we’ve seen a lot of schools doing a lot of grab and go, which we do well,” he said.

By the end of June, DNO actually had managed to stay “a little ahead of budget for the year,” DiNovo said.

“We’re doing a lot of high-demand, grab and go, ready to eat, fresh-cut items,” he said.

Others who rely on foodservice sales may not be so fortunate, DiNovo said.

“I’m hearing a lot of these guys initially, they were down to 20% to 30% of revenue; now, I’m hearing 75%,” he said.

“If you specialize in restaurant sales, first they were shut down for two months and now they’re operating at half capacity. There’s going to be restaurants going out of business and distributors will go along with them. I hope that’s not the case.”

Caught off guard

The pandemic caught Dayton, Ohio-based foodservice supplier Produce One by surprise, said Erv Pavlofsky, principal of business development.

“When we learned in mid-March on a Sunday that the restaurants were going to close at 8 o’clock that evening, it caught us off guard,” he said.

“The universities and K-12s were already closed, so we didn’t have that big an adjustment, but when restaurants closed, we were in scramble mode — work with retail outlets, local communities and food banks and did everything we could not only to support our communities but to get rid of the inventories we already had on hand. Then, after a couple of weeks, restaurants opened for carryout, and we worked very close with customers on to-go menus and actually had cut back our delivery services from six to four days a week.”

Many of ProduceOne’s fine-dining clients did not reopen until around June 1, Pavlofsky said.

“We worked with all our customers throughout,” he said.

Related: Buurma Farms upgrades equipment, adds partner

COVID-19 has wrought “unprecedented” damage to the foodservice sector, said Homa Moheimani, director of communications with the Columbus-based Ohio Restaurant Association.

“It has been a really challenging time for restaurants,” she said. “First, half of the restaurants in Ohio were closed at one point — zero traffic without drive-through, pickup,” she said.

Some of Ohio’s “best-performing” restaurants were operating at 50% capacity, Moheimani said, noting that the association has been doing weekly surveys of Ohio’s foodservice sector since the pandemic first broke out in March.

The results are less than encouraging, she said.

“I’d say near 80% won’t break even for 2020,” she said.

The long-term implications are painful too, Moheimani said.

“Every week, another location closes or is selling the business if they can; that means less restaurants and independent owners/operators,” she said.

“They want to serve their guests, but ultimately, most of the closings are for financial reasons. If the traffic isn’t there, it’s just not sustainable.”

That’s not good for produce suppliers, Moheimani said.

“The food supply chain was a total wreck,” she said. “The stores were overwhelmed, and food wasn’t being purchased by restaurants. Dairy farmers had to get rid of the milk. One reason that happened is restaurants are an integral part of the food supply.”

Moheimani noted that more than half of the money spent on food in America is typically spent in restaurants.

“Take that away, and it completely changes everything,” she said.

Some restaurants across Ohio have adjusted with the restrictions imposed on them, Moheimani said.

“There are ways owners are trying to be creative, selling bulk produce and items — even toilet paper — because they have access to those supplies,” she said.

“Some have meal kits, where they give you all the produce and you can make it at home. That’s actually going to continue to happen — almost like a storefront. We’re hoping that as restaurants continue to open, that kind of balances that out.”

Related: Ohio suppliers ready for heavy retail sales this season

Changing models

For restaurants that have reopened or somehow continued to operate, things have changed in terms of how diners can procure fruits and vegetables, Moheimani said.

She said, for example, the rules around salad bars and buffets have changed.

“In Ohio, there’s been several guidelines and mandates; it’s up to the business location how they go about this,” she said.

Salad bars, as diners have come to know them, probably are things of the past, Pavlofsky said.

“I think there will be salad bars, but there will be somebody making them for you,” he said. “I don’t think you’re going to be able to put your hands in food anymore. That’s just my opinion, but I think anything that will be self-serve will be all packaged.”

The Ohio-based Amish buffet-focused Der Dutchman restaurants have had to adjust, as guests no longer can serve themselves, Moheimani said.

“Because guests are not permitted to serve themselves, they continue to offer buffets but with staff,” she said. “That certainly impacted a lot of places. Some may have changed their model completely and others may still offer buffets but offer it within the guidelines.”

Social-distancing and seating-capacity limitations have affected restaurants’ business, which usually generates more than $25 billion in annual sales at more than 23,000 locations, Moheimani said.

