On Aug. 17, the Dayton-area local foods group, Miami Valley Grown (MVG), conducted our first chef-farm tour. MVG was started by the local OSU Extension office and is not supported by the EERA community development educators, with input from Ag, FCS, and even 4-H.

Here's a report from Noreen Wilhelm, Board Chair.
We had representatives from five locally owned restaurants (El Meson, Madison's Bistro, Christophers, The Chimneys, Rue Dumaine) and visited three growers in western Montgomery County -- Mile Creek Farm, a CSA and fresh market grower, Tuken's Orchard and Market, and Stockslagers Greenhouse. Mile Creek, which will be certified organic next year, offered tastings of heirloom tomatoes and a tour of their gardens. Tuken's explained the value of Integrated Pest Management and served juicy Gala apples, picked as the group walked through the orchard. Stockslager's exhibited beautiful seasonal plants and introduced the tour to a new herb -- a Cuban oregano, with leaves as big and bright as a coleus and thick as a succulent!
 
There was palpable excitement and energy as the growers and restaurateurs talked about ways they could collaborate and support each other's efforts, curiousity about growing methods and varieties, even the beginning of understanding of each other's needs. For example, a grower who talked about losing crop value when a fruit was blemished by disease began to see that a pock-marked apple which might not sell at a farm market but could become part of a fabulous dessert at a restaurant.
 
We've started something very good here and we're looking forward to building on that momentum.