The Omnivore's Dilemma and local farms

It's been a few weeks since I've finished The Omnivore's Dilemma, and not much has changed for me yet. I bought an "organic free-range" chicken at Trader Joe's and wondered if the soothing narrative on the label matched the bird's actual life. I've been thinking more about labels, about high-fructose corn syrup and antibiotics, but none of that has really affected my purchasing.

But, thanks to this thread at Pandagon, I'm thinking about buying more of my food locally.

In one sense, of course, I do buy locally - from the Bigg's a half-mile from my apartment, or maybe from the Meijer a mile down the road. But you know what I mean. How close can one come to living entirely off of food produced in the Cincinnati area?

As it turns out, you can do pretty well! I was surprised to find that within 20 miles or so of my apartment are six farms, most offering not just produce, but meat and eggs. (Two of them are in Indian Hill, which seems incongruous to me, but I guess the richie-rich set is currently the main customer base for expensive humanely-raised pork.) Red Sun Farm in Loveland even posts their prices online, so I don't wind up driving all the way out there only to discover that their lamb chops cost 20 times what I'm willing to pay. (Also, they don't!)

Originally, I was thinking about joining a CSA, but many of the local farms listed in these databases sell their wares "a la carte" as well as on a subscription basis. In fact, I think only Turner and Gravel Knolls offer CSAs. Maybe that can be a next step for me.

Here, I've complied a resource for me and you - information on the local farms that show up on the lists:

Turner Farm
7400 Given Road, Indian Hill
513-561-8482
(no hours given)
Produce, lamb

Greenacres Farm
8255 Spooky Hollow Road, Indian Hill
513-891-4227
8:30-5 M-F
Beef, chicken, turkey, lamb vegetables, eggs

Grailville
932 O'Bannonville Road, Loveland
513-677-3241
(no hours given)
Vegetables

Red Sun Farm
10995 Grog Run Road, Loveland
513-683-9780
(no hours given)
Beef, pork, eggs, chicken, lamb

Gorman Heritage Farm
3035 Gorman Heritage Farm, Evendale
513-563-6663
9-5 W-S (and 12-5 Sundays in summer)
Eggs, chicken, lamb, pork, produce

Gravel Knolls Farm
9424 Cincinnati-Dayton Road, West Chester Twp.
513-779-1190
no hours
Eggs, poultry, produce
(Gravel Knolls is the only farm on this list that doesn't sell its wares on-site; you can get it through the farm's CSA or at a farmer's market in West Chester.)

Or, you know, I could just go to Findlay Market.