“Obviously, that has changed pretty drastically,” she said. “If you can imagine 50% of 23,000 locations closed, that’s a huge hit.”

The pandemic already had forced about 3% of Ohio’s restaurants to close by the end of June, Moheimani said.

“We don’t know how this is going to end,” she said.

Produce suppliers said they had endured a tough stretch.

“It’s not going swimmingly,” said Jamie Sanfillipo, partner with Columbus-based Sanfillipo Produce Co. Inc .

“When you’re in the foodservice side of things, and there’s nobody having parties, weddings or anything like that, it’s obviously going to hurt business. If you’re a grocery store supplier, you should have made a fortune this year. Our bread and butter are restaurants. As long it’s only allowing a third of the people in, it’s going to affect business.”

Sanfillipo Produce has had to “work a little smarter” to compensate for the loss in foodservice sales, Sanfillipo said.

Related: Ohio businesses rise to meet COVID-19’s challenges

“We’re focused on doing little things here and there,” he said. “I’m running some freight for a company in California to a warehouse in Ohio. I’ve picked up on whatever we can to make money that has normally nothing to do what we normally do. I’m not saying no to a lot of things.”

The company has eked out a profit, Sanfillipo said.

“We’re still profitable, just not close to where we were last year,” he said. “I know there’s a lot of people who’s lost a ton of money, but we’re just small enough we can control things.”

USDA steps in

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box program has kept a number of Ohio suppliers busy.

Through this program, USDA is working with national, regional and local suppliers, whose workforces have been significantly affected by the foodservice closures to buy up to $3 billion in fresh produce, dairy and meat products. It supplies boxes packaged with fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, meat products and a combination box of fresh produce, dairy or meat products.

Suppliers ship family-sized boxes to food banks, community and faith-based organizations, and other nonprofits.

The opening round of purchases, worth as much as $1.2 billion, ran May 15-June 30. The second round, July 1-Aug. 31, aims to purchase up to $1.47 billion.

“I thought the whole program was a joke, the way it was administered,” Sanfillipo said.

“If they wanted it to work for everybody, they should have looked at the local and regional distributors. It’s designed to help the gigantic farms and very large distributors. The people on the ground every day trying to make a living are the ones that suffered.”

ProduceOne has participated in the box program, Pavlofsky said.

“The program has been very successful at getting product into people’s hands, getting fresh fruits and vegetables to people in need,” he said. “It’s been extremely rewarding for our company to be a part of that.”

Alex Buck, president of the Fruit Growers Marketing Association in Newcomerstown, Ohio, said foodservice was “working at approximately 40%,” compared to the same period a year ago.

“We have offered payment programs to our foodservice customers to help them through the rest of the year,” Buck said. “Unfortunately, no one knows when they will be back to 100%, but we will be by their side along the way.”

Foodservice business seemed show “a nice increase” in June, Pavlofsky said.

“Where some of our biggest challenges have been is in some downtown office buildings, which have not been reopened,” he said.

“It’s forced us to look at other opportunities. One of them have been K-12s that have been doing feeding programs. So we’ve been doing a lot of schools over the summer, which normally wouldn’t be doing much.”

Suppliers still were looking for an end to the foodservice crisis at the end of June, Sirna said.

“At this point, it is very hard to tell what the future will look like,” he said.

“Many hotels are not even open, or if they are, they are running at 10-20% occupancy. The consensus nationwide is there is a high rate of independent restaurants that will not be able to re-open, as well.”

Related: Holthouse Farms adapts business amid pandemic

Registration open for Sustainable Food and Farm conference

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 17:32:12 GMT

Registration is open for the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association’s 42nd annual conference.

The event will be an interactive educational online conference for ecological farmers, backyard growers, and others committed to sustainable agriculture, according to a news release.

Called “Our Time: Essential Links for a Strong Food Chain,” will run from Feb. 10 to Feb. 15 and will be accessible anywhere by phone and computer. Registration is available at https://bit.ly/2JoVAU8.

“Through these challenging times of physical distance, more than ever, we need to be socially close,” Renee Hunt, program director for the association, said in a news release. “In that spirit, the online conference will be different, but with the same intent and result: sharing information so that we can all succeed, moving our food system toward greater resilience and equity, and forging a strong and dynamic community.”

Holthouse Farms adapts business amid pandemic

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:36:58 GMT

When the state of Ohio shut down all restaurants and bars on March 15 with the words: “This is the real thing; this is not a drill,” Kirk Holthouse realized he had a big problem.

Some 3,000 packs of red beets, carrots, radishes, escarole, green cabbage and napa stacked in his warehouse for foodservice customers were suddenly homeless.

“It came at a time when grocery stores were running short of product and there was a lot of hoarding,” said Holthouse, co-owner of Willard-based Holthouse Farms Inc . in central Ohio.

“We put a message on Facebook letting people know we had all this stuff and they started coming in.”

The new customers were soon asking if he carried other items, from onions and berries to pineapple. His online list grew quickly from five to 70 items, all sold by the case or bag.

Then seniors called to say they couldn’t possibly use a full case of cabbage or zucchini, so he began breaking them into smaller packs, then offering mixed boxes of 10-12 different vegetables and five to six varieties of fruit.

With each Facebook update, the online business grew.

“I initially had 400 Facebook friends but soon had 1,200 followers,” he said.

“They’d tell their relatives and people started coming from a 60-mile radius, from Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo. They’d buy enough for a week and split it among multiple families.”

As orders poured in, he needed staff to man the phones, handle the repacking and take orders to vehicles.

“The real blessing of it,” he said, “is that we were able to keep about 20 people employed we would’ve otherwise had to lay off.”

The farm also got assistance from the government’s Payment Protection Program loan.

Between the many texts, calls and in-person pickups, Holthouse said he formed a strong bond with customers within his community and further afield.

Two months later, business slowed considerably as local supermarkets began to fully re-open and people became less anxious about shopping in them.

Holthouse has now turned his attention back to his own crops and serving the foodservice accounts that are slowly starting to return. But he hasn’t forgotten the success of his COVID-inspired enterprise.

“Maybe in November when things start to get slow we can fire it up again,” he said.

Related content:
Weather delays Ohio vegetables, but growers optimistic
Organic growing in Ohio
Holthouse Farms moves into new office

Ohio businesses rise to meet COVID-19’s challenges

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:36:58 GMT

Keeping employees safe and getting produce to anxious consumers in the time of COVID-19 has become as big a challenge for farmers as growing a healthy crop.

“Labor has been our biggest challenge,” said Sarah Krzysik, public relations coordinator for Nature Fresh Farms’ greenhouses in Delta, Ohio.

“Our initial concern was with border closures and the uncertainty of the arrival of our temporary foreign workers,” said Krzysik, “but we are working closely with the U.S. labor department to help us with the H-2A program.”

She said changes implemented in the greenhouse to keep employees safe include staggering shifts, breaks and lunches and conducting a deep sanitization of all regularly-used surfaces in work areas.

Chadd Buurma, CEO of Buurma Farms, Willard, Ohio, said Ohio farmers were fortunate they were still in the off-season and not planting or harvesting when the virus arrived.

“This gave us a chance to adjust to the new world much like everyone else,” Buurma said, “and implement all the guidelines experts have advised.”

His first group of H-2A labor arrived in mid-May and was quarantined until they could start harvesting June 1.

“More labor will be coming in throughout June,” he said, “and we will use the same procedure.”

Michael Farms, Urbana, Ohio, has been upgrading its facilities to meet COVID-19 guidelines and shore up its existing commitment to food safety, said CEO Scott Michael.

“We’re putting in 12 additional sinks for employees to access,” said Michael, “as well as providing masks and communicating with workers about choices they can make to minimize their exposure to the virus.”

Since employees are no longer comfortable moving aside plastic flaps in doorways to keep air and bugs out, Michael has installed air curtains.

To minimize the touching of door handles, some have been outfitted with foot controls.

Wiers Farm, Willard, was in the midst of its Florida season in Sarasota when the virus hit, said CEO Ben Wiers, but despite a few challenges all proper safety measures were quickly put into place.

“Fortunately, transportation issues during the COVID crisis have been mitigated since the Wiers family also owns Dutch Maid Logistics,” Wiers said.

Located a mile from the family farm, the company owns around 200 trucks and more than 300 refrigerated trailers.

To reduce produce handling in-store, Wiers is packaging more of its vegetables under its Wiers Farm and Dutch Maid brands, while Michael Farms expects to bag more green beans this summer and see more of its sweet corn sold in tray packs.

TQL recognized as Great Supply Chain Partner

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 20:00:39 GMT

Total Quality Logistics, Cincinnati, has been selected for the sixth year in a row as a Great Supply Chain Partner by SupplyChainBrain.

The recognition is based on opinions of SupplyChainBrain readers, through an online survey of supply chain professionals, according to a news release.

The survey considers “vendors and service providers whose solutions have made a significant impact on their company’s efficiency, customer service and overall supply chain performance,” Brad Berger, publisher of SupplyChainBrain, said in the release.

“This award is important to us because it is determined directly by the feedback and opinions of our customers,” TQL President Kerry Byrne said in the release. “Our mission is to exceed customer expectation at all times, from the moment of pickup until delivery 24/7/365, and an award like this confirms we are executing on that mission.”

TQL is building a $20 million expansion at its Cincinnati headquarters to prepare for more hires in information technology and sales roles.

Related stories:

TQL plans sales, IT expansion with $20 million project

Total Quality Logistics finds growth in contract business

TQL honors service members, families

Crosset Co. to supply Midwestern stores with BrightFarms salads

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:40:48 GMT

Hydroponic greenhouse grower BrightFarms has partnered with Crosset Co. , Independence, Ky., to distribute its products to more than 100 independent retailers in the Midwest.

Most of the new retail outlets are in Ohio; the company’s newest growing operation is in Wilmington, Ohio. Retailers in Ohio will be supplied with the “core portfolio of baby greens” grown there, according to a news release.

Paul Lightfoot, BrightFarms’ CEO, said the partnership with Crosset Co. helps the grower gain access to the important independent retail market.

“As we’ve expanded across the country, we’ve been energized by the growth potential of working with the independent market, which serves a large demographic of consumers that care about transparency in food,” Lightfoot said in the release.

Greg Kurkjian, Crosset Co. vice president and general manager, said the BrightFarms salads will help the retailers differentiate their stores, while offering locally/organically grown products.

“Our long-standing relationships with the with customers in our service area, coupled with our supply chain, logistics, and merchandising solutions, align perfectly with BrightFarms’ growth initiative,” Kurkjian said in the release.

Retailers supplied by Crosset Co. include:

Dorothy Lane Markets
Walt Churchills Markets
Krieger’s Health Foods Markets

Ohio greenhouse is Mastronardi’s sixth in the U.S.

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:41:13 GMT

Mastronardi Produce is opening a sixth greenhouse in the U.S., with a 20-acre facility in Wapakoneta, Ohio.

The farm, known as The Ohio Greenhouse Company, will operate year-round, growing Sunset-brand products for retailers in states that include Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and West Virginia, according to a news release.

“This new location perfectly complements our vision and plan for providing fresh, local produce to our retailers and consumers,” Paul Mastronardi, president and CEO of Kingsville, Ontario-based Mastronardi Produce, said in the release. “Growing our local footprint and delivering on our long-standing ‘fresh from the farm’ commitment to our customers is something we are incredibly passionate about.”

Mastronardi Produce grows on more than 4,000 productive acres of growing capacity, according to the release. The new Ohio farm gives the company the ability to triple the acreage there.

Fish Kills in Ohio Linked to Manure Spreading

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:04:33 GMT

Investigators have linked three large fish kills this month to livestock manure that had been spread on farm fields in northwestern Ohio, and now they’re looking into whether any laws were broken.

What’s not known is whether the manure was deposited just before rain washed it into area creeks or if too much manure was put down, said Jeremy Payne, a wildlife investigator with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

An Ohio law put in place two years ago to combat harmful algae in Lake Erie prohibits farmers from spreading manure on fields within 24 hours of expected heavy rains because it contains phosphorous that feeds algae.

Ohio, along with Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario, have agreed to sharply reduce the amount of phosphorus from farm fertilizers, livestock manure and sewage treatment plants that flows into western Lake Erie within the next 10 years.

But many environmental groups argue that the state needs stricter rules on disposing manure and that voluntary efforts are not enough.

The manure also contains ammonia that pulls the oxygen out of creeks and streams and kills fish. An estimated 66,000 fish — from minnows to sunfish — were found dead in the creeks in Hardin, Allen and Williams counties this month.

A fourth fish kill in Mercer County also is being investigated.

In the most recent case, about 15,000 fish along a 10-mile stretch of a creek in Williams County were found dead last week.

The manure spill, though, won’t cause any long-term damage in the creek, said Payne, who added fish already are being spotted in the Williams County creek.

It’s possible that those responsible for putting the manure on the fields will be billed for the cost of the fish, said Steve Thomson, a state wildlife officer.

How much depends on the type and number of fish killed, but the price tag could be several thousand dollars, he said.